HARBOUR BOARDS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL DINNER.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 36, 11 August 1905, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARDS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL DINNER.

Last evening the delegates of the Harbour Boards' Association were entertained to a dinner by the Chairman and members of the Wellington Harbour Board. The Chairman of the Wellington Board and of the Association, Mr. Wm. Cable, presided, and the Minister for Native Affairs, the Hon. Jas. Carroll, was present. An apology was received for the absence of the Minister for Marine, the Hon. Wm. Hall-Jones, who had in hand, in. the House, the Timaru Harbour Board Bill. "The King" and "His Excellency the Governor" having been toasted in the time-honoured way, "The Parliament of New Zealand" was proposed by Mr. H. Beauchamp, who considered members of Parliament were actuated by a desire to benefit the country, and though its Acts were sometimes tearful and ■* wonderful, and a, hotch-potch according to that night's Post, our legislation on the whole had helped to make this country admired of other countries. With to the constitution and representation of Harbour Boards, he hoped Parliament would not widen it in the direction that had been proposed — the popular franchise. Though perhaps he ought not to ! say it, he thought that the Harbour J Boards bad in the past done remarkably good work. The Minister for Native Affairs responded.' with a. -clever and humorous speech. It was clear, he said, that in the near future tbere would have to be a readjustment of local government affairs, and a. delimitation of where the sphere of the genera] Government ended and where that of Harbour Boards and otoer local bodies began. The Harbour Boards, like Parliament, had no doubt differences between themselves ; the largest Boards might want legislation that did not suit the different interests of small Boards. In view of this, he appealed to delegates to take a broad view in such matters. In the near future the people would ask for a wider franchise as regards the election and constitution of Harbour Boards than we had at present. He did not favour the universal francnise for local bodies at the present time, whatever might be in the future. The Hon. T. ,K. ,Macdonald responded on behalf of the .Legislative Council,, the members of which he defended from • charges of decrepitude. The Chairman, in proposing "The Visiting Delegates," termed it the toast of the evening, and affirmed ' that ' the , effect of the Harbour Boards' Conference would be to confer lasting benefit on the legislation and administration of 'harbours. The same sentiment 'was echoed, in. reply, by Mr. E. W. Alison, M.H.R. (delegate of Auckland and Thames Board). Mr. E. G. Allen, M.H.R. (Port Chalmers Board), Mr. George Laurenson, M.H.R. (Lyttelton Board), also responded. The last-named said in time to come Wellington would be tho commercial centre of New Zealand, as it was now the geographical and political centre. Our Harbour, Boards should work with a view to the developments that' must attend the 'stupendous work of cutting the great American continent in two. New Zealand, in its geographical position between America and the Old World and Australia, would be the centre of the maritime commerce of Australasia if our Harbour Boards would build up our commercial and maritime life by making imports and exports na cheap as possible. Mr. A. E. Jull (Napier Board) used the same argument .ot growth of business in support of a widening of the constitution and representation of Harbour Boards. The representation must be ad" justed to remove anomalies that arose because we retained, in altered conditions, the system of twenty years ago. He did not advocate anything very drastic, and ha did not, say they would under the widei franchise, get better men than the present, but he did not think they should perpetuate what was created in 1878. The number of Harbour Board employees, 800, was, he thought, sufficient to establish a superannuation fund actuarially sound. He referred to Wellington as the leading commercial port of New, Zealand, The Hon. T. K. Maedonald proposed "The Marine Department." He eulogised the gunboat Sparrow as a beginning in the way of the marine training of our youths, and advocated further lighting of our coasts. Mr. Allport, Under-Secretary of the Marine Department, who has been for over 3Q years in the Department's service, in reply, referred to tho growth of the number and scope of Harbour Boards during that period. Not only must Harbour Boards look forward to the developments following on the opening of the Panama Canal, but they must be prepared to meet the demands that would be made on their ports in war time, and should be able to take and repair our own warships. Tho health ot the ho«ts, the Wellington Harbour Board, was proposed by Mr. Lau'ren»on, who referred in terms of praise- to the Wellington 1 Harbour" and Board, and the example the Board sets in the w»y it conducts its affairs. He ' coupled with the tout the names of Messrs. Beauchuap and M'Lellan, member* of the Board, and of its courteous and able secretary, Mr. Wm. Fergusou. Mr. Beauchamp said that the Boards, in taking to themselves credit, muit remember what waa due to the yery able executive officers of the leading Boardi of the colony. He mentioned Mr. BrighAm, of Auckland, Mr. Hood Williams, of Lyttelton, and Mr, Ferguson, of Wellington. Mr. M'Lellan referred to the value of the conference as a means of exchanging ideas. Mr. Ferguson thanked the visiting delegates .for having included him in the toast, and assured them that, with regard to the "Panama. Canal," ,the Wellington Board had looked ahead, and was prepared to take any boat that could come through the Canal. Songs wero rendered duting the evening by Messrs. P. V. Waters and T. M. Wihord ; recitations by Messrs. 11. E. NioholU and F. W. Haybittle. The catering wo*. in Mr.' Godber'* btjt itvle,