HARBOUR BOARDS AND SURVEYS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 755, 2 March 1910, Page 6

HARBOUR BOARDS AND SURVEYS.

" ♦ ——' -■ AUCKLAND INDIGNANT. (By TekeraDhFreu Association.) Auckland, March 1. At this afternoon's meeting, of tho l Harbour Board a letter was read from the Secretary of the Marine Department enclosing a copy of notice to mariners respecting the shoal,and buoys in ; the Rangitoto Channel, which it is proposed'to publish in this 1 week's New Zealand Gazette.' ' '- . The board's solicitors, Messrs. Russell and Campbell, in a letter concerning the finding of the Court of" Inquiry in connection with the 6tranding of - the Kai-, para,' commented on some of the observations made by the Court; with, regard' to the hoard;' ."It was stated in the judgment, they wrote, "that the evidence satisfied the Court that it was on the same rocky patch that the French-warship Duquesne and the s.s. Waimate strnck. We feel constrained to remark that as regards the Duquesne this finding is not merely not justified, but that it is right in the teeth of the evidence bearing on the. auastion." Torching the clause in which ie Court suggests it to be the duty of a harbour board. to cause a . reliable and thorough survey to_ be made of the principal waterways or' channels within the harbour limits, and that masters • should be furnished with accurate and, reliable charts, the board's' legal .advisers', remarked: "In mating these observations, we venture to say that if .the Court 'intended .to convey , that harbour boards were under a legal. obligation to .discharge the functions specified in the above extract, the statement was made under an entire misconception of the law relating to the duties and responsibilities of harbour boards in New Zealand.. Tn our opinion it is no more the duty of a harbour board to survey harbours and provide, plans than it is the duty of the Marine Department or the, General Gov- . eminent to do . so. If . the statement ,in question had-been framed so as to convey the meaning that sound policy and the wise and judicious administration. of the '-'affairs of a port suggested the desirability of a thorough survey of harbours by harbour boards of the Domin-. ion, probably no one would question such a statement As it stands,' however, it is calculated to create in the public mind an erroneous and prejudiced impression, the creation of which is, in the interests of justice, much to be deprecated."' The board subsequently decided to proceed with the resurvey of Eangitoto Channel. The chairman of the board stated that if they waited till the Admiralty was ready to carry out the work it would probably mean a delay of _ two years. The board has also decided to blast away the rock that the ■ Kaipara struck.