THE PATENT SLIP. DISCUSSION AT THE HARBOUR BOARD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1908, Page 3

THE PATENT SLIP. DISCUSSION AT THE HARBOUR BOARD.

THE CHAIRMAN AND MR. HAROLD BEAUCHAMP. . WHO IS TO BLAME! The remarks of the chairman of the Harbour Board (the Hon. T. K. Macdonald) relative to the. Patent Slip negotiations, which- wero reported in yesterday's Post, wero the origin of an animated discussion laler in the day. Mr. Beauchamp said he desired to take exception to the strictures passed by the chairman on the directors of the- Wellington, Gas Company and the P&tent Slip Company. Ho seemed' to .imnit that tho board had been treated very, badly iby the 1 ' comnaniec iKvr.td. H?- (Mr. • Beauchamp) contended that everything th«y had done had been done in a perfectly straight-forward way. What had "happened iwas due to th 6 Qiiatoriness of the board. There was a time when' the board could nave purchased the slip "at a very low figure. The chairman's strictures -were unfair and unjust. t Mr.- Wilford smilingly asked -leave to pour oil on tha trouuicd ; waters. He rend ho would-be sorry to believe that Mr. Macdonald believed what he had 6aid about another gentleman or that Mr. , Beauchamp believed what he had said about tho chairman. As the board would snortly be working under mw officers lie counselled particular caution. THE CHAIRMAN'S REPLY. The 'chairman -siid ha" was sorry Mr. Beauchamp had thought his strictures were too severe. He related What first took place, when the propps-ed purchase of the slip by the board was first mooted. The members of tha board were under ths impression all along that the option existed. Mr. Hislop: It was not only the option that existed. -Tho chairman said Mr. ■ Hislop was correct. He had hoped to have received ecine explanation from Mr. Beauchamp. H-=> still hoped for it, arid that it would bo accompanied by from the books of both companies. He wanted t-> know why, wh^n the transaction with tKe Union Company took place, that a 1 pledge of seerery was extract set from both = companies. ' However, through the enterprise ol .* newspaper representative, the facts haKed out. I The .whole position would have to be revealed to the board before he would withdraw what he had said. Mr. Beauchamp : That npans you are prepared to suspend your judgment? Continuing, the chairman said he was amazed to think that the facts had »ut been put forward by the company's directors long ago. Since this master had come into public prominence a letter had been received from Mr. Richardson as follows :—: — , "January 27th, 1903. "The secretary Wellington Harbour Board.— Dear Sir,— lt has been suggested to my directors that the property of thir" company has b? an placed under offer to your board. My directors are not aware of any such 'offer, and believe that the suggestion is erroneous, but to prevent misapprehension I am directed' to intimate to you that any such offer," if existing, is withdrawn.— Yours, faitnfully, E. Richardson, manager." "Yet," "said the chsirmiin. "Mr. Duncan sat in 'th--; chair here, and said he was instructed by the Patent Slip Company to a'-ct as the representative 'of ,the shareholders ,in Greats Britain, and that be .was there grepsre'd to_ cpfrte to an axrangemerit." *." .''-''' ' .Mr. Beauchamp: Subject lo 'ceit,nin •arrangements being ; arrived • at- with the Gas Company. • ' ' \ . , Th,9 chairman retorted that ; the Gas Company only required certain land. The board had been led into a fool's paradise. the , boaxd was staggered when it heard tho major 'nterest in the slip had" been transferred to. tho Gnion Company. In consequence -of the negotiations' which were going on theboard had a right to leel indignant' at the action of the directors of the Patent 'Slip Company. The.ro could bo no question about lhat. Mr. Beauchamp interjected with a querj*, about Mr. Macdonald's own speech in the Legislative Council. The • Chairman: "I stand „by my speech." .He concluded by saying it was idle to pursue " the question further., ' ' ' \ Mr- C F ; . Daniell said he wished it to bo k.nown that -he .differed with the chairman: Mi-'Townsend said he was inclined tn' ngi-ec with, the rhairm3n, while Mr. ' Fras?r said the members of the board had themselves to blame for what nad occurred. Mr. G. Shirteliffe agreed with vh» Mst speaker. He confessed that he was under the impression that tho option which the board had over the property had lapsed. He did not think tho Patent ' Slip Company 'or the Gas Company; dessrved' tW strong words which had been used towards them. Mr. W. T. Wood said many things required to be done, but if Wellington was to be kept' the cheapest port in the Dominion, considerable thought' would have to be given to the' proposal to spend one million sterling in four y'eaTs. (Hear, hear.) I " THE MAYORS VIEWS. Tlic Hori. T. \V.~ Hisl,op said he did not. know whether' each member of the, board had a distrust of the capabilities of tho other. All the- works in the proposed expenditure would come before the board, for full consideration from time to time. He had, ro doubt that the board in the futuro would .exercise the' same caution that it had in the past. Referring to th? patent slip. he (Hon. T. W. Hislop) s,aid that- in accordance with the policy of ''make haste slowly," advocated by so many members, the board had on on" occasion postponed consideration of tho patent- slip question till' certain 'information * was secured. - That infojmation was never got .The. awkward part of tho "business w?s that' during these negotiations there was correspondence bstween the Patent Slip Company and the Gas Company. • Any member of the 'board who knew what was going on had no right -to " bind himself to sccrec.V. The wholo thing h.id arisen over that false position.- The board should ha,ve beep warned' ahout the danger of delays. Mr. Beauch,ainp submitted .that he was not taken into the confidence of the gentlemen who were working to effect a transfer of the slip shares. The wholo of the negotiations on tho .part ni M.r. Duncan and Sir flames Mills had taken place withqut t his knowledge. Mr. Fletcher stated that he was entirely in agreement with the chairman. Tha board s had been treated shabbily. The chairman referred tp the board's resolution of sth December, by which provision was made for the compulsory acquisition of lhe property, and ho moved that the solicitor should be instructed to tako action in this direction. In the meantime Sir James Mills had I 'returned to Dunedin to ascertain tho opinion of the board of directors. Mr. Shirtcliffe seconded tho motion. A PLEA FOR AMICABLE SETTLEMENT. Mr. Wilford put m a 6trong plea for

another attempt at amicable settlement. Ho referred to the costs of legal procedure, and hinted that the process might go to the Privy Council, for he knew several legal gentlemen who were of opinion that there was a defect in the Act which the board proposed using. Ho was ronvinced that a conference would settle tho mattar in an hour. Mr. Beauchamp declared that the members of the companies had cut their eye-teeth, and wero not liksly to be bluffed by any such motion as the rhsirman had proposed. He advocated tho courso recommended by Mr. Wilford. The chairman replied' that ho v.as not anxious to launch the board into law. The Union Company must have an area of land within reasonable- distance of j Wellington for the storage of coal, which would 'make it independent of strikes, but the company could get no reclamation done at Evans Bay, alid so &ocure the main object, unless the board granted permission. He Would agree to withdraw his motion, and thus allow a fuither period of a fortnight for negotiation's. .The board approved this course.