HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 6

HARBOUR AFFAIRS.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD. MR. FLETCHER ELECTED CHAIR- " MAN. ■ • " .The ' annual 'meeting , of the .Wellington Harbour .Board was. held' yesterday' afternoon, the'-'following' "being 'present £7' Tho Hons. F.,H.Fraser and iT.-K.Mac-donald/ Dr. 'Newman, 'Messrs.- T.' .M. •Wilford; JV M*Ewan/'/R. Fletcher,' 3?. Or--Bolton, J. G. Harkiiess, C. 'W. Jones, and ;M. Cohen. As is nsiial; at the 1 annual'meeting, when 1 , tho new: .ch'arman .has to be. elected, the chair was occupied'pro. forma by the secretary, Mr..H. E. Nicholls, until'such Hi'me as'the elecition decided, the chairman.

. Dr.. Newma^/moved and, r the"Hon. ,T. j ■ Kennedy' Macdonald seconded,' that Mr. Robert Fletcher., be cHairman of the board. Both the proposer and seconder spoke in high terms of-the good" work ■ Mri Flet-, cher had; done for the board. He had shown, himself .to be, a keen;critio and : an. energetic. worker' in-, the ■ interests of., the 1 board,* and', if "he would hold I the balanoe evenly- on -all- occasions. '

; Mr. C. YWV Jones said that he regretted that the ■ proposer had ' made '• a • remark which might excite personal references. The speaker quoted from a; speech- of Mr. FletcherV to. show .that he (Mr, Fletcher) had v said there. were : two parties on the board.; .'.The suggestion :thatparties , existed on, the board. was . grotesquely" in.correct/. "He claimed/that Mr: Flotcher had shown personal characteristics'which ■he could not. include ih an ideal-, chair"man. .'The, board . wanted, a chairman in whom' all would have entire confidence." .-He-freely recognised /the good work-.Mr. ■Fletcher .had .done,.. .but did not. think he. possessed all. those - characteristics a. chairman should possess. He'moved; that Harknessibe elected chairman. Thisi was. seconded by - Mr. FYaser. . Mr.' r F. G. Bolton, 'who spoke in favour • of • Mr. • Fletcher, pointed out that Mr. Fletcher, was the senior of the two candidates. - ,

An. open election resulted as follows:— lor 'Mr. Fletcher—Messrs. Bolton, .Cohen, Dr. Newman, 'Wilford, Macdonald, j and Fletcher. if . ...■ ■ ■ For ' Mr.. Harkness—Messrs. MUwan, Jo °es, leaser, ; and Darkness; ■ , r>, ■•.■..secretary.;announced , that Mr. ...Fletcher, had been: duly, elected .chairman. 6f. the board. . • . > pPji his seat •• as chairman,: Mr; s he was. deeply, sensible oi the .honoqr. which' had'been conferred upon , him, ,He , could only.'say." that one ■?i CU ?CTS'.'the position- of chairman of ,tfle Wellington; Harbour ■ Board occupied .one. of ■ serwus; responsibility and ofvery -He recognised that,- and it would be his earnest endeavour to carry out -the onerous, duties .to- the very best "' an( l -expressed., the- hope '!«««?» ''™"d- ultimately. Be satished for eleobng him. that ,day. They l com *<>J** with: miny (important questions—those' of charges, re'tKwk 3 °M , i alld i,' t fv '^ iec -question 'of the dock., ihough there had been. a con''wft.rf ? a i-?}«.. that .those who had voted against| him,, with . other- members thm^i.(. gl r closest attention- and thought to, the- affairs,;, of-.. the boardwhich.he .would try,to...administer to the nave- to. face,for,..the, next -year, or 'two sam that the duties, ;apart ! 'from thn m hi d "M.rthiDg but what was S-a^/a^.fair^^-Heihad-beorirS enho,.. but /as ■. chairman \ .would • find the , position .very, different;: ManV : a .time he la w irm^n> ■ r to say' -no, ( when he had every inclination.to say ves' The speaker said .that his term: as the. Goyernment ,nominee, on-the. board, was up r ®®?. -Wt'.Ws' intention to accept ■ renomination—in point ,of 1 fact deav , ours. Se6klng fresll . field « V his- &

, -a tribut 9 ::to-.Mr.' ;Fletcher, who had climbed from' the lowest rung of the -ladder in the 'board's service, ani-had,now reached the topmost' position.- He . heartily, congratulated him" on his election. •-

■obsScf' I '' ,leave, of

\The .result, of : .the recent 1 -election' of members was formally announced.

• Finance. : payments ' were .'author-iMd:-J)or."interest; sinking -fund accounts and^wages,3s. 9d.; for progress on contracts, .*4813..,45... 10d.;,. s<2aries ,'for' February,, 45...4 d.;., total, ,".£20,261' lJs. lla. ,', ..." . Committees Appointed. -■The' following, v oonimittees were ap*' pointed:— ' .'■ . ' ■ 'Sinking Fund Investment Committee: Harkness, Jones, Maodoriald, and Jiolton. . >» "Committee: ,:, .Messrs.• MVEwan,' Jones; and. Miodonald. ". ; Evans. Bay , Reclamation Committee: Messrs.' -Bolton Daniel], Fraser, Harkness, and llacdonald. s

Wharves and Accounts Committee's ,- , Report.'..>■'•;/ 1 The following 'report of .the Wharves ana Accounts Committee 1 was adopted. , l*; That tenders bo called, closing at. the 1 Larch meeting, for the 1 annual supplies a.nd services, "and for 'a ' iiree-year oontract. for 1 ' oarting, Subject to the right of the ■ boards, to determine'; contract at the end : of tho first or second jear. , 2. ■ That--' a foreshore license be' granted to Mr.' J. H.' Jackson for a private slip in Balena Bay, ;on the usual terms, subject' to the approval .of .the plans by the Governor-in-Council.

3. That oonsent -.be given to a transfer ;of lease of boat 6kids in Balena Bay .from G. K. Hoggard fo W. G. Young.': 4. That, as some doubt "is alleged Jto •exist as to. the liability of .'harbour, boards for aots of pilots, the Wellington Harbour, Board .support, the action .of the Otago Harbour Board;; and request the Government to insert'a clause in the new Harbour .Bills making it clear J that har-: bour'boards are not liable. '

S. That one year's ■ extension' of'' time, from February'2B, under the building covenant of the,lease,-be granted .to Mr." F. G. Roach, lessee : of, Section; 4, Cable Street Block, the lessee. to.pay legal costs ■in regard to such extension. • "; 6-' That.; the. board favourably'consider the engineer's modified plaits . for .. improved office accommodation in "P." store ,and.head office building.. ..' , ' 7. That.,a request,'from the. Wellington Gas' Company, Ltd., 'for copies of plans and specifications of works at Miramar, in so . far as they refer to the 1 Gas Company's' property, be considered.' In the case of Clause 7 it was. decided to supply.;,the plans at the cost-of, the Gas. Company. , • .

By-laws and Economics. ■ • -Mr. ..Macdonald . moved: "Thai the • whole * of' the by-laws of the . Wellington , Harbour-Boafderegulating the conduct of business- be ' referred ; to a ... special meeting . of the . Legislation 1 Committee, with instructions' to'. carefully examine such' by-laws, and' to report trithin one month to the board/what changes {if any) .they reoommend."—This' was carried. . .' Mr. Macdonald hod: given notice to movo the following, motion: "That .a Finance Committee be set up to report within one month as to the monthly pay-sheets of the board, and what.reductions, in the judgment of the board, aro necessary in order- that greater'economy may exist in connection with .the 'board's administration." On .beingcalled upon to ' do' so, ho asked that consideration of the motion' be postponed until, next meeting, a . course whioh; was decided upon. : . • .'< ■ On the motion.of Mr. Macdonald, Mr Wilford,' 'the . retiring ; chairman,: , V as asked to present the Harbour Board with a'portrait . of himself, which Mr; Wil£ora: consented to do. \ !

Information Wanted.. ' Mr. ,-Harlmessygave,-. notice '-of. his .'intention-, to -.move . at the next ; meeting 1 -' of board.-. "That. the, secretary _be. instructed to prepare a', copy, of all. letters, cables, telegrams,, and' memos sent .from; or- received'.by the Wellington, Harbour Board : office, in , referehcS', to ; the raising;, of ■ a loan or loanson tlie London market during. the year 1809,; and up to January 31, 1910, the 'said; 6opies; to'T>e submitted to the board-hi-c'ommittee;:at its ordinary .monthly meeting;in March nest." ■ : . Cold Storage. : Mr.''Harlmess\give notice, of hi 6 intention to move;..at' the next meeting bf: the the board;:; r .'"That the ;board -take into considerar tion,' when appropriations are .being ' made for expenditure: on 'new' works during the year ending December 31;. 1910, '••the advisability, of' allocating a specified- sum. to make adequate„provision; for" the cold storage of dairy, produce." : Advice. Wanted. '.' : Mr.. Boltoh-'gave notice-that 'he would .move"at the. next'meeting: "That prior to the construction of any new .wharves -or - jetties, those interested in shipping be iinvited to -express: their opinions as to ..the plans and details : of any such proposed work." ,