MIRAMAR AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 603, 3 September 1909, Page 7

MIRAMAR AFFAIRS.

—'- ..:'-♦.' ''": —:■•'■•'■" HARBOUR BOARD REPRESENTATION. .PROTEST'BY THE MAYOR. The : recent decision of tho Wellington Harbour Board, in regard to Harbour Board ro-.! presentation, called forth a st-atenient from 1 the Mayor, of Miramar,(Mr. C. J.',Crawford) at.tho meeting of the borough.council last There wefo present, in addition to the Mayor, Councillors H. M'Lcod, R. F. 8011, J. Brodic, and Muir. . ~ i \ .'■■ln' the,., first, place, Mr. Crawford stated that his' views on jiarbour matters hadnever been/parochial; he had; always!..held that the .important thing was to dovclop the whole of Port, Nicholson, and any. remarks he would make concerning tho representation of Miramar. Pn tho.' Harbour Board would certainly not be- made with the intention of carping atthb northern end of the harbour.-The fact remained that,' apart from ,the fore--shoro owned by tho city,-Miramar )iad a very valuable foreshore ot the harbour, with'deep water, ho.'.-difficulty."in■■providing-.-wliarvcs,' and a large area 6f level land, suitable: for', factories and industries.' 'Ho'belioved that: there was a great future befpro.Miramar in this'direction.' But what was .the position aa regards representation on tho Harbour, Board? -The .borough wa3 joined with'all those local bodies, on '.the- north of Wellington, of which- Petono were the chief, and the.delegates of all tbeso bodies met together to appoint a common represent tative on the board. Soirio years ago, owing almost'entirely to luck, aided by a rather astutestratagem, the late Mayor of Miramar (Mr.F. ,Townseud) obtained election by the delegates, but he. did not.think that that would ever occur'again; or that, in the present circumstances, Miramar would ever hoivo a; representative on tho Harbour-Board. Tho last meeting of delegates he (Mr. Crawford) had attended was purely a farce. It was all made uj beforehand who was-.to -be elected, and he might, as well have.- : stayed away, because all'the other delegates had their interests on tho northern sido of the harbour, arid he was the only: one for the south. Tho recent • decision of ■ the board was that this unsatisfactory position was to be' continued, except that the boroughs with which. Miramar was joined would have two representatives.-. Hutt and Petone would elect two members of the board; and Miramar: would still be left out, iii the cold. He did not think that, that was ~3 correct position - at : all.'-This perpetuated "a' difficulty which occurred in many harbour boards; in New a. sort of antagonism'between' country. ahd,. : l:own.- Ho'thought it was. verv undesirable ihnt this should exist here, and .reprecpntatjonsshptild be made to see if sonic way!'.could: not be. found to get rid of. the* difficulty.' .-It'was! quite .clear that if.Wei-, lington .'wasvgoing to develop-into'a huge city, if it was:going. to 'drive'back its com.merce,'.along tho Main Trunk' lirie'.'as far as.' pbssihlo towards' Auckland,, 'all must pull together, and not '.allow any antagonism of this..kind to exist. '/.'Personally- ho thought, that antagonism' between Hutt and Petone and Miramar was all nonsense, 'and repreaintatibn:'on- the Harbour Board' should: be.such as-to-leave no room for such antagonism; He moved that the matter be refejred'to,tho:Harbours ;and Gas Committee,; with power to make 'such representations : as it'thought'fit.-r: : ::.;:;.'.', '.:. "..:■;•■ ';,

, Mr. fl.,M'Leod seconded: the motionj arid bri"fly endorsed/the Mayor's remarks/. ,-"* 'The motion was adopted, iiriammoucly.-//,.

; ;: ;,=:. ' GENERAL-BUSINESS.,: J,;...';;" :An-application was received from ..the Seatoua.;Cricket Club for permission to.improvo for .cricket.'-that-tho /club;was- doing' a 'great'.:deal - for hoys, .and - deserved support. 1 _Tho -application' ■wavgranted: '.'. .;':■'.-;:-' ■■■"-■■-•!- ;-' ;--: ; Councillor Muir was appointed a: member of tho. Tramway\ Committee. '/ ;.-'.■ Tho Kilhirnio.,'Estate Company asked that steps .shouldrhg'jflkerL.to;..;prevent,:tho diecharge'' of storni-ivator. .'over -:thoir. ' land., 'Councillor Bell .said,.that' the, road, was made .many -years/ago,■ and-,'had:,always- drained oyer, tho land in questionX'-T-hb -flounci} re--solvod not to accept .any responsibility. ' ;..- • ";Mr.'-T.'Poltor wrote, asking-that.tho;coun-cil -should form Mantell ■'Street.' Consideration of, tho... matter, was-postponed.\ , ,Tho.City'-Engineer -wrote stating that, he proposed to ;tako over /all' surplus tramway material for,;tho Lyell r ßay.'/ lino. '/ -Tho material was valued at: about ■/£4OO, and consisted; chiefly/ rails"and''sleepers. It •was decided to agree to : the proposal:'-/ / ...;'A. ,wa3 : : n3*sscd to/obtain -fifty /Osram' lamps to /those, at present used -for' thos'lighting ; of ■ the.-: borough.-.'. It was estimated by tho;City; Council's,: electric 'light department 'that the. Saving' by.' installing/'Osram./larnps/ wouldf,';amount to-.from £125 to '£150' a year/; Councillor' M'Leod Lsuggested'/that tho'lamps, should'be ,prt- ; tooted. ,to., prevent people'"'shinning rup the posts'?,'.;'' and'. stealing .. . tn'erri. -' Protective, measures-against theft had been found/neces-, sjary-; iii.. the - building .'.'in-which;' tho council : has-its offices. '.It-was: decided .to nsk: the Borough/Engineer to',-'make .'provision/for -proK. tcctioii .'of.: the'-.lamps'. :.,:>,.,.- ,