LATE NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11103, 24 October 1907, Page 6

LATE NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day! The Harbor Boards' Gonferencj resolved that it is desirable that the Government should facilitate the passing of any special Act introduced by any Harbor Board to give its rating powers as security for any loans for harbor purposes ; that the Government be asked to purchase an up-to-date dredge, which may be let to Harbor Boards upon payment of reasonable rent. Mr T. K. McDonald was i\?elected president ; Messrs Mitchelson (Auckland), Laurenson (Lyttelton), and McKerras (Otago) were re-elected vicepresidents. The Auckland delegate moved that the powers conferred upon municipal corporations by section 264 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, be also "conferred upon Harbor Boards for the purposes of establishing ferry services. Mr Napier observed that Harbor Boards could be just as well trusted to manage ferry servicevS as municipal councils. Mr Ferguson (Wellington) seconded the .motion, which was carried. Mr Vigor Brown (Xapier) moved that the attention of the Postmaster-General be called to the loss of revenue sustained by Harbor Boards through large quantities of merchandise passing through the parcels post. "I have seen in Napier," he said, "two or three tons of straw hats al! coming by post. Why, the ships are floating- postoffices, and it seems that onlv iron and I»arb wire come as freight." The Harbor Boards' revenue was suffering severely. Mr Ferguson said that on all goods passing through the parcels post harbor dues should be paid. He knew that 16 tons of parcels passed through Wellington out of one ship. The motion was carried. Messrs Beaiichamp, Ferguson, Oonnell, Brown, and Graham were elected to the executive, and Messrs Hood and Williams auditors. The conference is now in committee on the Harbor Boards' Bill.