WESTPORT HARBOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1840, 28 August 1913, Page 4

WESTPORT HARBOUR.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. A little time ago tho Westport Harbour Board passed i '''a -resolution in which it asked tlio Government to sot up a Commission t'o inquire into and report upon tho administration of tlio affairs of tho board. The Government has agreed to grant tho board's request. Tho Minister for Marino (tlio Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) informed a Dominion reporter last night that a Conimissi'on would bo appointed ill tho course of a fow days, consisting of Mr. J. S. Evans, Magistrate, at Nelson, Mr. W. Ferguson, member of tho Institute of Civil Engineers, formerly engineer to tho Wellington Harbour Board, and in control of the Wellington Gas Company, and Mr. Gerald Fitzgerald, civil engineer and Wellington.

With a view to obtaining information both for tho board and for tlio Government, tho Commission will be asked to inquire into tho control of tlio affairs of tho Westport Harbour Board under a nominated board, with special roferenco to tho following points:—(a) Has tho administration in tlio. past been satisfactory? (b) Have tho workß been carried out with economy? (oj Has tho board in tho past taken reasonablo cans that tho land reclaimed at tlio board's expenso should not bo alienated from tlio board's control? (d) Under tho existing' method of levying wharfage rates or dues, is tho burden of responsibility of maintaining tlio port homo equitably by tlioso concerned? (o) Tho system which has been adopted in connection with- keeping accounts of . tlio detailed cost of work of construction and of maintenance? (f). Tho method of keeping tho trading accounts of tlio board? (g) Tho suitability or otherwise of tho present facilities for loading coal? (h) Is' the construction of tho floating basin dr permanent slipway necessary, and if so, is it an urgent work? As t)o whether tho conditions of tho endowment provided under Subsection 2 of Section 7 of tho Westport Harbour Board Act 1884 should bo revised.

The Commission is further empowered to inquire into and report upon such other matters as it deems to be within tho public interest. Tho Commission is instructed to report to tho Governor within thirty (30) days.