The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1908. THE PORT AND THE MERCHANT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1908. THE PORT AND THE MERCHANT.

_ The representation of the mercantile community upon the Harbour Board was the subject of some interesting comment by various speakers at yesterday's meeting of the' Chamber of Commerce.: The burden of the speeches referred to was the inadequate representation of merchants on the present Board/and the undesirableness of the Government's proposed denial of representation to the Chamber. The Chairman, Mr. Harkness, dealt very convincingly with the innovation projected_ in the Harbours Bill, which was introduced into Parliament. last year. He pointed out that so far it has not been proved that the direct representation of the Chamber has been a disadvantage to the Board. On the contrary, both by right of interest and by special qualification, the nominee of the merchants, who make up the Chamber of Commerce, should be peculiarly fitted to strengthen the Board, as he is peculiarly, entitled to a share in the direction of.t.he.jßoard's policy.. These are facts so plain that we cannot conceive why the Government should have : decided to abolish the Chamber's privilege of special representation. Mr. John Dutliie endorsed the Chairman's views very vigorously. The recent elections, he noted, had resulted in the rejection of the merchant candidates, a result which he considered !" a public disaster." Without going! the length of' Mr. • Duthie's grave ■ concern as to the-future transactions of a Board that has lost a part of tile services of Mr. Ferguson, and on which there are so many new members," and which is so poorly representative of the mercantile community, .we cannot but share his fears and endorse his appeal to the •Chamber to assert itself against the.threatened extinction of its part in the management of the port. ! : ■ /

Under the constitution l proposed in the Harbours Billy.:we-should- have the anomaly of 'only ono mercantile repre'sentative (the member elected by the payers of dues), out of fourteen members of a Board . principally-concerned with : , matters immediately' affecting the . mercantile ■ community. That, is an anomaly to be avoided, and .it is; to be hoped that the resolution, moved, by Mr. J.' M'Lellan will result, in no halfhearted co-operation . amongst' the, Ghambers of Comme'rce throughout the country. _ ' The - present Anomalous merging in, one member of the interests of shipping, and payers of duesinterests that are in conflict -in many; important particulars—^was corrected iu the Harbours Bill, which gave separate representation to' the two interests. That is a-decided improvement on the existing state of affairs, which, as the recent elections' showed j may, re-' suit in the payers of dues practically going- _ unrepresented. - The Harbour Board is eminently not 1 a body for election on a - general indiscriminate 'suffrage. Its coucerns i are special poncerns, affecting, the'' mercantile community immeasurably more than anybody else, and for this reason the Chambers, of Commerce should strenu l ously resist the disfranchisement of the class most largely concerned. That 'the Board owed its inception to the Chamber, which the Government ap-. pnrently now desires to ignore, may not be a commanding, reason iii itself for tho continuance of the .Board's representation. It indicates very clearly, however, what interests should be first considered in.'amending legislation.