HARBOR CONFERENCES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14846, 25 February 1919, Page 5

HARBOR CONFERENCES.

OF "B" COMMITTEE

A meeting of "B" Committee appointed in connection with the Harbor Conference was held at the Harbor Board 1 office to-day. "B" Commitee, fit should be recalled, was appointed to •consider and report on (a) the future trajde requirements of tho district warranting such construction ; (b) the estimated revenue to be derived from the facilities such a harbor would give, together with the estimated future rating l^ Mea.ssary- for such construction and anJ «a«al maintenance ensuing therefrom. There were present: Messrs. F. J. J. Lysnar (chairman of the Harbor Board), G. Smith, J. W. 'J. Preston, J. BJ Kells, C. A. Fenwick, % t Grundy, O. A. deLautour, W. H. Irvine, T. '"__. Toheycliffe, A. H. Wallis, and S. S. Dean. Mr. F. J. Lysnar presided', and said ho had called the meeting in consequence of Mr. J. W. J. Bright having resigned from the position of chairman of-^'B" Committee. "Mr.., J. W. Bright wrote regretting ■that his hands were too full to accept the chairmanship of "B" Committee, and stating? that he would be pleased to act on it, and give as, much time as E«r possibly could to the researches *vmch that committee was desired to *nske. The chairman (Mr. Lysnar) said he had called the committee together, so that they could appoint a chairman and get to work. Mr. Preston said he had formerly •urged thai the chairman: of the conference ihotUji be the chairman of both c»mmittee¥. He moved jihat Mr. Lysnar be appointed accordingly! TSiere being no 'other nomination, Mr. Lysnar said he would be pleased to act and do his best. Since the committee had last met he regretted that a member of the committee, Captain Tucker, had passed away. The chairma'n said he "had received a letter from Mr.- Chas. Gowlaud*, ! adyis-; ' ing' the erection Of groynes on the Wai-' kanae beach to obviate the sand from the west entering the harbor. Mr. Irvine suggested that the committee shoiild lay down some basis of information/ on which the sub-commit-teo! could and gather information. Mr Grundy thought it would be "wise to map out some basis. The chairman suggested they should take the basis of £1,000,000. Mr. Irvine concurred, adding that they should take the pre-war figures '6f 191l *

Mr. Kells thought that all the information would oe iu the Board's office. Mr Irvine said that he had obtained the latest valuation figures of the counties and borough, amounting, to £13,563,---000. He had, however, excluded Uawa. The dhairman considered Uawa should be included. Mr. "Wallis contended thdt as the Uawa County was forming a harbor of its own it would applv to Parlament for exclusion, an4\it was only right that it should be excluded. Mr. Toneycliffe the Uawa iiarborworks would only benefit a small area.

•'Mr. Preston said that he was somewhat concerned on the subject in view of the suggested severance of Uawa and Waikokopu. Mr. C. A. deLautour said that the dominant statute would prevail, and the burden would be on Uawa to alter the legislation to escape. The best course ,w£B to assume that these districts would come in. The Gisborne Harbor Board whuld have to go to Parliament for legislation for increased borrowing power, and that being so the whole question would have to be threshed out. Mr. Smith urged that by ' excluding Ufcwa was like giving, them a cue to get out.

Mr. Dean remarked Uawa was determined to apply for exclusion. Mr. Smith said that by- excluding UAwa the conference was recognsing this claim to exclusion. Mr. deLautour said that what the committee had to find out was wliat wsts the rational burden the district was safely capaVfeiof: carrying, '^nd to tain this fcheyWtmld'Tiave to find out ' the present aggregate indebtedness of the lqcal bodies, ai^ what, amoimt of racing wotild be required. He thought this could best be obtained by a small committee. Some general discussion ensued regarding the question of valuation and rating of the local bodiek, Mr. deLautos(_ raising the question as to whether m^re rating cqidd be obtained from Crown and native land'. He thought that ran "effort gfioqld be mjj^e in' this direction,' remai'fcin-*- thU if Vas foolis'ii to assume fhat'tlio district 'should'^t-' tempt to m&lte 'a~ harbor for the bene--' fit oft, the VHbje pominbti. One important Minister %6vp& -years ago had said, that the Government shb_-4'make a harbor for iJh'e East Coast,' 'nbt necessarily at Gisborne-^ut a port of safety for the* East Coast. 'A member remarked that the Government/had not assisted in the past. Mr. deLautour pointed out that the Government had assisted by means of the Tauwhareparae endowment. The same position obtained to : day, when land might be,given which would havo great prospective value! No district in the Dominion'* had such a claim for assistance as .^his, and if ,the people of tbe district would not open theii* mouths they could not expect outsiders to come and fill them. * Mr Prestqn said he understood that the Minister of Marine, on his receiit visit, was ■sympathetic towards assisting the district?. ' i ' ■ •' After farther disq^ssion it was resolved! -that!' /The sub-committee previously appointed should investigate and report on tho headings alreadv submitted.

The meeting terminated, and the sub. committee then proceeded on its investigation, with the assistance of others present.