HARBOUR BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20827, 20 March 1931, Page 13

HARBOUR BRIDGE.

COMPANY'S PROPOSED BILL.

ALTERATIONS RECOMMENDED.

BIRKENHEAD COUNCIL'S VIEWS

The Birkenhead Borough Council has made various suggestions in connection with the proposed bill authorising the granting of a charter for the construction of tho Auckland harbour bridge. The Mayor, Mr. J. P. McPhail, presided at the meeting at which the draft bill was considered and Mr. Vallance was present as legal adviser. In connection with the directorate of the company, a recaoimendation was made that the representatives of local bodies on the board should be equal in number to those elected by shareholders of the company and that a further director should be appointed by the Government. Tho council disagreed with the proposal that directors appointed by.the local bodies should not be eligible for the offices of chairman and deputy-chairman. Another decision was that the powers conferred under the Public Works 'Act, 1928, should bo confined to land taken for the purposes of the bridge. Exception was taken to the company having power to distrain any cattle, vehicles or goods for tolls, while the Minister's attention is to be directed to the high rate of interest allowed, najnely, 9 per cent., on tho debentures or mortgages issued by the company. Tho suggestion was made that the auditor should be a Government auditor.

Should the company go into liquidation, the council urged that the bridge should become the property and care of the Main Highways Board, without any rating powers. * The proposed tolls for buses were considered unreasonably high and a recommendation was made that these should not be more than one penny for each seat of the seating capacity of a vehicle, and also that the tolls specified be the maximum, without power to alter them by Order-in-Council. Dissent was recorded by Messrs. H. A. Campbell and J. Kerruish against the proposed tolls and the Minister having power to alter certain provisions of the .bill by Order-in-Council.

DRAFT BEFORE OITY COUNCIL.

INTERIM EEPORT BY SOLICITOR. The draft of'the Auckland Harbour Bridge Company's Empowering Bill is to be considered by the Auckland City Council at a special meeting on Wednesday. An interim report on the general provisions was submitted .to the council last evening by the city solicitor, who stated that a number of minor amendments seemed to him to be called for, but probably most of these could be settled ,after a discussion with the company. All authorities, discretions and powers of supervision were vested in the Minister of Public Works and the local authorities were not given any voice or power in connection with the bridge, except that three directors of the company were to be appointed respectively by the City Council, Auckland Harbour Board and Northcote Borough Council. The provisions of the bill relating to those appointments required some amendment, in the solicitor's opinion. / The Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, said the schedule of tolls had arrived lato that afternoon and it would not be possible to deal with the whole question that evening. -■

The draft of the bill was referred to the Finance Committee to report to the special meeting of the council.