HARBOR BOARD ELECTION

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1146, 7 February 1903, Page 4

HARBOR BOARD ELECTION

ADDRESS BY MB JOHN McQUEEN. Mr John McQueen, a candidate for the representation of Gore and Mataura on the Bluff Harbor Board, addressed a sparselyattended meeting of the Gore electors at the Town Hall on Thursday evening. The Mayor presided, and introduced the speaker. Mr McQueen said bis object in calling the meeting was because be bad not sufficient time to interview the burgesses personally. He found a large number of them did not understand the position, some did not care wbo represented them on the Board, and generally there was a considerable amount of apathy in regard to the matter. The question was an important one, however, and he would like to impress upon the burgesses of Gore and Mataura that the matter affected them very much. Every country that attained to greatness owed its position largely to the influence of its harbors. Unless a country had good outlets for its produce and ports which admitted ships of large tonnage its trade would be handicapped. New Zealand exported produce largely, and consequently pood harbors were of paramount importance, and claimed the attention of every person in the community, whether ho was a producer or a distributor. The towns and country were equally interested in the good management of their harbors. That was the position in regard to the Bluff Harbor Board. It had been argued by some that they should be represented by a local man. He (the speaker) had been told that as be belonged to Invercargill he was not a suitable representative of the interests of Gore and Mataura. He contended that the interests of every part of the district served by the Bluff harbor wire identical, find (lore had no interests that were not shared by Invercargill, for instance. As to liia claims to represent them, he contended that even if the " local man " argument were to prevail, he was still entitled to their support. His interests were ehietly centred round about Gore. He owned a farm in the Chatton district, and Gore was his market town. Although he was at present temporarily resident at Invercargill he had been identified with Gore for half a lifetime. In any case it did not matter to the people of Gore if their representative was resident among them or at Invercargill. As aniatter of fact there were more advantages in his being at Invercargill, as the meetings wero held there. The great question wan, however, whether their representative was fitted to fearlessly do his duty and to vote on every question on its merits; who had no axe to grind, and who would act to conserve the interests of tbe whole district. The present was the tirst election under the Act giving Gore and Mataura representation on the Board, and the franchise was different to that in vogue in all the other constituencies sending rcpresontai lives to the Board. In Gore and Mataura tbe burgess roll was the basis of voting ; in all other places only ratepayers voted, and members representing counties were elected by the County Councils. Southland, Wallace, and Lake Counties each elected a member, the Government nominated two, the Invercargill ratepayers two, the Chamber of Commerce one, the Borough of Carapbelltown (or Bluff) one, and the suburban boroughs of North, South, and East Invercargill, Avenal, and Gladstone one. At present tbe Southland County Council's representative was Mr 1. W. Raymond ; Wallace, Mr A. Curniichacl; Lake, Sir Joseph Ward ; Messrs E. Pollard and T. Gilroy were nominated by the Government; Messrs J. W. Mitchell and J. E. Watson represented the Invercargill ratepayers; Mr Dunlop the Chamber of Commerce ; Mr J. i'. Roberts the Borough of Cainpbelltown, and Mr A. Bain the suburban boroughs round Invercargill. There was something peculiar about the representation on the Board. They had a distinguished member of the Government representing the Lako County Council, and tho same Government appointed Messrs Pollard and Gilroy. It would bo interesting to know how the gentlemen last named sustained their characters in voting on questions upon which there might be a difference of opinion between them and the distinguished member of tbe Government. He (the speaker) had watched the proceedings of the Board for u long time, being connected largely with shipping, and had the opportunity of seeing how tho Board acted when there was a difference of opinion and a vote was taken. They would expect from a body like the Harbor Board that there would be no parties, as tho interests of all were identical. He discovered, however, that there wero parties in the Board, and these invariably took sides when there wero certian questions to be decided. It sdiowed that there must be certain inllucnccs at work when that state ot things occurred. Looking at the constitution of the Board, he had his theory why tbitt state of things existed, which he intended to keep to himself at present. If the Boroughs of Gore and Mataura elected him, he would decline to vote on any question except on its merits, and lie would not bo inllucnccd by any party. He had said the interests of the whole district served by tho harbor were identical. Possibly the Borough of Cainpbelltown should be excepted. For example, if any question arose as to the largo expenditure of money and a vote was taken upon it, he could easily understand that Cainpbelltown wouid be largely interested in tho spending of the money. In that manner the various interests might be brought into conflict. It was considered necessary to go in for considerable reclamation of the foreshore. Tho berthage at wharf would be deepened and the spoil used for reclamation. The point he wished to make was this ; If the question of reclamation came up and the work proceeded with, tne value of tbe property ot some of the burgesses of Camp- • belltown who owned business sites on which wereerected stores, etc.,in the main street might bo affected, and it might turn out thai inlluences would be brought to bear to prevent that reclamation. In that manner the interi ests of the Borough of Cainpbelltown would conflict with the interests of the rest of the district. The port of Bluff was no mean harbor. Sir John Coode said that its geographical position, when taken into consideration witli tlie depth and extent of water, was such that it was destined to become one of the first harbors in the South Island. Mr Napier Bell added that the Bluff had tbe advantage of deep water (which could not be said of all parts in Now Zealand), enabling vessels to take their departure fuliy loaded. The progress made was also remaikable. in IHUd the receipts of the Harbor Board were £7'2li:i, and expenditure £1151) I. In l'JOi the receipts were £15,1)05, and expenditure £1)550. Referring to his claim for support, tbe speaker said their chairman hud told him that day that in his public life he had been of considerable benefit to Mataura but not to Gore. No doubt Mr McFarlanc referred to the speaker's connection With tbe freezing works. They had benefited Gore as well us Mataura. The works had provided a better outlet and market for stock for the people trading with Gore, and the produce of that was largely expended in Gore. His (tho speaker's) semi-public career wag well ■ known. His character hail been fairly gauged by the burgesses of Gore, and he llattered himself that no one could point to anything he had done in his public capacity that was not straightforward. No one could charge him with grinding axes, and he had always acted fearlessly even if his attitude was unpopular. He thought he might fairly ask the burgesses to trust him, giving on his part an assumnce that their confidence would not be betra/sd. In saying that about hfinselfhedid not wish to depreciate his opponents one iota.

Mr J. W. Kelly 6aid that Mr McQueen had made one mistake in referring to the representatives on the Board nominated by the Government. Mr Pollard was not now a member, his place on the Board as Government nominee being taken by Mr Anderson, who was either manager for Sir J. G. Ward at Invercargill or was his partner. Mr McQueen said he had made a mistake in regard ta that matter. It would be interesting to watch the attitude of these two gentlemen on the Board, seeing the relations they held in regard to each other. Mr Green said Mr McQueen had stated he would go into the Board free from any party or clique. How did he account for a gentleman representing an Invercargill clique going round canvassing on his behalf? Mr McQueen said he was sorry if his opponent bad been annoyed by anyone canvassing on his behalf.

Mr Green said Mr McQueen had made much of the fact that he was pure and free from any party, and yet an extremist on the

other side was canvassing on hit behalf Ha did not, however, say that in any spirit of unfair play. He bad been a colleague of Mr McQueen's on tbe Southland County Council tor a number of years, and no two members agreed better than they did. Mr McQueen said he and Mr Green b*i been very friendly always, and bad it not been for very grave reasons he would never have come forward. But he regarded it as being in the publio interests and hit duty to oome forward, seeing there were grave reasons why he should do so. Mr Green: I hope you do not insinuate that there are grave reasons why I should not be elected. Mr McQueen: Perhaps we had better leave tbe matter alone. Mr J. MacGibbott said tbe burgesses were indebted both to Mr McQueen and Mr Green for tbe light they had shed on a matter that was very little understood. Tbe more they fought the more interested people would become. MrMcGill eulogised Mr McQueen's capacity ajid integrity »b a public man, and said they could select no man who would take more interest in the harbor and pay more respect to the rights of the community. Something had been said about Sir Joseph Ward. He (the speaker) was a supporter of his and of Mr McQueen's at the same time. He moved a vote of thanks to him for bis address, and confidence in him as tbeir representative on the Bluff Harbor Board. -Mr W. Nichol seconded. Mr J. W. Kelly supported the motion. He said it was due to Mr McQueen that a monopoly of the freezing trade ot Southland was frustrated, and that the Southland Frozen Meat Co. was lifted out of a state of insolvency into a position of paying dividend*. There was a strong tendency on the part of the people of the Bluff to work the Board for selfish ends rather than in tho interests ot the district, and they wanted the brake put on. The motion was carried, and the proceedings closed with a vote of thanks ta the ehajf. AT MATAUHA. Mr McQueen addressed eighteen gentlemen in the Mataura Council Chambers last evening, whan he was accorded a cordial hearing. Mr Thos. Mac Gibbon presided, and Mr McQueen delivered an address on similar lines to those in Gore the previous evening. In tho course of his speech Mr McQueen referred to the vast increase in tonnage at the Bluff harbor, which at present be estimated was increasing at the rate of 20 per cent. As the railways, were run through South Otago (especially the Gore-Kelso railway) the port of the Bluff would be tbe natural outlet. He had no doubt that tho Gore-Kelso line would be constructed much sooner than most people thought. lie considered that it was of sufficient importance for a private company to invent money in, and he did not sec why the Government should interfere with private enterprise, as the line would give facilities tor bringing in stock, etc., to Mataura. In any case the pott would benefit largely, and the greater the amount of traffic there was the greater chance they had of the port being still further advanced. He thought that it would pay the Government handsomely to subsidise such a private railway company as he had mentioned. But even if the Govi rnment refused to entertain the proposal of a private company, it would show that the matter was very urgent and important when a private company could be found to undertake the work. Mr F. Mackay asked whether the speaker was in favor of spending money in deepening tho entrance of tbe harbor. Mr McQueen did not think the entrance required deepening. There was the depth required, but it was for berthage, as there was not enough berthage room at present. It would bo necessary to ho continually incieasing the deep water berths for the large slop 1 . Tho frozen meat industry was always bringing large ships to tho Bluff, the Meat Company having contracts with different shipping companies, and as the industry increased more accommodation would be required. The widening of the wharf had proved a great advantage. Mr J. \V, Hamilton asked whether Mr McQueen was in favor of extending the berth accommodation of the north channel, and then reclaiming from the present berthage to the north channel, so as to get rid of the large steamers being compelled to stand outside until flood tide. t Mr McQueen said he would prefer to leave 1 such a question to Mr Napier Bell, or some( other expert, to get more information than was at hand at present. After having answered other questions by Messrs Ponney and Lowden, a vote of thank's and confidence was passed on the motion of Messrs Mackay and Stevens, and the meeting closed with the usual vote to the Chair.