The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 11, 1905 HARBOUR BOARD ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 11, 1905 HARBOUR BOARD ELECTIONS.

For tke cause that lacks eatietanet. Far the toron-g that r.ceda resistance, Far toe future in the distance, And the pood thai %se can do.

We hope that the general public requires no special encouragement to take an interest in the elscticn of members to the Auckland Harbour Board fixed for Monday next. Tbe interests of our city arc inextricably involved with those of

the port, and unless our harbour aft'airs are ably administered, the prospects of every section of the community must, be prejudicially affected. The Harbour Board has control of a very large revenue, which, if judiciously expended, might ensure for Auckland the position that she seems designed by Nature to enjoy—-that of tbe promier port of the colony. No other harbour in New Zea-

land can compare with our own in all the most valuable essentials that go to

make an ideal port and a. flourishing centre of sea-borne trade. No oihvr hiir-

hour is so commodious, so safe, or so conveniently situated for trade with Australia, the Pacific Islands, and America, and iiJl tbat we need to enable ua to realise our highest commercial ambitions is a progressive policy of harbour development carried out by an able and enterprising Harbour Board.

The keynote of our commercial policy muiit. as we have said, he Proirress. And it is a grea; consolation to all who have watched the course of our harbour administration during the last few years to know that at last we have embarked upon a comprehensive and business-like scheme of harbour works, directed by the highest engineering skill available in the colony. We reg-anl the appointment of Mr Earner as a most important epoch in the history of our harbour, and tboug-h wo have always held, on principle, that so serious a matter of public policy as the new harbour works project should be submitted to the eritkasm of independent consulting experts, we have no doubt that their verdict in this ease will in the main endorse Mr llamt?r's views. Out readers arc aware that a small minority on the Harbour Hoard last year did their best to thwart thr success of Mr Hamer's project, and we may expect that cbe new harbour works policy will i^rlll from time- to time h- rendangered by the insidious oiTorts of the gentlemen who believe that h sea - , on tbe Harbour Hoard qualities them to express convincing opinions on intrirnte engineering problems. Nor can we hope that, public spirit., in such a body, will nlways rise superior to the claims of so'f-inie.rcst. But v.c believe tbnt those who have the right to vote at this eloc. tion will consult beet for the future of the city and the port by choosing only those candidates Mho have approved of the general principles of a "progressive" policy and definite scheme of continuous harbour works.

In itorKwetion with this subject, we may refer to a fact that strikes us as

rather a curious anomaly. Members of the Harbour Board elected to represent

the mercantile interests of the eily are choßrn by a constituency inelurling all traders who have within a certain limit of time received goods consigned to them from outside Auckland, and have

paid harixmr duos up to a certain minimum amount- There arc two aspects of this arrangement that scrni to require comment. ]ji the lirst plat-e. i<. is possible either io get a vote or to become

eJig-iblo for :i seat on the Harbour Board by the simple process of fretting poods consigned to oneseb" and payinjr harbour dues to the amount of £o: Thus erradi-

tioii appears to provide opportunities for •'ron-stufihur"' on a scale that might at, a critical moment seriously imperil tin- public interests. Secondly, no member of a firm or representative of a iiTTO can vote or become a member of the Harbour Board unless ho personally is a consignee of poods under the specified conditions. This means that in many instances some of our largest companies have no means of representing themselves on the Harbour Board—a condition of things that certainly does not promote that active public interest in harbour management essential to our security and prosperity. Whatever be the res-ulr, of Monday's election, we hope that by next year the qualification clauses will be so modified as to ensure the adequate representation of all our largest commercial institutions.