WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1872, 4 October 1913, Page 11

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD.

ROYAL COMMISSION. Tho Royal Commission set up to inquire into the administration of the Westport Harbour Board, commenccd its sittings at Wellington yesterday. The Commission, which had already taken a great deal of evidence at Westport, consists, of Messrs. J. S. Evans (chairman), Gerald Fitzgerald, W. Ferguson, A. T. Maginnity, and AY. J. M'Donald. Robert Thomas Sadd, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Napier, and formerly Commissioner of Crown Lands at Nelson from 1909 to 1912, said that ho had had experienco as a surveyor on the West Coast. He know tho position! of tho Westport Harbour Board as to its endowments, and the land? with which it was endowed. It was the practice of tho Lands Department to submit tho question to tho Harbour Board' before making grants of lands abutting on the harbour. Tho lands were not vested, in the Harbour Board, which was simply to get the revenue. Li tho granting of tho lease to Mr. J. Colvin, tho board had exercised its discretion. Mr. T. Ronayne, General Manager of the New Zealand Railways, said that when the Westport Harbour Board's dredge, Rubi Seddon, camo out to New Zealand ho inspected her as to her seaworthiness, in consequence of her having been asbore in the Red Sea whilst on her voyage out from tho Clyde. Ho made no examination of tho dredge with regard to lier capacity for the work sho was required to do. The witness also gavo evidence with regard to the board's cranes, and other matters of detail. In answer to a question, Mr. Ronayno said that ho oould-say without fear of contradiction, from his own knowledge, +hat the work of tho board had not been carried on economically, especially; in regard'to f the workshops. Ho could bring evidence to support his opinion. Tho Commission rose at 6.60 p.m. until 10 o'cii>ck this morning.