HARBOUR BOARD ELECTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9285, 12 February 1889, Page 6

HARBOUR BOARD ELECTIONS.

PAVBRS OF HARBOUR DOES. , A poll for the three members of the Harbour Board to represent those who pay rates and port charges to the Board was held yesterday from 9 to 6 at the Harbour Board Offices, Mr, S. Brooking being returning officer. The candidates nominated were: Captain H. F. Anderson and Messrs. J. J. Craig, H. R. George, Thomas Henderson, C. B. Stone, and George Winstone. Very great interest was shown in the election, and the polling was steady throughout the day. Captain Anderson and Messrs. Henderson and Stone had committee rooms in the Marine Chambers, where their interests were energetically looked after by representatives, large posters being displayed in the usual electioneering style. Mr. W. Hodge acted as scrutineer for Messrs. Anderson, Henderson, and Stone, and Mr. E. W. Burgess, clerk of the Harbour Boad, officiated as poll-clerk. Shortly after half-past six the results of the poll were declared by Mr. Brooking, from the entrance of the Harbour Board buildings, to a small crowd of some fifty people. They were as follows :— C. B. Stone » 200 H. F. Anderson 180 George Winstone 145 Thos. Henderson ... .-, 96 J. J. Craig 91 H. R. George ... .- .- 53 Informal ... .~ ... 1 Total votes 768 Messrs. Stone, Anderson, and Winstone, were accordingly declared duly elected members of the Harbour Board for the ensuing two years. 298 voters polled. Owing to the result of, the poll being declared sooner than was expected, the candidates were not present, and Messrs. Bafct and Jones returned thanks in short suid neat speeches on behalf of Mr. Stone nnd Captaiu Anderson. On their motion, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Brooking, the returning officer. CITY COUNCIL. A si'toiAL meeting of the City Council was held at noon yesterday, for the purpose of appointing four members to represent that body on the Harbour Board for the ensuing year. There were present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr. A. E. T. Devore), Messrs. Goldie (M.H.R.), Farrell, Davies, Grey, Colonel Dignan, Messrs. Atkin, Lennox, Crowther, Holland, Trenwith, Patterson, and Hewson. The Mayor explained that this was a statutory meeting, cnlled for the purpose of electing four members to represent the City Council on the Harbour Board. The voting would be by ballot as prescribed by the Act. The present members were the Mayor, Councillors Goldie, Dignan, aud Holland, and he would now usk that candidates might be nominated. Mr. Atkin proposed His Worship the Mayor. Mr. Devore said that he would prefer not to stand, as he had already been elected three times, and had enough of it. He proposed Mr. Crowther. Mr. Atkin insisted on the Mayor's nomination, and Mr. Crowther, in seconding the motion, said it was always a recoguised rule that the Mayor should be u member of the Harbour Board. (Applause.) His Worship said that he would bow to the decision of the Council, and agree to be nominated. The following nominations were then received :—Mr. D. Goldie, proposed by Mr. Farrell, seconded by Mr. Lennox; Mr. Dignan, proposed by Mr. Davies, and seconded by Mr. Atkin ; Mr. Crowther, proposed by the Mayor, seconded by Mr. Atkin; Mr. J. J. Holland, proposed by Mr. Lennox, seconded by Mr. Smith. A ballot was then taken which resulted ap follows :—The Mayor, 14 ; Mr. Goldie, 13; Mr. Dignan, 11; Mr. Holland, 9 ; and Mr. Crowther, 9. There being a tie between the two latter, a second ballot was taken, the result of which was Mr. Crowther, 9 ; and Mr. Holland, 4. The Mayor then declared the following elected : —The Mayor, Messrs. Goldie, Dignan, and Crowther, duly elected representatives of the City Council on the Auckland Harbour Board. PARNELL BOKODGH.

The members of the Parnell Borough Council met last evening, for the purpose of electing a representative of the Borough on the Harbour Board. There were present : His Worship the Mayor (Mr. Sealy), Captain D. H. McKeuzie, Messrs. McCabe, Lyell, Gay, Augur, Gilmour, Savage, and Captain Thomas. Mr. Gilmour, addressing the chair, said that as he understood Hia Worship did not care to accept the position of their representative on the Harbour Board (His Worship: I do not.) he would therefore propose Captain D. H. Mackenzie to represent the borough on the Harbour Board. He knew the ropes better than any other member of the Council. Mr. Gay seconded the motion. Mr. Savage said he hat! asked Mr. Seymour T. George to stand, but he refused to do so unless it was the unanimous wish of the Council. He thought he would mention the fact, but under the circumstances he would not make a proposition. Mr. Lyell said there were, in his opinion, too many people in the Harbour Board who were not maritime men, but he knew Captain McKenzie thoroughly understood his business, and he knew Captain McKenzie would do his best on the Board in the interests of Parnell—Mr. McCabe hoped Captain McKenzie would get a chain put on the wharf to save life. The motion that Captain McKenzie be elected was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Captain McKenzie thanked the Council *for the confidence they showed in him. He had been a member of the Harbour Board during the last fourteen years, and for two years of that time he was chairman, but so far as he could see little could be done for Parnell. The Board had spent a great deal of money to little purpose,, and often against his wishes, but he was out-voted. They wanted a wharf at Parnell. The Board had built a j wharf at Ponsonby, which was never used, but the Ponsonby people had contributed half the cost. The Northcote, Birkenhead, and Devonport people had also contributed to the cost of their wharves. Parnell had never got to that length, but he felt sure that had they done so they might have had a wharf at St. George's Bay long ago. With reference to the road round to St. George's Bay, the Harbour Board had offered material for it, but they held that they were not entitled to and would not be justified in making the road. They would, however, give the material from St. Barnabas' Point, which was their property. He did not know that the Board could do anything for Parnell, but some matters might come up which would be of interest to mercantile people, and if any matter of interest to the Borough did crop up, they might reefc assured that as a resident of 18 years' standing, and as their member, he would do his best to aid anything which would be of service to Parnell. DUVONPOItT. The Devonport Borough Council met at half-past seven yesterday evening. Present : His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Messrs. W. Philcox, R. Duder, J. Duder, H. Pitts, H. Leßailly, J. Burgess, and W. H. Brown. His Worship announced that it devolved on the Council to elect a member for the Auckland Harbour Board, as his term of office had expired. Mr. Alison moved, " That the Mayor (Mr. M. Niccol) be re-elected a member of the Harbour Board." Mr. Brown seconded the motion, and ib was unanimously adopted. Mr. Niccol returned thanks, and said that he would, as heretofore, do his best to merit the confidence of the Borough. NORTHCOTE AND BIKKENHEAI>. The annual meeting for the election of a Harbour Board representative for the Northcobe Road Board and the Birkenhead Borough Council was held yesterday at noon at Mr. Seaman's office, New Zealand Insurance Buildinga, wlion there wore present, of the Northcote Board : Captain Slattery (chairman), and Messrs. Campbell, Johnston, Bruce, and Barber; and of the Council : Mr. Button (Mayor), and Messrs. Hadfield, Hawkins, Kay, Mitchell, White, and Porter. Mr. Seaman explained that the meeting was called by the chairman of the, Northcote Road. Board, in accordance with the Harbour Boards Act of--1885, and an Order-in-Council of January 15, 1889, for the election of a joint representative of the two bodies. There wae' nd provision for the election of a chairman, but ib was understood the meeting would do bo. Mr. Mitchell moved that Captain Slattery take the chair, and this was eeconded by Mr. Hawkins. Captain Slattery, however, declined to take tho chair while there were others better quali-

fied for the position than he was.- He proposed that Mr. Button, the Mayor of Birkonhead, take the chair. This was seconded by Mr. Campbell. Mr. Barber pointed out thafc tie chairman would have a casting vote but no deliberative vote, and so, with an equal number of representatives from each body, he would determine the election. Captain Slattery thought the two bodies should take turn about in the, election of a representative, to do away with any ill-feeling in the matter. Considerable discussion arose on the question, in which Messrs. Johnston, Campbell, Bruce, and Mitchell took part. The majority favoured the two districts taking turn about in electing a representative. Mr. Button said they could not legally bind themselves to do so, but he thought they might have an understanding among themselves that at tho next election a resident of Northcoto should be chosen. This course Avas finally agreed to, and it was decided that each body should put a memorandum in their minutes that such an agreement had been made. Captain Slattery was then voted to the chair, and Mr. Mitchell nominated Mr. Charles E, Button as their joint representative. The chairman formally proposed the election of Mr. Button. Mr. Mitchell seconded the motion, and said that Mr. Button having already served two years on the Board, it was a great advantage to tho united bodies to have him as their representative. They could not do better than re-elect him. Mr. Barber said, on behalf of Northcote they had every confidence in Mr. Button. The motion was then put to the meeting, and being carried unanimously, Mr. Button was declared duly elected. Mr. Button returned thanks, and said he now felt he was a representative of the district. Before he had been a nominee of the Government. He would regard the district as a whole, for though separate for the purposes of local government, yet in regard to the Harbour Board it really constituted only one district. He then gave a sketch of what had been done during- the last two years, showing that each district had been fairly treated. For the future he wonld be prepared to support any proposal from either district which seemed to him to be reasonable. Mr. Bruce referred to the mole or continuation of the wharf at Northcote, the liability for the maintenAnce of which had been cast upon the Northcote Road Board. He said the sea water had undermined it all, and it would take £250 to repair it. If ever the shore belonged to the Harbour Board he held that they were still liable for repairs to the mole, as it was really a wharf. Mr. Button said he would be happy to support any proposal for the Harbour Board to undertake the repair of the work.