HARBOUR WORKS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 4

HARBOUR WORKS

REVIEW OF THE YEAR BY THE BOARD CHAIRMAN. Reviewing the work of the' financial year, just completed,- at "Wednesday's meeting of tho Harbour Board, tho chairman (Mr. C. E. Daniel!) said that tho restricted amount of new works done by the board has been on sound lines of progress. "The cool store, undertaken with some misgiving, lias been so successful that wo could now wish wo had erected tho largo block included in the complete design. The additional section of building is now a necessity. "Waterloo Quay Reclamation. —Tho completion of the Waterloo Quay breastwork, with the few piles now driven for tho Pipitea Wharf, indicates to even tho casual observer the outline of the work included in our plans, while the desired co-operation with the Railway Department in carryiug the" reclamation w-orks to Kaiwarra, now being discussed by the engineers, will, if carried out as proposed by Mi-. Marchbanks, provide exceptional berthage for ships and stores for goods. "Electric Shed-Cranes. —Tho experience gained in the more recently-built and equipped stores, such as tho wool slied and Pipitea Wharf shed, demonstrates the valuo of tho electric cranes both in economy of man-power and also in tho fuller use of floor space of the' building, and still further in tho moro careful handling of the merchandise committed to our caro. The early installation of electric travelling cranes, as authorised, in practically all the larger sheds, will be a sound investment, and if it were possiblo to purchase the electrical.plant it should be installed even at present cost. ■ "The too popular use of the hand-truck-should now bo largely replaced with motor-traction; a man directing and controlling a machine is a_ happier man and more profitable than his nejgh- : hour who is pushing a barrow. Our ideas of the value of man-power need a serious overhaul.'

"Constitution of Board.—-Mr. .C. AV. Jonos, in a.letter to his constituents, recently published, stated his intention of! resigning from tho work of tho board. He raises at tho same time a question which it is well, in the interest of the board and the community, to occasionally discuss. 1 _ I gather from Mr. Jones that he thinks-that people who. have, no interest at stake elect some members to conduct tho affairs of this board, and that a better method would bo to appoint, say,' three trustees to administer the affairs of tho port. A question, follows, who w ; ould appoint the trustees or managers, or administrators, and why? To answer this-.we have to go back to tho owners or shareholders, and in vthis case w% have to recognise that the business belongs to the people, each man and woman being an equal shareholder. .The owners, by reason of their numbers, cannot manage tho business, but appoint (fourteen men to do so; but these (who form this board) cannot, by reason of lack of special knowledge, dp the work. But'they can, and do; select men of special qualities who can, and do, manage, affairs, and for all practical purposes are the trustees. "Of course, another question follows : For what period -do these trustees aot?i Only bo long as, in the opinion, of th« fourteen, the work is properly done. Then, if the fourteen, or any of the fourteen, fail in their duty (their conduct heing roviowed every two years) the owners (the people) can replace them, so by this process the administration of affairs is kept alive and under control in a manner- that is desirable and efficient.

"May I here express regret'that by Mr. Jones's decision the board loses one of its ablest members. By incisive questions, rather than _ by speeches, Mr. Jones reveals to his fellow members tho grasp he has of board affairs, and indicates by his business methods a line of action at orice practicable and equitable. As- chairman, I have orten. teen indebted to Mr. Jones for sound counsel. Some other changes are possible, but in most'cases our constituents have, sent members baclr to continue tho work. "The experiment of having a country member in the chair has not, I hope, prejudiced the real interests of the board, and' individual members.by their cordial bearing towards myself have made my task pleasant; I shall lay aside the responsibility with some sense of relief, but with increased interest in affairs. lam proud to be en-trusted-by my fellow citizens with a share in.so important a work as is involved "in the administration .of the Wellington Harbour Board 1 ." ; Mr. Jones, stated that the'democraticGovernment of Victoria had found the Board of tho Port of Melbourne so unwieldy that it had appointed four or five commissioners to do the work,'-and in Sydney it was done by three Harbour Trust Commissioners. The. Government would, of course, make the appointments. There was no other body that could do so. Tho Government also appointed judges for life or during good behaviour, and no one objected to the sound judgment invari-ably-displayed.-. Mr. Jones returned thanks for tho kind things that had been said about him, and stated that ho had enjoyed his nine years' connection with the board. On the'motion of Mr. Fletcher, a minute was entered recording tho services rendered to the board by Messrs. Jones and Nathan.