HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9715, 18 April 1893, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION.

The nomination of candidates for a member to represent Port Chalmers on the Harbour Board, in place of Dr Drysdale (resigned), took place at the Totvn Hal', at noon yesterday. The Returning Officer (Mr Leek) read the following nominations: —

Joirx Robert Moksok ; proposed by John Cook, seconded by James Ness. Andrew Tho:>i>on t ; proposed by John Mill, seconded by John Morgan.

Mr Mosson said he had been asked by several friends to stand for the vacancy. At the time he was cot aware that any other person was coming forward, but having given his promise to staud he did not feel inclined to withdraw. They were aH aware that during the last 40 years he had b:en comiecfced with the harbour officially and otherwise, and the interests of the electors were identical with his own. If returned be would do his utmost to further the inteie3t of the Port.

Mr Thomson said that bad he been aware that his friend Mr Moasou contemplated being a candidate he would not be there, but having b' til urged by a number of the ratepa3rers to etaud, he felt it his duty to respond. He did not consider the position at all an enviable one, particularly as matters stood at the moment. However, one got attached even to a sinking ship, and he confessed to some such feeling, and perhaps his intimate knowledge of the board's whole history might enable him to render them sound service in the present critical condition of matters. The history of the board he would not weary them with. It had been far from a brilliant one. At the inception of the scheme the whole work was to be completed in three jears at an outside cost of £150.000, after which the plant was to be rea'ised on, and the merchants were, of course, going to pay the improvement rate alone. It was never to bo felt by anyone, and the ships were to be alongside the warehouses, saving charges far in excess of the interest on this modest £150,000. They k*ew the sequel. Nature voted on the side of Poifc Chalmers, and the cost became enormous of opening a much narrower and much shoaler chanuel than the original design contemplated. The large ocean steamboats voted on their side as well, so that the battle from a Dunedin standpoint was a lost oae, and not worth lighting for any longer. The rat:s meantime were steadily increased, and now the question was no longer upper versus lower harbour, but how were their engagements to ba met ? Some time ago it was thought th.nt tho solution was tj be found in rating all the districts round Dunedin, the .Port included, but the fierce opposition evoked very soon made it quite plaiu that that would never be tolerated either by the town or country. To have rated Port Chalmers would have been the grosfest injustice—first ruining them by carrying the ship 3 past their doors, and then compelling them to pay the Co3t of doing it. A more unjust and outrageous proposal was neversubmitted. But was this danger altogether past ? The merchants were persistent, not easily daunted, and the burden of those rates present and prospective w:i3 hard to beir. Tho members were now fighting to decide whether beer should be charged 9d or Is 6J. Ho did not believe any alteration in the rates would settle tho difficulty. It might help for a littlo while, but they must look elsewhere for relief, which could only be obtained by viewing the whole harbour question from a colonial standpoint. Why not attach aH the harbours to the present railway system ? The alliance would lie quite natural and proper. The debts of the various harbours would have to be taken over by the Government. They might us wcU do it now as later on. Further revenue would have to be vised to defray the cost of administration, but this could be managed by reimposing the primage duty—tho most popular form of taxation they ever had to bear. It was a duly that would distribute itself all over the colony, and would not ha seriously felt by any class. He thought even the merchants would prefer it, and this farmers would also find it to thisir interest to approve of it, as export rates wouia then be moderate and the sumo over the various ports in New Zealand. The present Ciovormucnt had initiated some very useful and effective legislation already. Were they heroic enough to grapple with this question also 'i -He believed they would have support from many quarters wbeio least expected if they would take it up. Whether they did or not, he (Mr Thomson) wa3 of opinion that the board's future must be regulated by some such plan as the one he now submitted, and should they return him as their representative he would do his best to avoid any direct r&ts being levied on the Port Chalmers district.

During tin; last fix years the Duke of Tortland tins won £147,972 in stakes on the turf, and the Dowager Duchossof Montrose £79,165. Lord Calthorpc comes third with £03,933, and the Duke of Westminster comes fourth with £61,75*. Cadbcby's Cocoa.—The only p.bsolntely pnre cocou, free from nlkali, starch, sugar, and adulteration of every kind. Health calls it '' A perfect food." The Medical Annual flnys :— "OCho name of 'Cadbury' on any packet of coooa is a guarantee of purity."

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

ELECTIONS.

The written nominations of candidates for the various school committees were received by the respective chairmen of the committees yesterday, the time for the reception of such notices closing at 8 p.m. In several instances there were very few nominations made: the constituent's apparently preferring to leave the matter over to the annual ni-eting, when any adult resident, who consents to stand may be nominated. The following is a list of candidates whose names will besubmitted iv some of the school districts: —

Albany Street.—As was the case last year, only one nomination was received, the candidate nominated being Mr William Dickson. GiiOROE Strkkt —Jlt W. F. Browne was the only candidate nominated. Arthur Stkekt.—Messrs Alexander Burt, Alexander Bain, Alexander Sligo, Robert Mason, Hugh Crawford, George Simpson, John M Kay, and Peter M'Gregor. . Union Street.—Messrs A. J. Christopher, John Duthie, John Lillie Gillies, Dennis Heenan, G. 11. Horder, G. C. Israel, A. Meggett, AVilham Swan, and A. H.'Shelton. Morxinoton.—Messrs J. Horsburgh, Harry A. Reynolds, Herbert Webb, Thomas Sneddon, and Joseph Sparrow. Kaikorai.— Messrs Geo. Calder, Peter Duncan, W. 13. Harlow, A. Ferry, George Moir, Peter Pilkington, David Scott, W. A. Stout, and Francis Wilkinson.

Anderson's Bay.—Rev. A. Cameron, Messrs John White. Thomas Barmby, J. C. Ponsonby. W. E. MAdam, C. S. Owen, Adam Nichol, and William Somerville.

Macandrkw Road.—Messrs Charle3 Bareh, Edwin Dowland, Francis Battson, and John Shacklock.

FoiiiiUßY Road.—Messrs G. M. Dawson, Thos. Irvine, George Reid, John T. Ross, J. M. Hunt.