THE HARBOUR BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 45, 22 February 1905, Page 3

THE HARBOUR BOARD.

HON. ELKCTED CHAIRMAN.

REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD.

The annual meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board was held yesterday afternoon, and was briefly reported in out edition yesterday. The Mayor of Auckland (the Hon. E. Mitcheteon ) was elected ehaiman. There was a full attendance of members, and Mr. Mitehelson was appointed to the chair for the meeting. Mr. T.fi.Ton moved, and Mr. Basley seconded, that the Hon. E. Mitehelson should be appointed Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year. They did so -without comment.

Mr. Philson said that while he had no personal objection to Mr. Mitohelson whatever, he must say it was not wise to give the City Council, by Mr. Mitchelaon'3 election, a preponderating influence on the Board. It would mean that there would be five City Councillors on the Board instead of four.

Mr. Napier did not see why the Mayor of the city should not be chairman of the Board and he certainly believed Mr. Mitchelson would be a most suitable chairman. There had been a time when the Board and the Council had been at variance over financial matters, but that was past, and in the latest question of the pollution of the harbour -»by drainage, che Mayor was with the Board in opposing it.

air. Parr resented the reflection on the City Council representatives, which he considered an insult;, in the suggestion ",hat no member of the Council be chairman. He deprecated .• the conlinual attacks made on the Council by Mr. Philson, for he took it that the members of the Board were there to do -heir best for the harbour irrespective of whom they represented, sjid ill-feeling between the Board and the Council should not be created. He considered -he constitution of the Board was about *as rotten as it could be. It

rt'as an anomaly in these democratic days that a Board, which was practically responsible to no ons, should i-ave the expenditure of thousands of pounds of the people's money without dieek. The Legislature should" take immediate steps to pnt the representation on a more democratic basis.

The Mayor said the position to waieh :ie had nominated was not of his :»wn seeking., for he had plenty of work .o do in connection with his own business and the city. If he had not been by practically every member of :he Board to take the position, he would not have aeeepted nomination. He took exception to Mr. Phil-son's remarks. He had been long enough in public life lor members to know that while he kept che position he would devote himself to the business of the Board solely, and he did not think it was fair to say that because he was Mayor of the city, and herefore one of the city representatives. he could not be trusted in the position to which members sought to elect him. Che remarks were uncalled for, and &q far as he was axvare the eotmciUors who had been elected would do their duty. \n regard to the appointment, however, 'ie called the attention of members to the fact that his term of office as Mayor would expire in May, and he retained the right to retire at that time if he did not go back to the Council, and by 'hat time members would have got some Irnowledge of each other, and would be able to choose the best chairman.

Mr. Baume said he had from time to time heard Mr. Philson give expression to similar opinions, and, in fact, ho seemed to be under the mistaken impression that the interests of the Harbour Board w-ere totally distinct from those of the city; every time when the interests of the city had been concerned Mr. Philson had shown himself opposed to the betterment of the city in any way in which the Board functions or profits might be interfered with. The harbour was not to be ran as a money-making institution, or a commercial concern, but was rather to bo run in the interests of the city and of the whole province. Possibly, it might bo said that his resentment of Mr. Philson's remarks was due to his being a Government nominee, but he assured the Board he had never sought the position in the first place, and had not even be*™ consulted on this occasion. He, however, would do his best to serve the public interest while he was on the Board. Mr. Parr's remarks were felt from one end of the colony to the other, and he had hopes something was to be done to alter the position. The difficulty was how the franchise was to be arranged. He was of opinion that, in any case, the system should be pnt on an entirely different basis. As for Mr. ifitchelson, he considered him the most suitable man £<.T the position. Mr. Mitchelson was i. man who had the confidence of a very much larger population than thtxt of Auckland merely.: he brought a very great ability to the discharge of bin duties, and what he did would always be in the best interests of the people at large. It savoured of pettiness to say that, because he was a City Councillor, he should not be in the chair.

Mr. Walker said every member -would regret the exception that had been taken. The Mayor required no commendation from his hands, or from any other member. Mr. Walker hoped to see him chairman of the Board for the ensuing two years if Mr. Mitchelson retired from the Council. He hoped arrangements would be made whereby he would remain on the Board. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Walker added that he was very pleased to hear Mr. Parrs views on the constitution of the Board, for they were precisely those which he himself had urged at the Board meetings time after time, and he had said the constitution was rotten., and the sooner it was amended the better. If the Board had had a democratic constitution there would have been a great many less mistakes made in the past, for the members would have had to account to the people direct for their actions, and changes could have been made in the Board.

Mr. Philson made a personal explanation to the effect that he had already said he had no objection to the Mayor personally. Mr. Mitehelson: I am quite satisfied.

The Hon. E. Mitehelson was thereupon declared elected unanimously. He thanked the Board for its unanimity, and asserted that the business of the Council would never interfere with the proper business of the Board. THE MEMBERS. The various notifications of the ap _ pointment of the members were received. When that of Mr. Philson was read, Mr. Napier said there seemed to ko an irregularity connected with his return. The Act said that the member must be elected by the Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Phflson had been appointed by the Council of the Chamber. As the seal of the Chamber was affixed to the notiikaiion of election, and

that seal had legally to be accepted as definite proof of election, nothing could be done, but it was irregular. Mr. Meimie said that Mr. Philson was the only gentleman nominated, and the QLJairman (Mr. Mitehtelson) said the election was in order. CaaOiITTKES APPOINTED. The following were the committees appointed: —Works and Tariff: The Chairman. Messrs. Mennie, Hutchinson, Napier. Jveyes. Walker, and Brown. Finance and. Legal: The Chairman. Messrs. Parr, Basley, Bgjune, Philson, Daere, and Laxon.