THE HARBOURS BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 262, 2 November 1907, Page 7

THE HARBOURS BILL.

'eECOMMENDED INCREASE OF .MEMBERS.

THE EXTENDED FRANCHISE.

After a lengthy discussion of a deJtaT nature, the Harbour Board yes- ■ Srday afternoon decided to recommend to increase the number f members to 16 instead of 14 as pro, Harbours Bill. The object the proposed increase is xo enable Mp owners and payers of dues to have w members instead of two as at present suggested in the bill. Vjbe Hon. E. Mitcieison (chairman) nnenei the discussion, when he moved lit" the elections be conducted from ihe"«eneral electorates and by the general roD, arguing that a3 all people contributed teethe revenue of the Board rtey were entitled to representation. '-yj Kapier said the plan proposed ty tie chairman was simplicity itself. . 3ie iGnister was anxious to keep the cost of tie elections as low as possible. With that end in view the Minister was ■rifixg to have the election of Harbour Board members made by the local bodies - at the time of their ordinary election. Jlr. Brajlney said that under this bill ;the -gup owners would be practically - disfranchised- There should be three members returned by the shipping interest Ther. shonld be a Marine Eoard. He moved, "That the schedule be altered to read that ship owners and payers of dues should have two members on the Board.' -> Jlr.? Kapler : said there bad been so .•jnany.abuses under the old system that tliey irere anxious to avoid mistakes in •the future. The old City of Cork, which Jid.been abandoned for about 20 years, ? iad until lately been voted for under the ship owners' right. ".'?li. BSdney said the payers of dues were just as liable to be used for creating fagot-votes. 3lr. Parr moved that provision be 'made for tie representation of shipowners. •■ Mr.; r Macfarlane opposed the amendment. .He considered the schedule as it perfectly-plain. There should •TB:a.-manto represent shipowners, and aiotier' to represent the payers of dues. Be ■sras agreeable to payers of dues havia2 more representation, but abuses jronld creep in if one agent were allowed .to vote for a shipowner one month and as a payer of dues the next month. Un-der-snch.-a system the man who had no coascienee, generally scored. " ■ Mr. JDacfe said if a man voted as '& payer or dues, he couid not vote as B sSipowner. Hγ. Parr said it seemed to him that mder the present bill there was too mnch representation to places at a dis- j tame, and too little for ths shipping interest which kept the port goinsr- It •tronld be •vreU to give two members to i .tte-payers-o! .dues on. ships. Mr. Napier said he •would support a motion in that direction. i£r. Parr' then withdrew the amendEent 'and substituted the following: "liat payers of dues on ships have two representatives." Hr. i Napier said it would never do [ipkt as many votes as he .tad -ships . for which he was agent. ■iPayersof dues had split up their iiraomiis amongst their clerks and got -■■xtes-aHja-Tote. ■ ■ "-Mr r -Eneer4contended that shipowners EbonJd.-iaye-aiade representation on ■the Board.-

;: %.,C%irinan said the Union Company lad one vote for all their vessels, •sasfr-&e-saine as the owner of a scow Mr. Kneen: Well, they should have Bore representation. 3fr G. W. Basley pointed out-that it WWia.te unworkable for Onehunga to feffldaded-with-Panien. He thought Uneinmga should have separate representation.

It was.then-agreed that the electorates Mould be. substituted for the boundaries poposedinthebuL

Mr.-Parr; pointed out that it was un&rffiat ;: Devonport, Birkenhead, and •KonlKKe- should' only liave one repreKntairee.

Chairman: 'That due has always been in the past. Remuera, ramdl, and Grey Lynn have a bigger frontage to the Harbour, and they had k> representation, but one member for ftradL.

-luvKneen said that even now four of the members of the board lived on the Wrfhem shore.

3fc Macfaxlane said the interests of eoEnneirial men were not sufficiently repKseatea on.the Board. . Chairman: 'Tou forget that the peopay the dues, first paid •sy the merchant."

.Jfr- Macfarlane said the merchant Saplv looked after the interests of the Pajpe- If commercial interests were B *«ted, the people would suffer. He J»M like to know why Waikato and sagfen shoold have one member," and •lueSand city only three. He moved ™« shqHjwners and payers of dues Save two members each. Jfc Parr said that the Minister was j™*- right in giving the country disrepresentafion, but he could not fe Wjy WaiM, Paeroa, and other cen■*res should he without representation. *•*questions did not appear to have r,^ 11 considered. . The system pro•ffcel.Trae quite unfair. ratamfely it was agreed to recom,™ffil that the number of members be to 16, in order that two repress* 1, * 5 each be allowed ship owners dues, without taking away flj JS tte proposed in ■{?.*"■.On the motion of Mx. Napier, amended was then a P"

•feni? D ? iar accide nt occurred on the RmiiCr, • Gre en were rowinsr in fcafa. iir. Whetton cvertook *£L? -■ I(> ™er 3 s sculler entered Mr. c eeas mp, eaasing an ugly wonnd. Mr. wS a I ? ll - 0Vcd te the hospital. Ow■SmJ accidents of a similar University it SrthlJr ■ Castom to afe common inbalfeon the bows tnus reducing the dagger from