EVANS BAY SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 7

EVANS BAY SCHEME.

THE HARBOUR BOARD,AND THE PATENT SLIP. FURTHER DISCUSSION. A special'meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board was held yesterday afternoon to consider a letter from the Union Steam Ship Company re tho Patent Slip, and to discuss other maters connected with the Evans Bay reclamation scheme. Those present were tho Hon. S. T. K. Macdonald (Chairman) and T.. W. Hislop, Messrs. J. MlLellan, R, Fletcher, C. E. Daniell, and G. Shirtcliffc. Mr. H. Beauchamp wrote asking to be excused- from attending, in view of the fact that the matter of the Patont Slip was to be discussed. RATES ON THE RECLAMATION. Tho Town Clerk forwarded a resolution of tho City Council approving of tho Evans Bay reclamation scheme, with the exception of the' clause declaring that tho Harbour Board would not be liable to pay rates.on unleased sections of tho reclamation land. The Council wished to" substitute a clause giving it the power of lowing rates on such lands. The Chairman raid tho position was that the Council wanted the. Board to pay rates' on land while it was lying idlo awaitin" tenants. ' :Tlio Hoard felt'that it should not ■bo called upon to pay rates on .unsold and 'unleased sections. He moved: "That tho Board iusiat 'on the deletion of the proposed neiy clause, and adhesiou to tho terms ■of the original agreement." ■ Mr. M'Lellnn seconded this. ■ Mr.'Shirtcliffe said he was hot at tho Coun;oil meeting when the .matter was discussed, but, had he been present, he would have supported the original.proposal. It seemed to him to be only, reasonable that the sections should bo free of rates until such time as the Harbour Board had disposed of them. Tho matter was one in which each of the bodies concerned should bo willing to meet the other. ■■ ' . Mr. Fletcher, in supporting tho same view, pointed out that the scheme was no longer a joint enterprise. f!hc Board had taken the onus of. doing the whole work, and thero was no responsibility on tho City Council; Mr. Danioll said the City Council would have very much the best of, tlio bargain in any case. 'The Chairman's .resolution was carried unanimously. .■ THE PATENT SLIP. The Chairman said the next business was tho consideration of a letter from the Union Steam Ship Company in relation to tho Patent. Slip. He wished to take, the opinion of the ■Board us to whether the matter should lie disciisscd in open meeting, or whether the Board should go into committee. Thero appeared to be a good deal of misconception about the methods of the lipard. It. was said that they were doing things in secret, and that ill-feeling was caused by this. Personally he thought the matter now before tlrom had reached a stage when the fullest publicity should bo given to it. The Union Company's letter was then read. It stated as follows:—

"liefore placing tho whole position before .my directors; I shall be glad to know; in the event of an amicable ar.rangeniont being arrived at between the proprietors or the Patent Slip Company and the Harbour Board, by which the latter will be enabled to acquire tho pro- . porty of the former, whether it is the intention of your Board to proceed at once witbtho work of reclaiming in connection therewith, and, also, whether the Hoard will undertake to provide my company with a suliiuient area of ground on the site of such reclamation for workshops, ete., and with wharf accommodation suitable for its purposes. On recoipt of a satisfactory reply from vou to these enquiries, with an indication of tho terms on which the Board would lease tho ground required by us, 1 shall bo pleased to place the' information, before illy directors with a view to consideration bv thorn, and the whole question raised by you in your, letter to the chairman of the Patent Slip Company." Mr. Daniel] said he hoped tho Board would not go, in for a controversy with tho Press, bocausb the Board would probably <gat the worst 'of it. The Press could always have tho last word. He asked tho members to avoid contention and go on with the businoss. . Mr. Shirtcliffe said ho was in favour of going into committee. If the Board discussed the matter in ( open meeting, the Board!s side of tho question would then become known, whereas tho other side would, no doubt, discuss the matter and the Board would not have tho advantage of knowing what they were doing. Ho thought that, as prudent business men, they ought to proceed quietly and carefully. Mr. M'Lellan then moved :■—>"That tho Board go into committee." This was seconded by Mr. Daniel] and carried. Aftor a discussion in committee, tho Chairman reported that it had boon resolved that the matter of tho letter from the Union Steam Ship Company should bo loft in tho hands of L the secretary to ascortain what was required. Having confirmed those resolutions, the Board rose.