CURRENT TOPICS.

Southland Times, Issue 16692, 22 March 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

BLUFF HARBOUR BOARD. Under the Harbour Amendment Act of 1910 the constitution of Bluff Harbour Board was fixed as follows; Twelve members; Two appointed by the Governor; three by the electors of the Boroughs of Invercargill and South Invercargill; one by the electors of the Borough of Campbell town; one bjr the electors of the Boroughs of Gore and Mataura; two by the electors of the County of Southland; one by the electors of the County of Wallace; one by the electors of Lake County; and one by the payers of harbour dues and the owners or part owners of ships. With reference to the member to be elected by the payers of dues and the owners of ships, section LI of the Harbours Amendment Act provides that, such power, where given, shall be exercisable by all those persons who on 31st Dee. preceding the election were the registered owners or part owners of any ship registered at the port of the harbour, or who have severally paid to the Harbour Board the sum of £3 or upwards in respect of harbour dues during the year ending 31st Dec. preceding the election. Part 2 of the same section provides that such power shall he exercised in the manner prescribed by tHe regulations made by the Governor-in-Council either generally or in respect of any specified Havbour. Board. .Early In the present month regulations were Gazetted providing (with reference to such an election as that referred to above) that the Collector of Customs at the port or ports under the Jurisdiction of the Harbour Board concerned should forward (o the secretary thereof a list of the names and addresses of all persons who were registered (on the preceding 31st Doc.) as owners or part owners of any ship registered at such port or ports. Application to the Collector of Customs at Invercargill was duly made by the secretary of the Bluff Harbour Board. It now appears, however, that Invercargill, which is not a port under the jurisdiction of the Bluff Harbour Board, .is the only port of registration under the Merchant Shipping Act. The Collector did not consider that the fishing vessels at Bluff (which arc certainly subject to a certain local system of registration) came within the meaning of the regulation as applying to "any ship registered at such port.” The question was referred by the Collector to thft Minister of Marine and he lias been authorised to inform the secretary of the Harbour Board that the Crown Law Officers have advised that owners of vessels registered under the Fisheries Act have no voting power and that their names are not to be included in the list to be furnished to the Harbour Board. The registered owners of ships referred

to in section 13 of the Harbours Amendment Act has been ruled to refer to registration under the Merchant Shipping Act. Bluff is not a port for registration of ships, so that the election of the particular member of the Harbour Board referred to in this article will be made by the payers of dues alone. The question of conflicting interests which it was thought might arise from the supposed enfranchisement of the "mosquito fleet” at Bluff will not therefore enter into consideration in connection with the election of members for the Bluff Harbour Board. THE CALL OF THE CORONATION. All clay last Friday from the time that the office was opened. Messrs Huddart, Parker, and Co.’s staff at Wellington were kept particularly busy attending to passengers and intending passengers by tiie Flimuroa. The rush was a rather wonderful one. for at limes the crowd was three deep at the counter. In addition to ordinary business, 260 Wellington passengers were booked for Sydney or beyond. Several hours before the advertised lime of sailing the clerks were obliged to couse issuing tickets, the vessel being a full ship, and many were the disappointed ones. It is stated that the chief reason for this abnormal traffic at this time of the year is the call of the Corona lion, a

large number of the Ulimaroa's passengers being on route for London.

The sight 'that met the eye on the wharf was one to be remembered (says the "Dominion”). Just prior to the vessel’s departure the whole of the ship s railing was thronged by passengers, each no doubt exchanging last signals with friends. Presently the order came from the bridge to "stand by,” and at once a groat cloud of handkerchiefs was out and waving. The wharf, too, was packed in the vicinity of the vessel by a crowd of eight hundred or more sightseers and people who had come down to see friends off. Outside the wharf barriers also a large crowd had gathered, and it is estimated that quite 1200 people were on the wharf at the time.

As the vessel was drawing away from her berth the ship’s bugler played “sjay An Revolt, but not Good-bye.” Then, as the Ulimaroa swung round •with her bow pointing towards Point Jerningham, the fiag was dipped three times and the--scene ended. About 400 passengers were taken.