HARBOUR BOARDS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 33, 2 November 1934, Page 4

HARBOUR BOARDS

Conference •of Association REMITS ADOPTED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, October 31. The twelfth conference of the Harbours’ Association of New Zealand opened this morning. Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, presided over a gathering of 49 delegates, representing nearly all the harbour gourds in the Dominion. Mr. L. B. Campbell, secretary of the Marine Department, was also present. The Deputy-Mayor (the Rev. J. K. Archer) welcomed the delegates, and at the conclusion of the welcome the chair was taken by Mr. T. R. Barrel', chairman of the Wellington board and president of the association, The following remit from Auckland was carried:- —"That the Harbours Act, 1923, be amended to provide that an elector may vote both as a payer of dues and in his own right as'an elector in one or more of the harbour boarddistricts.” As regards extraordinary vacancies, the following Auckland remit was carried“ That the Act be amended to provide that appointment to an extraordinary vacancy in the case of a combined district shall be on a recommenda. tion of the local authorities in such district, and that in the case of payers of dues there shall be a fresh election.”

By 23 votes to 19, delegates agreed that Government representation on harbour boards was only justified when financial of other assistance was rendered by the Government. Other remits adopted were: —

“That, the conference reaffirm the , principle that merchandise imported or exported through parcel post should pay wharfage dues. “That all Government trading Steamers should pay harbour dues. “That the Government be asked to amend the Harbours Act to provide for an increase of at least one member in the city representation on those harbour boards which desire such I increase/’ Several remits were before the conference referring to anomalies and inequalities in franchise and methods of election to harbour boards of representatives of combined districts embracing counties, boroughs and town districts. As the matter wa.s considered too large and complex to be dealt with by a large conference it was agreed that the executive be empowered to investigate the position and make the necessary representations to the Government.

The following remit was carried: — “That in viejy of the recently disclosed grave decline in British shipping nnd the urgent need to the British Empire for its restoration, it is desirable that harbour boards in. New Zealand should be given opportunity of co-operating in any action taken by the Imperial nnd New Zealand, Governments in assistance for British shipping by the Harbour. Act being amended to give harbour boards power to charge preferential dues to British vessels registered in the British Empire.”