HARBOUR BOARDS' ASSOCIATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 10 August 1905, Page 5

HARBOUR BOARDS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE, The annual meeting of the Harboui Boards' Association of New Zealand was commenced this morning at the Chamber of Commerce, the Chairman of the Wellington Board (Mr. Wm. Cable) presiding. Names of delegates have beeu already published. The Chairman stated that out of 25 Boaras in the colony, 19 had joined the Association. The Boards that had not joined were Mokau, Waimakariri, Wairoa, and Waikokopu. The financial position was satisfactory. There was about £60 to credit of the bank account and there were the cost of drafting the Superannuation Biill and some small accounts to meet. Subscriptions to tho amount of £96 were due in October The absence of the Bluff Harbour Board de»egtaes was due to a dredge function arranged for yesterday at the Bluff, and the Board desired to make it clear that their absence was not due to any lack of interest in the business of the Association. The meeting then considered the re* ' commendations of the Executive. The following recommendations wero adopted: — That no further action bo taken in the matter of the incorporation of the Association, the solicitor having ■ reported that he did not think that tkf> Association could be registered under the Unclassified. Societies Registration Act, 1895, and that, even if it could, he did not think any object would bo gained thereby. That, as they Bee no prospect of obtaining legislation for thti establishment among Harbour Boards of ■ a co-operative accident insurance scheme, Harbour Boards should seriously consider the desirableness of becoming their own insurers. The question of supporting the Harbours Superannuation Fund Bill and of requesting the Government to introduce it during the present session, was made first order of the day for tomorrow. The nert recommendation of the Executive was : " That the Government be asked to afford to all Harbour Boards tha earns protection which the Otago Harbour Board now has by section 36 of the Dunedin District Drainage and Sewage Act, 1902, whereby the Dunedin Drainage 'Board is restrained from establishing any system of drainage by which sewage or 6olid matter of any kind may be discharged into the Otago harbour. Along with this were considered iho following remits from Boards included in the association : That in view of the differences existing and likely to arise between Harboirr Boards and City and Borough Councils in regard ito the question of sewage silt and refuse being discharged from city and borough drains into harboura, whereby insanitary 'conditions and damage to such harbours are caused or may >be caused, at is desir. able that tho association should take such action as may be found necessary to meet .the case — (Lyttelton Board). That provision be made in the Harboura Acts giving Harbour Boards power to prevent any- system of drainage being established by which sewage ot solid matter of any kind Ls discharged into the harbour or on to the foreshore under the jurisdiction of the Board.— (Timaru Board.) Section 36 of the Dunedin Act reads as follows: "Nothing contained in this Act or in the principal Act shall be deemed to authorise the (Drainage) Board to establish any system of drainage for the district, or any part thereof, by which 6ewage or solid matter of any kind shall -be discharged into the Otago Harbour, and in establishing such eys- ' tern of drainage as aforesaid the Board shall be bound to make proper provision for preventing all eewage and solid matter from ibeing discharged thereby into Otago Harbour." After considerable discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Mr. E. vV. Alison, M.H.R. (Auckland), seconded by Mr. A. R. Guinness, M.H.R. (Gi«ymouth): " That, in the opinion of this Conference, it is desira-blo that power be vested in Harbour Boards to prevent the establishment of any system of drainage by which sewage or solid matter is discharged from city or Jborough drains into harbouTs or on to ■'oreshores undor the control of a Harbour Board, whereby insanitary conditions and damage to such harbours are caused or may be caused." This is in lieu of the Executive's (recommendation, and waa passed on the voices, with on© "No." The discussion on the above question was of a discursive nature, th« speakers generally being in favour of a .power of Harbour Boards to .veto such drainage into harbours, though the difficult position that boroughs might be placed in was also '■eflected in the discussion. Mir*. Beauchamp (Wellington Board) supported the recommendation of th« Executive. It was desirable to get this power in order to proveni large expen- . diture in drainage .being rendered nugatory. Mr. Fraeer, Chairman of the Timaru Board, strongly supported the Tecommendation, and advocated an amendment that was to be proposed in Parliament by Mr. Flatman restricting the area, into which such matter should be discharged. He referred to the dual control of hw boura in that Borough Councils could come in in <suoh matters, and declared such legislation strongly needed. "Mr. EG. Alleiu M.H.R. (Dunedin BoaTd), did not think a general Bill was practicable. A number of amendments were proposed, but all were dropped when Mr. Alison's was brought forward. The objection raised to it was that the meeting would do better to affirm a specific enactment like that in Dunedin's Drainage Act, than a. general principle as expressed in Mr. Alison's amendment. Mr. Alison, dealing with, such argu- • ments, stated that while they were all of opinion that Harbour Boards should have power to prevent the discharge of drainage into harbours or on to foreshores, it was a different thing to pass as of general application something which applied to the Dunedin harbour. The conditions in other places might 'lot bo tho same, as the Dunedin harbour * was practically a channel — Ciy of "Question." Member: "A little inlet." "A sludge channel." (Laughter.) Mr. Alison declared he did not say • Dunediu harbour was a sludge channel. Ho merely referred to its natural position — (Hear, hear) — and he thought they should affirm the principle and leave Parliament to decide how it should bt! carried outs Mr. Guinness, the seconder, pointc' out that Harbour Boards might const at to such drainage. For instance, in rivtu harbours, where the" current was swift, and where no drainage was likely to result fiom discharge of sewage, the Board would probably not object. A suggestion was made that sewage from a septic tank should he exempted, and it was proposed that the word "crude" should be placed before "sewage." The Hon. D. Pinkerton, M.L.C. (Dun. edin) . "Leave it alone." And they left it alone. 'That, if the Shipmasters' Association of New Zealand cite any affiliated Harbour Board before the Arbitration Court, the Harbours' Association support it in resisting them,, and in contesting a case to decide whether or not the Industrial Conciliation and Arbltra--tion Act applies' to harbourmasters,-

pilots, and tug and dredge-masters," was the next clause considered. The Chairman said that it had been threatened by the Shipmasters' Association that it should take Boards before the Court on the question of wages of harbourmasters and pilots, etc.The motion was carried, also the next clause, that in any amendment of the Shops and Offices Act the Government be asked to insert a, clause exempting Harbour Boards from the operation of the Act. . This had . previously been ■urged on the Minister of Marine by the Executive in May last. "That section 215 of the Harbours Act, 1878, ha amended to provide powers to Harbour Boards to make bylaws to control , bathing from beaches or in harbours" was carried. The final clause of the Executive's recommendations was to the effect that, in view of the promise of the Minister of Marine to, if possible, submit to the Executive the draft of the proposed •Bill amending the Harbours Acts, it .is inadvisable to take any. further attion at present in regard to the resolution passed at the last conference^ — "That the solicitor be instructed to draft a Bill giving effect to the required amendments of the law." This was read in conjunction with a remit from Lyttelton, Waitara, and Greymouth Haibour Boards, which urged that the Association should further consider what action it is necessary should be taken to give effect to those recommendations of the last conference which are not included in -the consolidating and amending Bill which it is understood is to be introduced by the Government. Mr. Ferguson said at the last conference an intimation was given by the Minister that a consolidating Bill was • under consideration, and any amendments forwarded by the Executive would be considered. The> understanding was that the Bill should be placed before the. Association. In the discussion which followed it was Bnid that such a recommendation would probably put a check on the .Government providing amending legislation, and it ■was urged that no artion should he iaken. The motion was carried. REMITS. From Gisborne (amended): -That section ? of the Local Elections Act, 1904, be amended so as to extend the time •within which an election shall be held to not less than 28 days for an ordinary vacancy after the Returning Officer has given public notice of the vacancy, and not less than ten iior more than fourteen after nomination o f candidates ; consequential amendment to be made to section 39. From Greymouth : That wharfage and harbour dues be paid on goods belonging to the Government or Government oflicials, or (in the alternative) on goods owned by the Government but intended for sale. Mr. Guinness (Greymouth Board) said that he could not see why the Government should not have to pay" storage for entering into competition with traders. Mr. Beauchamp (Wellington Board) eaid that the finances of some Boards had been seriously prejudiced by this exemption. It was asked by a member if the clause covered the charging for goods for the Government's own use ; if so, -it was no use passing the clause. An amendment was proposed that the ,\rord "vessel" should be included in the motion. The Government had steamers which' should pay harbour dues. This raised ' some opposition, and the amendment was withdrawn. The Hon. Mr. Pinkerton (Otago Board) thought that if the Government imported goods which were for the benefit of the whole colony they should be free. Mr. Ferguson (Wellington Board) pointed out • that it was not' fair that one port, the one receiving the most Government goods over its wharves, should be penalised for the whole of the colony. If the goods were for the benefit of the colony the whole of the colony should pay. Now that the Government tad no charges to pay, goods were left on the wharves and impeded the general trader. The remit was adopted, and also another from. Wellington that the 'Government Departments., should pay storage and other charges for services, rendered. • From Greymouth : That the attention of the Association be drawn to the fact that the Government has refused to pay to the Greymouth and Westoprt Harbour Boards the rents, royalties, and harbour dues which, under section 20 of "The State Coalmines Act, 1901," it is clear were intended to be paid. Mr. Allen (Otago Board) said that the matter was a. private one the Boards concerned, and they'sh'ould place their grievances before fhe Government. It was making a farce of the Conference. The Chairman said he did not think so. If the Government came into competition •with the taxpayer it should pay all charges. The remit was adopted. The- Conference adjourned till to-mor-row. A dinner -will be held in Godber's, Cuba-street, this evening.