HARBOURS BILL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 876, 23 July 1910, Page 13

HARBOURS BILL.

-« CONFUSION WORSE CONFOUNDED. DAZING THE ELECTOR. Mr. Robert Fletcher, chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, was waited on by a Dominion representative to get his views on the Harbours Amendment Bill, now beforv Parliament. "In the first instance," said Mr. Fhtcher, "tho proposal to have the ordinary general election of members on tho same day as that of the local authority, though evidently designed to save expense, is very ill-advised. I will explain why. It will mean that no fewer than four issues will be put to tho electors on the one day—tho Mayor, City Council, Harbour Board, and the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board (provided for in tho new Act), and in my opinion this will mean hopeless and utter confusion on the part of the public. "At the last election for the City Council there wure 39 candidates for 15 seats; thoie is, say, an average uf four candidates for the Mayoralty; a dozen candidates for the three seats on tho Harbour Board; and at least 30 candidates for the Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board. How is anyone not immediately in touch with these bodies going to discriminate, particularly if some of the names are included in more than one ballot-paper? It would Vie confusion confounded, and I believe will be more costly in the end than if there was a separate day for each election. I certainly ain of opinion that there should bo a separate day for the Harbour Board election. REPRESENTATION.' "I believe in the Parliamentarj franchise being adopted in Harbour Board elections, and am given to understand that there is a good deal of imxssure being brought to bear •on Ministers to have that franchise adopted, to judge by. a chance remark which fell from tho Hon. Mr. Millar the other day. Anyhow, the new constitution is, in my opinion, far from equitably arranged. Here they are:; — AT PRESENT. / Government nominees 3 Ratepayers' representatives 2 Payers uF dues and owners of ships 1 Chamber of Commerce 1 Mayor (ex officio) 1 Suburb.-* ...' • 1 Manawatu 1 Waira/apa 1 11 PROPOSED. Government nominees .... '2 Ratepayers' representatives 3 Payers of dues on ships 1 Payers of harbour dues (other than on ships) 1 Suburbs 2 Wairarapa ....' 2 Manawatu 2 13 "So while there is an additional seat ■.;ivon to the ratepayers of Wellington, Ihe Mayor and the representative of the Chamber of Commerce are wiped out, and the country and suburbs are given additional members. This has not been asked for in Wellington district, is not railed for, aud Idon't think it is right. So you see we will be worse off than before. ' ' OTHER ANOMALIES. "Then you want to noto at. what time the different members are to be elected according to tho new Bill. Tho payers of dues' representative is elected m February, the borough's (Wellington) representatives, in April, the Government nominees arc appointed in July, tho suburbs' members in September, and tho country members in November. Tho chairman is to be elected on the second Wednesday in February, and at the same time tho Bill provides for the financial year of the board to end on March 31, so tho case presents itself of a member being elected chairman in February, and, :f he be a city ratepayers' representative, thrown out by non-election in April. This is not , an exaggerated view—it might very easily occur. Anyhow, how unfair is it to elect a new chairman in February when the finances of that year do not close-until March 31? It gives the retiring chairman no chance to review as chairman the year's operations, and casts a duty on the new chairman that he should not tie asked to perform. Our year ends in September, which gives the chairman ample time to review the figures, and throw light on all which has transpired during the year."