HARBOUR BOARD AND DOCK TRUST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13995, 30 August 1907, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD AND DOCK TRUST

THE QUESTION OP AMALGAMATION.

A CONFERENCE AGREED TO.

At yesterday's meeting of the Olago Harbour Board the following letters dealing with tho subject of a conference with a view to amalgamation were received from the Otago Dock Trust. Tho Secretary of tho Otago Dock Trust first wrote that it lint] been resolved to ask the hoard to appoint representatives to confer with representatives of tho trust on the present position and future prospects of the trust. He was instructed to suggest that it might bo expedient, to ask tho Port Clialmare Borough Council and llio Union Steam Ship Company to appoint delegates to meet at such conference. He suggested further that the conference be held on August. 12.

, The Otago Dock Trust Secretary wrote on a later date acknowledging receipt of a .loiter from the hos.vd enclosing another from Mr E. G. Allen Suggesting the application of portion of the moneys proposed to bo borrowed Under the nroposed Otago Harbour Board Enabling , Bill to the equipment of and charges (if any) in connection with tho taking over by the board of the new dock, and which the board had resolved should bo referred to the trust for its remarke thereon. He was directed in reply to state that while the suggestions contained in Mr Allen's letter wero made without cognisance of the trust, the trust thought them worthy of consideration, and would be in a position,to further communicate with the board ns eoon as they had a reply to the request for ■ a conference. Mr Barclay moved that the Deck Trust' 6 first letter be received, and that in accordance with iU request a committee of the board bo appointed to confer with representatives of the trust as to tho subject matter of the letters and report. Speaking to the motion, he said lie knew there ; was a foling.of annoyance on the part ol members of tho board with the Dock Trust r.« a public body, because of an unfortunate position the. hoard was lc<l into by come of its memljors; nor had that feeling been improved by the paragraphs which had lately appeared in one of the papers in regard to tho financial position of the trust and the objects of tho suggested conference. With all deferenc, ho held that a newsman, while learning all he could, should publish only what wan desirable, and certainly nothing to prejudice a matter of public inl crest, till those, directly responsible had had an opportunity of explaining themselves. It was not, therefore, a surprise to him" that when tho request was first before the board members should look with suspicion at, or at anyrate decide for time to consider, any proposals coining from the Dock Trust, lint 03 against that prejudice ho would, in urging members to agree to this conference (if only as a matter of courtesy), remind thorn that during the last two year 3 conditions had changed very much: for one tiling the personnel of the trust had been almost entirely altered; tho parochial element, which was at tho root of all the trouble, was dead. The trust of to-day was afi representative a hcily as the board was, with men as capable 0! controlling its affaire and actuated by a« keen a desire to do the best for tho port and district as those on tho board. It was 'lrgctl that a request of this sort ehonld bo backed by an accountant—that a full statement of the trust's affairs would alone justify tho board in granting theconlorcnop. —surely an unreasonable demand? Ho had ono member of the committee recommending this course in hisynind when the suggestion war. made, as eminently an accountant, whoso word might be taken, but with ono exception every member was in fact a. practical accountant, and had had

a largo experience in accounts. The committee consisted of their own chairman (Mr Mackerras), Mr Loudon (the Mayor of Dtinedin, whom ho had heard described by Mr Fergus as a financial expert), Mr F. C. -Gray (a particularly smart accountant), Mr Gow (chairman of tho Chamber of Commerce), and Mr G, L. Dcnniston, men whoso recommendations would be considered by any body of 0 business men in Dunedin without any accountant backing. Now, although*no word had come from tho trust's table, and although there was not a word in tho, request for a conference . inconsistent withe a. sound financial position, it was the state of tho trust's finance that was the immediate causo of the request; but it was.not the only one. Tho trust asked for the conference on broader gronnds. When ho . joined the trust two years ago ho was in favour of an amalgamation of tho two bodies, and evory meeting he h.-wl attended had convinced him that such must be brought about. That (if ho understood his fellow members) was what wac aimed at. They felt that tlie port and all iU ' interests opuld bo best attended to by one body. He know that it would bo a much, moro difficult matter now than it would have- been two years ago.' The whole position was bristling with difficulties, but the board was partly to blamo (unwittingly, perhaps) for tho present position, of the trust, and could not afford to stand. by and say, "It is not our trouble." Tho public is not rery discriminating,—tho trust's trouble was tho ' board's trouble, anil the board could not got away fronr it. , This board must not misunderstand the ' position of matters connected with the trust. Tho trust had large assets, its endowments were valuable, and could probably be worked much bettor by {he board and with great advantage to tho board itself. Mutters in connection with tho trust were not at "panio point" by any manner of means, and its members might yet find that eome, at least, of the present difficulties would disappear as time went on; but that was not the main point. Tho chief thing' to be considered was how best could tho port "of Otago be run—by having two public bodies such as they now had in the Doolc Trust and tho Harbour Board, or by 'having one strong body whoso functions should be tho general' improvement of tlio port, coupled, with economical working. The department now controlled by the Dook Trust was essentially part 'of the whole which the Harbour Board—or one public body only— should have in liand, and to this end it was tho duty of tho members of tho board (or so it appeared to him) to look and to work, and any misunderstanding ovor the Dock Trust which might ha-vo taken place in tho past must, in tho common interests of our port, be sot aside, and the position faced fairly and squaroly. If the conference was agreed to, tho members of tho board would liavo a bettor opportunity , of learning the truo position, and could.then act accordingly. Mr Roes seconded tho motion, with which ho was .thoroughly in sympathy. Mr Duth'io st.id ho did not think a member of tho board objected to the .conference at all. The only thing was that tho letter had' on tlio previous occasion como iin at tho last moment. : Mr Bullock said Mr Barclay seemed to reflect upon some members of tho board as to tho attitude' taken up in* receiving the letter. It was never received by tho board at nil. It was not on tho order paper. It was never before the board officially.

Mr Bolchor said he was in thorough accord that a conference should tako place between tho trust and the board,r but he certainly thought the board ehould decidedly object >-to.-any outside persona coming 'into tho discussion. Whatever had been dono ''by tho Union Company and by iho Port. Chalmers Borough Council with regard, to guaranteeing tho loan to tho Dock Trust was a matter between these people and tho trust. To put thematter another way: if the board had Ruaranteed to tho extent of £1000—(Mr Duthic: Contributed.) It tho board -was in that position with tho Dock Trust, ho took it the board had a. perfect right to have separate representation at any conferenco that 4cok place. Hβ would object to vote for a motion that meant those other two bodice interfering between tho Dock Trust and tho board. Ho felt disposed to movo that tho request for a conference be granted' provided the _ Union Company and tho Borough Council wero not included in Hie conference. He would movo aii amendment in that direction.

. Mr Fergus said he would second the ■amendment pro forma, ■ but he could ■ not vote,, for it in the state in which it was just then. Ho was entirely in accord with Jtr Belcher. They ehould go ■to ■ tho conference, but to takp in another two with whom tho board had no connection was. a thing , ho would not agree to at all. IE Mr Belcher had worded his motion, that tho board send certain' delegates to .meet dele- , gates of the Dock' Trust ho would have been with him, but that tho board on tho other hand declined having to do with asking others to- join in. It wpuld have bean better jf amalgamation ■ had come beforo tho timd the board waa jockeyed into this contribution to the trust. The board was the only contributing body up; to tho present He djd not think the council or tho company had paid anything so far, and what the board had to do waa to tell tho trust it was prepared to sond 'delegates to meet it in conference. If the trust choso to invite otliore to be (present tho 'board should not object, but tho board l should bo no party to their being invited to bo present. At the sat'no time, he eaid, the board was not afraid of tho fullest .investigation and tho fullest ventilation. . A suggestion was mado that Mr Barclay should alter his motion, , and Mr Belcher was asked if ho would withdraw hia amendment.

Mr Belcher said a conclusion might lio arrived at at the conference which would' not bo arrived at if tho matter lay purely between tho trust and tho board. Provided it was understood that tho. Union Company and tho Borough Council had no voting power in cominc to a decision, he would withdraw his amendmont. Mr Fergus said ho went further thin that. Ho did not think the delegates of llie board had any power to commit tho board to anything. They wero simply dolegatc3, and had to report to the board. Mr Belcher then withdrew his amend rnent, and Mr .Barclay's motion was carried in the following form , .—"That the Dock Trust' 6 letter bo received, and that in accordance with its request a committee of the board bo appointed to confer with the trust's representatives as to tho subject matter of tho letter and. report. Further, in regard to tho suggestion that tho Port Giialmcrs Borough Council and tho Union Steam Ship Company be asked to the con. forenco, that hein? a mutter for the, trust only, the board take no action.'-' Mr Ferp;u6 eaid his sympathies were going towards the amalgamation of these bodies. They wanted to know exactly tho course upon which they wero travelling, and tho harbour to which they wcro bound to como at last. •• ' It was decided that tho delegates to attend tho conference should be- Messrs Bullock, Duthie, and Fergus.