THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11563, 29 January 1901, Page 6

THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

I TO THE EDITOK. ], i Sir,—l have been waiting with some anxiety , to see whether any of the Auckland* merchants' intended to take any .interest in the above election, but as the time is now limited in which,much can be done, to secure a good : Board by}the election of some biuine l -"! r.r-n who will worthily represent tho importer!! »{ - this town, I take this opportunity ol putting' J '-§ one or two ;facts before ,the business men of Hthis city, which should arouse them to ensrI Board the election of some business men who will worthily represent the importers «f this town, I take this opportunity oj putting one or two facts before the business men. o£ this city, which should arouse them to ensrgetio action within the next few days. g Our Board, as at present constituted, con- '- ■" I sists of 13 members—two nominated bv the I Government, one each from the boroughs of Parnell, Devonport, and Birkenhead, one . i from the Chamber of Commerce, four from ' J the City Council, and only/ three elected by ; > • § the importers, owners of shipping, and ie«> 8 nants of the Board. And lot it be borne in, * - § mind that the greater part of the revenue | of the Board is contributed by the men who | send these three members to " the . Board. " I Now, here comes a fact that cannot be too' 1 strongly impressed on the community: That | tho importers of Auckland, who pay the I greater part; of the revenue, are now repre- ' sonted by three gentlemen who are all resI dents of Devonport, who can hardly by the 1 wildest stretch of the imagination bo called I merchants; only one of them can lay any Iclaim to be in importer,* and the other two I are \ almost entirely identified with shipping \ 1 interests. I have no wish to raise any • I rivalry between ' commercial and shipping in- ' 1 terests— these should run hand in hand—but , !no one- can dispute the fact that the >m- '.■'.' | porters' interest far outstrips the /shipping, I and instead of the shipping having two >ut ' | of three representatives, the reverse should lo ' I the case. I wonder how long the importers ' 1 are going to bear patiently this' states of--1 things! But the further we go the -svorsa ' \it gets. In a Board of 13 members, no loss " | than seven (a majority) are residents of tho i northern shore of our harbour, the result be- \ ing that during the last year or two a very. I large amount of money has been spent upon j the northern side of the - harbour, vis,, lon Chelsea,. Birkenhead, Northcote, Stanley Bay, and Devonport wharves. It will uo I porters' interest far above are all necessary I and instead of the shipping having two tut I of three representatives, the reverse should to 9 the case. I wonder how long the importers I are going to bear patiently this» states of 1 things! But the further we go the worse lit gets. In a Board of 13 members, no lest I than seven (a majority) are residents of the I northern shore of our harbour, the result beI ing that during the last year or two a very, large amount of money has been spent upon i the northern side of the harbour, vis., | on Chelsea, Birkenhead, Northeote, Stanley § Bay, and Devonport wharves. It will no I doubt be said that the above are all necessary 1 works. That may be, but my contention I is that the expenditure on the northern shore | has been out of all proportion to the amount„ spent on the city side, _ when the importance j of our shipping facilities and port are considered. At present, while all these arrangements for ferry services are so complete, nothing whatever has been done for the landing of stock at this port. Vessels having stock on board have either : to go to the Tamaki River or tranship. into a scow, an arrangement entirely unsuitable for a port such as Auckland. I might also point to the fact that tenders have been let over nix months ago for extension of the western tee, .. Queen-street Wharf, and repairs to Railway Wharf, but so far nothing is being done. ' > I "Then, the fire appliances, so necessary in the shape of a powerful fir© engine for the protection of shipping and buildings of the Board, are not yet secured. • I believe a: floating engine has been, or is about to be, ordered with an oil engine, and in spite of the object-lesson the Board had some time ago about the uncertainty 'of »oil engines, an oil engine has been selected as the power to be used. ' . . \ " The dredging has also been neglected, because of the Board lending their plant to a contractor who cannot get: along with his contract, by reason of some hitch for which the I Board by reason some hitch for which the Board itself, I learn, is to blame. ;iThe Admiral's house is _ another matter . which it seems the Board is hardly able to grapple with, and the Calliope Dock is not at all in a satisfactory state, though the present chairman was thought to be able to sur- ' mount any diculty where the Admiralty were concerned. 1 . Taking all these matters ,■ into conßideration, what is the plain duty of the importers . * I Taking all these Simply;to into consideration, what is the plain duty of the importers at this juncture? Simply to meet together at once, select three of Weir best met), and put them in, men who are; pledged to further the interests of the port, not the north shore; men who will not rest satisfied until they see every facility for the prompt handling of cargo, berthing of vessels, . and the landing of stock, the proper, appliances for the suppression of fire, and the gradual reduction of shipping charges, so that our port may eventually become the most popular port in the colony by reason \of its low charges and its up-to-date facilities.—l am, etc., An IMPORTER ■ Auckland, January 21, 1901. , ■