THE HARBOUR BOARD BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15131, 23 October 1912, Page 3

THE HARBOUR BOARD BILL.

PUTTING IT INTO EFFECT.

LEASES TO BE PREPARED, j THE new BAT.IT SIT P.. A r;i-.n-i;r upon the Auckland Harbour Board's Empowering Bill was submitted to tho Board yesterday by the chairman of the. Board (Mr. J. IE Gnnson). He Plata! that the Bill had passed all it? stages, and made a number of recommendations regarding the legal operations to be carried out, by the Board's solicitors. The Board adopted the recommendations, which comprise instructions to the solicitors to prepare a. number of leases and agreements made necessary by the. complicated exchanges: of land covered by the. Act. Further action regarding the lease to the Leyland-O'Brieu Timber Company was deferred, pending a settlement with them in connection with their lease, over the Roman Catholic: Bishop's allotment in Beaumont-street.

The final recommendation was. " That a copy of the Board's Bill be forwarded to the City Council drawing attention to the. fact lb at the whole of the agreements have been validated, and that in connection therewith the Board is now prepared to complete its obligations."

Tlio chairman then explained that the leases would deal with the whole of the, Customs-street West improvements, which would be completed within three years. In regard to the Beaumont-street lease. Mr. Gunson said that a mistake had been made by the Bishop, as by a, misunderstanding he, had concluded an arrangement about a property already subject to a lease. The City Council had declined to accept the responsibility for the mistake, and it had devolved upon, the Board to straighten tho matter. It had been arranged that tho Bishop should grant a, leaso over the piece of laud which he had accepted in lieu of his present holding, and that that lease should be given to Messrs. Ley landO'Brien, Limited.

Leases, are to be prepared for the two bath sites to be taken by the City Council ; and in reference to these leases it was explained that the tenants on the bath sites had been notified that they must, remove. The chairman said that the Board could hand over the sites on November 13, and the question had arisen whether the sites would be large enough. He had suggested to the Mayor of the city that the width or" Customs-street, shown on tho plan as 100 ft, should be reduced to 66ft. to give more area for the baths. That was. however, a matter for the. City Council, and could be left to it to decide.