HARBOUR BOARD. MR.R.FLETCHER'S CANDIDA TURE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1908, Page 9

HARBOUR BOARD. MR. R. FLETCHER'S CANDIDA TURE.

Mr. R. Fletcher, who is a candidate for the representation of the ratepayers of the city on tho Harbour Board, delivered an address in the concert-room of the Town 'Hall last evening. The Hon. T. Kennedy Macdonald, M.L.C. 5 and chaiman of the Harbcrar Board, presided. In introducing Mr. Fletcher, th« chairman explained that when he, at chairman of the board, was asked to take the chair he replied he 'would do so with pleasure, because ho regarded it to be his duty as chairman of the board to do everything he possibly could to assist the public in. connection with the business of tho board. If any other candidate wished him to occupy a similar position for him he would bo glaH to do so. There were six candidates for the position, and -he was going to give the candidates a fair field and no favour. He was afraid the citizens did not quite realise this fact, that there were 25,000 ratepayers eligible to vote for two candidates, and .they did not appear to further realise that during the next four years there was -in all probability going to be an. expenditure of no less a sum than t£7ooo a week in. connection with the work of developing the port of Wellington, and for providing all that was «necesary in. the way of wharves and so on. During his two years of office, Mr. Fletcher had been an exceedingly strenuous member. Mr. Fletcher stated that he had been for some years an employee of the board, v and he was very pleased when he was elected a member. The Wellington Harbourl Board had been' quoted as a model local body throughout the Dominion, and its fame had \ even reached 1 Australia. He would give those present an account of his stewardship, and would 'ask the ratepayers for a renewal \ of their confidence. He had been accused, on more than one occasion of being revolutionary in his methods. Ho would leave it to ths • ratepayers to say whether his proposal* were reasonable or ,not. Mr- Fletcher then outlined his actions on the board. He had been instrumental in getting an enquiry into' the subject of the delivery, of goods, . and the outcome of that enquiry had been important. . The.is.tatdmenfs he had made had been bovns OJIV as the result of enquiry. - ;Spealqng^o£ the appointment of . wharfinger, ,'ha thought that ■in all cases promotion should be made from the staff — all other * things being equal. He brought before the board the question of blocking from Custom-house-quay to the Quean's Wharf, and in conjunction with tha City Council- that important work had bscn carried out. He had been instrumental in getting better provision mad© for the employees in the matter oi holidays, and had assisted in obtaining justice for those ( wno had in the past workod overtime without ''payment. All accidents to employees' had now to b$ reported to" the' board, and Were dealt with by the board as a whole. He was of opinion 'that the -approach from the harbour to the' wharf should be left clear, and that warships should be .moored hearer Kaiwarra. 'His sole reason for advocating the purchase of the Patent Slip was,- because h« t thought the board should own. the whole" fore-shoi-e of the harbour. Tb,e Eyans Bay scheme came up, .and tho question of -the purchase of the Patent Slip was put aside. . .The board should have been made acquainted -with the proceedings with respect to the sale of the Patent Slip. He had advocated providing baths for the workers as vas done in, other places. The present waiting-room should be , abolished, and- three—rooms be provided on the ground floor. In his opinion all members, of the board should be. elected. . - . - - - L\ir. Flstcher then, dealt with-tho'.re-signation of . Mr. Ferguson. . He . contended that an otn-cer -should not be allowed- to take part in a debate as a member of the board. '. 'Ho eulogised the gentleman- who had been appointed Ferguson's successor. He' was well qualified to fiirthVpositionV" TUey Had paid Mr. Ferguson £1750 a year, '■and they had secured another man. to 'fill his position at £500. ' 'Either, they Jiad been paying- :vlr.- Ferguson too much, or they were paying the man who bad taken his 'place too "little. 'Ho" totally disagreed with r Mr. Ferguson's appointment as consulting engineer. The severance between Mr. Ferguson"" and tha board should have been made complete. ' If the dock was constructed at Clyde-quay, it would be one of the biggest mistakes ever made. It would mean throwing away £300,000 on a dock that would ultimately turn out to be useless. ' ' Commander Dawson. of H.M.S. Penguin, * had expressed _ astonishment that th'a ' corner of Clyde-quay should- have been selected as the site of the "dock: Tha prevailing north-west wind .would make it very difficult to dock vessels. The engineer had said that tho Clyde-quay, Wharf would act 'as' a breakwater. Protection from the north-west was more necessary. "If wo had these two wharves," said Mr. Fletcher, "one, on each side of the dock, we could take a * photograph of the dock, and hang it' up, for that would bfr all the use it would be." At Clyde-quay^ there was ."nob adequate room for workshops,' etc. lie had made a statement that, since dredging had ceased, * silting had taken place. He now was informed by tha engineer that that was not the case. Although £17,000 had been expended on the dock, £16,000 was for - dredging, and that should be- deducted from -the expenditure in esfcimatiag the cost of the change. The contractor, while willing to carry out the contract, said thai as a private citizen he disliked to j>ee public money wasted. There was an ideal site for the dock at the Patent Slip. Mr. Fletcher dealt with several other minor questions connected -With, the board's operations. Tho Evans Bay ' reclamation, scheme would eventually come about. He favoured a progressive policy, to provide for our rapidly growing trade. ... Mr. A. Thompson moved, Mr. H. Warner seconded, and it was unanimously carried— "That , this meeting passes Mr. Fletcher a. hearty vote of thanks, and has implicit confidence in him to represent tho electors of Wellington on the Wellington Harbour Board."