WORKS IN HAND AND REQUIRED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 109, 31 January 1908, Page 9

WORKS IN HAND AND REQUIRED.

This, of course, would not' be allowed to exist, and tho osccutivo heads of the Board fully realise the responsibilities of the present position'. : It, was therefore tho duty of tho Board without delay to-take steps to provide tho' moneys -required to keep 'tho port of Wellington at its present high standard, and to;undertake, such additional * works as would completely provide for the yearly expansion of trade activities. The works absolutely required forthwith were as follows, of which the first ' eight 'named '.were now in progress: • Petone wharf and works incidental, theroto, King's, wharf and stores, Clydo Quay wharf, mooting .buoys, firo hydrants, hydraulic jiggers, V hydraulic cranes, for King's wharf, Worihington' pumping engine , (all the aforementioned works ,being now in , progress), boiler houseextension, road formation," Te Ajo ■ reclamation eastroad .formation, Waterloo Quay reclamation; drainage, Waterloo Quay reclamation - } pod-blocking Customhouse and Jervois Qiaiys"; completing retaining: wall Waterloo Quay Reclamation; fillingin, •, street - formation, v.ivater.*. service/;, etc.,* Waterloo Quay reclamation';?! filliitgun, etc., Te'Aro icclamation- west; Pipitea wharf; with cranes,Mighting ( -etc.;, wool store Z, Waterloo Quay .north; restoring i.Queen'si.wharf v tip-, proach to outer tee and blocking and repairing dock, widening outer'! tee, Queen's wharf, with sheds and .cranes complete, connecting Jervois Quay staging and Taranaki Street,wharf,.Te Aro wharf with two stores, cranes, and water service, alteration P store" for office purposes, electric light installation, dredging L'ambtort harbour, dredging Falcon shoal, alteration head.officc building for bond • These works represented in all an expenditure, of'£sßG,soo. In addition to this amount there, was tho purchase 'of.the Patent Slip, £25,000, and the cost of reclamation of land, dredging; construction of berthage accommodation, construction of "retaining walls, street formation, interest and contingencies, estimated to cost in all £110,000, or a total in connection with the Patent Slip and its developmental works of. not less than £135,000. . " THE PATENT ,SLIP. It might be of interest for him to say that -the'negotiations which had been proceeding for some time with the Union Company for the purchase of its interest in tho Patent Slip ; Company had not como to. a definite ifjsufe. Tnis being so, ho recommended that, m accordance with tho resolution of the Board,.adopted on December:s last, the solicitors should bo asked to proceed at once and igive effect to that resolution, which irieant the compulsory acquisition of the property under the powers vested in the Board. That this should be necessary 'was a matter of grave regret, and tho Harbour Board had a riglit'to feel'strongly on'the way in which it, as guardian of great public interests, had been treated by tho directors of the Wellington Pat'ut Slip Company, and the Well iiigtori Gas Company, acting jointly in this matter. ,* The-Union Steam Ship Company was'quite within its rights in'purchasing the intorcst of the major portion of the shareholders in the Patent-Slip Company— he found up fault with thom. It had so acted that it could without friction ask the Harbour Board to assist it to effectively increase its scopo of operations in connection with the working of its great fleet, and it had a right (consistent with a due regard to the interests of tho general public) to havo loyal assistance from the members of the' Board.'

. THE EVANS BAY SCHEME. ' In addition to the expenditure to which lie had already referred, he would nslc tho Board to proceed at once with the work of adding to tho industrial advantages of Wellington an area of land at Evnns Bay in accordance with the resolution already arrived at. As they were aware, this work had been postponed in consequenco of tho high estimate placed upon steep hill sides by many of their owners. This would require to bo met with by asking the Compensation Court to ascertain the true values of such properties. It wa3 estimated that tho first instalment of tho reclamation connected with this work would absorb the Board's energies for the nest three years, and that it would only be necossary to provide a sum of £151,336 for tho work during that period. This would, in every sense, he a reproductive work. It would, of course, bo necessary to provido for wharves, etc. (connected with the industrial work which would be an active factor thcro), at a later date./ A MILLION OP MONEY. It would, therefore, be seen from his remarks that no less a sum than £872,836 must bo faced as expenditure to placo the port of Wellington during tho next three vears in the position which its rapidly-grow-ing commerce imperatively demanded' Parliament should therefore Ijo asked next session for authority to l>o given to the Hoard to'.raiso one million lor necessary harbour • works. Thin would mean an assured finance -an- absolute necessity—if the success of tho Board during, the past twenty-live years was to be maintained. It would, of course, be necessary to readjust the question of revenue, so as to make proper prorir.iou for the additional payments which would he, imposed upon t ; ho Board as tho outcome of the construction of the necessary works to which ho hod referred. He proposed calling together a special meeting of the Board in a few days so that full details of what would ho nccessary might he laid before the mombors, and carefully considered. In this matter the true interests of the port would

he best preserved by, exercising great I cau-tion,'.and-having always in mind "that Wellington must remain now, as in tho Last,, supreme as the great- chicf port of-the] Dominion, having a higher standard of icfliciency and less charges than was possible for other jiorts lacking its inagniiicent teiitral position and natural ndvaiita;ji:s. i AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. , Air. Boauchainp said that whilst thanking tho Chairman for his interesting report n'na forecast; ho wished to take exception to his strong and un-called for criticisms of the directors of the Wellington Gas Company aid the Patent Slip Company. The Chairman seemed to think that tho Board had bean badly treated by thoso companies. Tie did not know why. The directors were not coniccrcial, philanthropists, but everything that they had done had been dope in a perfectly honourable and straightforward way, anil every fair-minded man would agreo that there was nothing that any member of the x>oard should cayjl at-. The Board had been disappointed, owing to its own dilatorincss.' Imie and again the Engineer had recommended the Board to purchase tho Patent 1 ; olip, and there was a tinio when-it could have been acquired at a reasonable figure. It was not done, and complications had-siuco arisen, nnd now the Chairman turned round and_ s.la.ngod .the' directors of thoso two companies. Abundant proof conld bo brought, to show that the Chairman's remarks were most unfair. ' - ' : Mr. Wilforcl expressed sorrow that the Chairman and Mr. Beauchamp should say such things to each other at the.last Board meeting which they would attend together. Ho urged that the Board should procecd cautiously in the matter of the hew works mentioned by the Chairman. Tho Board had now a new sot of officers, and with all their ability, which ho did not question, tho fact that they wero untried men should cause tho Board to proceed on cautious lines. THE PATENT SUP AGAIN.

The Chairman, replying to Mr. Beanchamp's vindication of the Gas Company and tho Patent Slip Company, said ho would have been more disposed to accept 'Mr. Beauchamp's opinion if lie had given the Board an explanation of , all the facts. 'All-that he know as Chairman, was that the Board- war, interviewed by a gentleman who, on behalf of tho-Gas Company,-handed ovor a letter giving the Board the option of purchasing the Patent Slip at the price of £25,000. Tho Board was proceeding under tho idea that that, option was still open to-it. The Board could not deal with the matter until tho City. Council had decided what it would do about the JCvans Bay reclamation scheme. Now, ho wanted from Mr. Beauchamp tho whole story, accompanied by the minutes of tho, two companies concerned. He wanted to 'know why •it was- necessary to exact pledges of secrecy from both the'parties.concerned. He must have the wholo story before him before'ho could withdraw anything he had said. If the story as revealed by the minute books of tho companies showed* that he had been too harsh m his remarks, ho would gladly withdraw them. Mr. Beauchamp! "That means that you. aro prepared to suspend your judgment?" . Tho Chairman said that to that extent he was ready to suspend his judgment. . He then read a letter received by tho Board from tho Patent Slip Company, stating that the direct-ors wero hot aware* of tho Patent Slip property having been placed under offer to the Board. And yet (continued Mr. Macdonald) Mr. Duncan had sat in that' Boardroom and said'that ho was instructed by tho directors of tho Patont Slip Company; to mako such an offer at £25,000. Mr. Beauchamp: "Under certain conditions." -~ Tho Chairman said- that Mr. Duncan stated that tho Gas Company had the first right to purchase tho Slip, but had authorised him to see if the Board was.prepared to give tho; company certain rights, arid tho land to build largo gasworks. That authorised statement had led the Board to deceivo itself. Tho Board, had a right to feci indignant at the directors' of the Patent Slip Company and tho Gas Company for keeping it in the dark as to the negotiations with the Union Company. - Mr. Beauohsmp, remimjpd. tJip.'Ch.aiimajj. of, a speech in tlib Legislative.'Council, ho (tho';Chairman) had- said that ,the. Gas Coiripany-,.could not obtain- land at Evans Bay,and was, therefore, obliged to goi.to

Miramar., ' The Chairman said thero was no'need to go into that. Mr.. Beauchamp, alluding -to tho Chairman's remarks on the secrecy of tho negotiations, said that tho Harbour Board also insisted on secrecy in connection with the Evan's Bar scheme. THE BOARD'S WOPvKS POLICY. Tho Chairman went on to reply to Mr, Wilford, and urged that, although tho Board was changing its oflicors, tho now ones had been trained by Mr. Ferguson, and would havo his aUvico as consulting- engineer. Mr. Townsend agreed with Mr. Wilford that it was necessary to go carefully, though'-, he recognised the competency of tho Board's officers.

1 Mr. Fraser said that, in. regard to tho Patent Slip, tho Hoard certainly was not freo from lilamo in not acquiring it when under offer before. , Mr. Shirtcliffo took tho samo view. Tho offer was not brie for consideration in twelve months' timo, but within a reasonable period, ilo considered tho offer had lapsed, and ho could not endorse tho remarks of tho Chairman 011 tho doings of tho directors of tho Patent Slijj Company and tho Gas Company. Ho hoped it would not go before the public that tho list of works given by tho Chairman was to bo adopted without consideration and revision by tho new Board: If theso works wcro all to bo undertaken, tho charges on users of tho harbour would have to bo increased, perhaps even moro than Mr. Ferguson had estimated.; Ho thought that, whilo all absolutely neccssary works should begone on with, some others might bo left until they becamd moro urgent. Mr. AYood said ho wag afraid that tho spending of a million' of money within four years would mako Wellington tho dearest, instead of the cheapest, port in the Dominion. Tho Hon. T. Yt'. Ilislop asked what would become of the Board if it changed its course every timo it had now officers. Ho had no doubt that tho Board would exercise proper caution. . THE MAYOR ON THE PATENT SLIP QUESTION. He objected to tho Board being blamed for postponing tho matter of purchasing tho Patent. Slip. The Board acted with reasonable caution, and deferred ; tho matter for further information. But, meanwhile, other negotiations were going on which tho Board should have been informed of. A member of tho Board was participating in thosti negotiations, and ho should not have, kept, from his fellow members all knowledge of what was going on. DISCLAIMER BY'MR, BEAUCHAMP. Mr. Boaucbanip said ho had no knowlodge'of the negotiations between tho Patent Slip Company and the Union Steam Ship Company until the thing was done. Ho was not taken into confidence because Mr. Duncan recognised tho situation in which ho would bo placed as a member of tho Harbour Board. Ihe wholo of the negotiations between Mr. Duncan and Sir James Mills were carried on without his knowledge. Mr. Fletcher, said tho Board had boon treated shabbily in regard to tho purchase of tho Patent Slip. COMPULSORY ACQUISITION. The Chairman moved :— "That the sccrotnry be now instructed to put into 'force the resolution passed by the Board on December 5, requiring the Board's solicitors to proceed with tho acquisition of tho Patent Slip." Mr. Shirtcliffe seconded the motion. Mr. Fletcher supported the resolution, and sa'..l the Board should own, not only the Patent Slip, but the foreshore all round tho Harbour. Mr. Wilford thought it was not too late to purchase the property without compulsion, and the resolution should provide for that alternative. Compulsory purchase would be very expensive, and would lead to a Privy Council appeal, because some lawyers considered that there ivas a delect, in the, statute under which the Board claimed its right of purchase. He agreed that tlie Board must own the Patent Slip. Something had happened since last Monday which had changed the position so that terms could probably be arranged.

Tlio secrotnry (Mr. Ferguson) said that negotiations wore ponding, and the resolution was intended to strengthen his hands in (hose negotiations. Mr. Beauchamp agreed with Mr. Wilford thai :i modus vivendi could bo arranged if tho Board would offer reasonable terms to t>lu! Union Company. Tho. directors of the Patent Slip Company knew enough not to be bluffed, nnd ho thought; Mr, Ferguson should be allowed to go on with tho negotiations. The Chairman said that tho Union Company must have for their own safety an area of land where they could store such n quantity of coal as would innke them independent of strikes. Evans Bny was tho- spot whore this area could be obtained. , The members of- v tho Hoard, therefore, held tho >y to the position. Tho company could get no land there without the consent of the Doard. The Board ought to assist the company to ho, independent; of a coal strike for tho sake of tho. travelling public. Tho Board had .no spirit of antagonism to tho Union Company. Ho would ask loavo to withdraw his resolution for tho present; Tn the meantime Mr. Ferguson would continuo tho negotiations. ' Leave to withdraw the , resolution was grants:! and the matter then dropped.