HARBOUR BOARD BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 194, 15 August 1907, Page 3

HARBOUR BOARD BILL.

MINISTER'S REPLY TO DEPUTATION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

The Hon T. Kennedy Macdonald,M.li.C., and Messrs. E. W. Alison, G. Laurenson, and J. Graham, M.H.R.'s, representing the executive council of the Harbour Board's Association, waited on the Minister for Marine to-day to lay before him suggestions regarding the Harbour Boards Bill.

The Hon. J. A. Millar told the deputation that he thought the boards ought certainly to be reduced. He believed the basis of representation might be arrived at by simply taking the whole ratable value of the" plane and its surroundingT district, and giving representation in proportion. Cities could, no doubt, have increased representation by this means, because the chances were that the Government nominees would come from the cities. He found difficulty in giving shipowners separate representation. For example, in Dunedin, they would hays about three shipowners electing a representative for themselves, at Lyttelton about two, and Wellington would have about twelve owners. Then there -was the Union Company. They could not give that company representation upon all the boards of the colony. The Minister said he wished to make the boards as far as possible elective, and would be glad to go into the whole matter.