HARBOUR BOARD POWERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16121, 9 July 1914, Page 8

HARBOUR BOARD POWERS

RESOLUTIONS BY AUCKLAND

BOARD. DUAL CONTROL CONDEMNED. (Pib United Pbess Association.) AUCKLAND, July 8. The Auckland Harbour Board discussed proposals that harbour boards should take over the control of the handling of cargo and employment of waterside labour, and adopted the following resolutions: — 1. That in the event of any change by legislative enactment in existing conditions being deemed desirable, this board confirms and .approves the principle of a harbour board being constituted the sole controlling authority, as affirmed in the first resolution of the conference of har bour board delegates held in Wellington on January 23. 2. That, in the opinion of this board, any arrangement with shipping companies or stevedores to control the labour of the respective ports which may be entered into, as suggested in the second resolution of the conference, woiirJ be unsatisfactory, as it would involvo dual administration, which would be impracticable. (iVote. — If harbour boards have the responsibility, they should have absolute control.) 3. That, as present conditions are to be altered, and a permanent staff engaged, such should be entirely controlled by harbour boards. This board is, however, of opinion, in relation to stevedoring work, that shipping companies must continue to control that absolutely, but that just as harbour boards, might control all whart labour with a permanent staff, so shipping companies might continue in control 'oi stevedoring, but ako with a permanent staff, which at present does not exist. 4. Any amending legislation, therefore, should, in the opinion of this board, be permissive, and extend to harbour boards optional power to deal with questions involved in the manner best suited to the requirements of each port.