THE HARBOUR WORKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14690, 26 May 1911, Page 8

THE HARBOUR WORKS.

MR. T. MACKENZIE'S IMPRESSIONS

An- inspection of the Auckland Harbour j works was made yesterday by tho Minister for Agriculture and Industries and Commerce (Hon. T. Mackenzie), at the, invitation of the chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr. J. H. Gunson). The excursion was made in the launch Ferro, the guests being Mr. Mackenzie and Mr. A. E. Glover, M.P. The Board was represented by the chairman, the vice-chairman (Mr. W. E. Hutchinson), Mr. J. E. Taylor, Mr. H. B. Burnett (secretary), and Mr. W. H. Hamer (engineer). Apologies wero received for the absence of Mr. Arthur M. Myers, M.P., and Mr. H. Friedlander (chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board). At an informal luncheon on the launch during the trip, Mr. Gunson, in proposing the health of "Our Guests," referred to the importance of making the nature and extent of the harbour improvements as widely known as possible to Ministers and other members of Parliament. Mr. Mackenzie, in his reply, thanked Mr. Gunson for his kind invitation to take part in the excursion. He would now be able to return to Wellington, knowing exactly tho nature of the works that the Board had . in hand. He was much impressed by the important scheme that the Board was carrying out, and which, when completed, would make Auckland equal, if not superior, to anyother harbour in the southern hemisphere. (Hear, hear.) Their engineer was entitled to the greatest credit for designing what appeared to be a most admirable and durable scheme. As the chairman stated, he would go away from Auckland greatly impressed with the city. Mr. Glover also responded. Mr. Mackenzie proposed ' the toast of "The Chairman of the Board." He had never, he said, met Mr. Gunson before, but he had heard of him. (Laughter.) He was satisfied that Mr. Gunson had a great deal of "go" in him, and that if he was not a Scotsman, he had a strain of Scottish blood in him. He congratulated Mr. Gunson in his appointment as chairman of the Board. Mr. Gunson, in responding, said he believed that the new Board, elected under the legislation of last session, was a very good Board, and that its one and only watchword would be that of "progress.'(Hear, hear.)