THE HARBOURS BILL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14348, 28 October 1910, Page 3

THE HARBOURS BILL.

MR. MILLAR ANNOYED. THREATENS TO SHELVE THE BILL. (By Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 28. There-is a possibility ot the Harbour Bill being dropped. Early this morning the House in committee decided to amend the constitution of the Auckland Harbour Board so as to have, only one Government nominee on the board instead of ' two. Mr. Millar then proposed that the board should consist of thirteen members instead of fourteen. This was not agreed to, and members at once began wrangling as to whether the city or the country should have the extra representative. The Minister thereupon moved to report progress. Interviewed this morning, Mr. Millar said ho would abandon the Bill rather than go on wrangling any further. The Bill had been before the House since July 8, and there had been ample time for any protests against the proposed constitution of the boards. This thing had been sprung on them at the last moment. It would, if proceeded with, mean endless controversy in regard to the constitution of every board in the Dominion, and ho was not going to delay the business of the House at this stage of the session by fighting the matter any further. The question of representation as dealt with in tho schedule had boon gone into most carefully and arranged on the basis of valuation and population. Everything possible had been done to make it fair and equitable. Either members must now meet and decide unanimously upon any alterations that would be necessary on account of tho reduction of Government nominees from two to one or ho would shelve the Bill.