HARBOUR BOARD. ANNUAL MEETING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 47, 25 February 1908, Page 8

HARBOUR BOARD. ANNUAL MEETING.

MR. WILFORD ELECTED CHAIRMAN. A special meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board for the election of the chairman of the Board for the en&uing year was held this afternoon. Present : Hon. T. K. Macdonold, M.L.C., Messrs M. Cohen, F. H. Fraser, T. M. Wilfoid, M.P., J. W. M'Ewan, J. G. Harkness, C. E. Daniell, C W. Jones, R. Fletcher, F. G Bolton and Hon. T. W. Hi&lop. Tho secretary presided till the chairman was elected. Mr. W. F fraser proposed the election of Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P. Mr. C. W. Jones, in seconding Mr Wilford's nomination, said it nad been an unwritten custom of the boaid— (hough theie haa been certain exceptions — that nc man should hold tho ohai) maiLship for more than one year at $. time, in order that the honourable position should go round as far as possible. The board was starting on an important year in its history. They also would have a new tecietary, who of course, was familar Avith the work ; still it was desirable that the chairman should have experience of tho work of tho board. Mr. Bolton proposed Mr. Harkness. His reason for proposing that gentleman was exactly the converse of what Mr. Jones had said. A man should be appointed who was thoroughly conversant with such matters, of which Mr. Harkness was a master. He gathered that Mr. Harkness would be able to give a reasonable amount of time to the board's affairs — much more so than the chairmen in the past had been required to give. He wanted to Know if Mr. Wilford would be able to get down to his work ? Mr. Wilford : Yes.. Mr. Bolton then went on to state the number of committee meetings that Mr. Wilford had attended. Moreover, Mr. Wilford was spoken of as a candidate for the Mayoralty of Wellington, which was another reason why he would have less time to devote to the board's business. Mr. Daniel strongly supported Mr. Harkness, holding that seniority should not be preferred to efficiency and suitability. Mr. Harkness, as a commercial man, was eminently fitted for the position. lion. T. W. Hi'slop said a question had been raised outside with regard to the Patent Slip Company. He wanted to know whether there was to be any [ hesitation in that matter in the attitude of tho proposed appointees. He would like to know from the candidates their viows regarding the Evans Bay reclamation. His experience of Wellington was that it had been behindhand in regard to most public matters. lie was afraid in regard to the Evans Bay reclamation that might bo the caac again. He would j like to know from Mr. Wilford whether his duties as a professional man would* interfere with the position of chairman, i While he would like to vote for Mr. I Harkness, it was a new departure — other things being equal — to appoint a new j member of the Board to be chairman. Mr. Fletcher expressed his intention of .supporting Mr. Wilford, having already promised him to do so. Mr. Wilford had been a senior member of the board for some years and was entitled to the opportunity to show what he could do. If he failed then they could could condemn him. Mr. Bolton : Is this the right lime to make experiments? Replying to Air. Bolton, Mr. Wilford said ho would give no assurance whether he wouid bo re-appointed by tho Government. Mr. Bolton then asked Mr. Wilford whether his appointment as solicitor to the Union Company would influence him in his conduct of the business of tho board. Hon. T. K. Macdonald entered an emphatic protest against this kind of thing. Mr. Wilford complained bitterly of the attacks made by Wellington papers upon his candidature. As for the chairmanship, if he were appointed he would do his best to discharge tho duties' with credit to the board and to himself, apart from anybody else. The fact that he was solicitor to the Union Company — a position he had hold for a long time — could not influence him at all in doing his utmost to further the interests of the port. With regard to the Evans Bay scheme, he would support any legis--lation giving the board power to undertake what steps it considered best for its own interests. Mr. Harkness said he thought it was the-bounden duty of the board to acquire the Patent Slip as soon as possible. He agreed that they should ask for legislative power to cany out the Evans Bay reclamation if it could be carried out in the interests of the board and without any undue expenditure. A vote was then taken, and Mr. Wilford was declared elected. The voting was six for Mr. Wilford, and five for Mr. Harkness. Tho voting was as follows: — For Mr. Wilford — Messrs. Fra^ev, Jones, Hislop, Fletcher, Wilford, and M'Ewan. For Mr. Harkness — Messrs. Macdonald, Harkness Daniell, Cohen, and Bolton. Mr. Wilford then took the chair, aur 1 briefly returned thanks. ORDINARY MEETING. Tho ordinaiy meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board was then held. Mr. T. M. Wilford (chairman), presided. FINANCE. The financial position of the board shown by the bank pass books to dato was: — Current account, credit balance, £15,383 6s 7d ; impress account, credit balance £9-16 10s ; on fixed deposit, £60,000 Payments : For interest, sinking fund, accounts and wages,- £18,438 10s ; for salaries for February, £796 4d 2d ; for progress on contracts, £1985 17s 5d ; total, £21,220 llw 7d. COMMITTEES. 'I ho following -weie appointed committees, tho chiin man a (i i.ing un <.iJi c\ k officio ;«— lreuiblation, Messrs. Matdou-

aid, Fletcher, and Bolton ; Sinking Fund, Mes-i^. L'oh^n, Harknops, and Fiaser; Evans Bny Reclamation, Messrs. Macdonaid, Fraser and Daniel. vVHARVES AND ACCOUNTS COMMITTKK. This comnntteo 'Dacle the following rcrommnndationr, to the board: — (3) To call for annual tenders, supplus, and service* to close at the March minting for the year ending 31st March, 1909. (2) To approve a byl-iw drafted by the solicitors as to smoking on the wharves and to have ,ame advertised for adoption. (3) To approve the dralt agreement submitted by the board's solicitors lelative to extension 01 culwrt on the foreshore by the Eastbourne Borough Council ; That on completion of the deed by the borough tho plans bo submitted to the Marine Department for approval of tho Governor-in-Council. (4) To reply to the secretary of tho Po&t Office stating that in ths opinion of ths board wharfage should be charged on all parcels aniving by parcel post. (5) To comply with the request of the Wellington Carriers' Union that all express drivers plying for hire for passengers' luggago on the wharves should hold a permit from the board. The report was adopted. (Left sitting.) THE NEW CHAIRMAN. Mr. Wilford, the newly-elected chairman, is a Wellingtonian by birth and upbringing He was born here in 1870, and after an education at Canterbury College, Christchurch, he was articled to the legal firm of Brandon, Hislop and Brandon, Wellington, with whom lie remained until he passed his final examination in law, at the age of 18 years. Afterwards he was in partnership with the late Mr. W. T L. Travers, and eventually set up the business which is still conducted under the title of Wilfoid and Levi. Mr. Wilford has been Parliamentary representative for Wellington Suburbs foi several years, and he still retains the seat. OAMARU. [BT TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] OAMARU, This Day. Mr. R. Milligan was this morning elected chairman of the Harbour Board.