HARBOUR BOARD CHAIRMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3768, 1 June 1926, Page 24

HARBOUR BOARD CHAIRMAN.

MR DICKSON ELECTED,„ SEVEN VOTES TO FIVE. The statutory meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held at 7 o’clock on Friday evening for the purpose of electing a chairman tor the ensuing year. The members present were:—Messrs J. Loudon (the retiring chairman), J. M. Dickson, M.P., W. Wilkinson, D. Larnach, J. E. MacManus, K. S. Ramsay, D. F. H. Sharpe, T. Anderson, H. E. Moller, H. C. Campbell, W. Gow, A. Cable, H. M. Driver, and Captain Coll M’ Donald. Mr Cable moved that Mr Loudon be reelected chairman for the ensuing year. He thought it was very necessary that Mr Loudon should occupy the position at present, in view of the fact that he was going to London for money. He thought the board should waive the principle of a rolling office at the present juncture. He took it that Mr Loudon would not hold office after the completion of the business # in view. Captain M’Donald, who seconded the motion, said he had probably had as much experience as anyone else in the room in dealing with the people with whom Mr Loudon would have to deal in England, and he knew what it meant, when being introduced to these people, for Mr Loudon to have on his card a statement to the effect that he was chairman of the board. The board had already agreed that Mr Loudon should go Home in connection with the choosing of a dredge, and he thought it should agree to allow him to be chairman until that business waa completed. Mr Wilkinson moved that Mr Dickson be elected chairman. The motion was seconded by Mr Anderson, who said he thought tho office should go round. Mr Dickson was going to have the hardest end of the stick, because he had to put the necessary Bill through Parliament. If the Bill did not go through there was little chance of much progress being made. On a ballot being taken, Mr Dickson was elected by seven votes to five. Neither Mr Dickson nor Mr Loudon voted. After the result had been announced Mr Loudon said he had very much pleasure in congratulating Mr Dickson on his election. He sincerely hoped that Mr Dickson would have a very successful year. The board had very important matters in hand and an anxious time ahead, but he sincerely hoped that everything would turn out well and in the best interests of the board. He had no doubt that Mr Dickson would be able to render good service. So far as he was concerned he wished to tender to members of the board his very sincere thanks for all the kindnesses he had received during his term of office as chairman and as a member of the board for the last 18 or 19 years. It had been a pleasure to work with his fellow-members. While they had their differences, he did not think that had affected their friendship.— (“Hear, hear.”) He was quite sure that no members had anv feeling of antipathy towards him, and he certainly had none towards any members of the board. He had received so many kindnesses trom different members that he could never forget them. His only desire was that the board should progress and perform its important functions in the community in the best manner possible. There would always be differences of opinion" as to what the board should do and should not do, but he believed that all the members were fully alive to the best interests of the community and tne people they represented. After mentioning that the year had been an exceedingly strenuous one for the chairman, Mr Loudon asked Mr Dickson to assume the chairmanship. Mr Dickson said he wished to thank members very sincerely for the honour conferred on him by electing him chairman of that very important local body. This was not the first time he had had the honour of occupying the position, as he had held it in 1915. When he looked at the shield containing the photographs of his fellow-members he noticed that there were only five, he thought, who were members when he w r as previously chairman. They had at that time what he considered to be a very strong and he did not think the present board was wanting in that respect. He had never considered that the board should be a one-man show, and there would be noeffort on his part to make it so. While it would be his endeavour as chairman to get the business through as soon as possible, he would allow a fair discussion on any matter coming before them. He hoped that friendly relations would be maintained between the board and the important local bodies with which it had to deal. It was important that the l. bers of local bodies should feel that they were the servants of the public for the time being, and should work in harmony as much as possible and not in opposition to each other. He wished to thank Mr Loudon for his kind congratulations on his (Mr Dickson’s) election. Mr Cable then moved: “That the board place on record its appreciation of Mr Loudon’s services as chairman during the past year, and that the secretary be asked to obtain some token for presentation to him.” The speaker stated that Mr Loudon had already received an address, and his proposal was that something should be presented to him to take the place of one.

The motion was seconded by Mr Larnach.

Mr Ramsay said he was sure that all the members appreciated Mr Loudon’*, services during past 12 months, especially during the Exhibition period. He had been an exceptionally good chairman, not only in connection with the work done for the board, but also in social matters during the Exhibition period. The motion was carried unanimously.