HARBOR COMMISSION

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1920, Page 1

HARBOR COMMISSION

POINTS FOR ITS ADJUDICATION,

SUGGESTIONS BY THE BOARD.

At tho meeting of the Grey Harbour Board last night a letter written by the Secretary of tbe Board to the secretary of the Treasury relative to the proposed Grey Harbour Board Commission was read. The letter gave the names 6f the local bodies likely to be affected by the Creation of the proposed new rating afea arid also points, outside the fixing of the proposed fating area, which the Board considers the Commission should deal with. The letter ivas as follows:

“Further to the chairriiari’s wire of yesterday in reply to yours of December Ist, relative to tiie proposed Grey Harbour Board Commission, I have now to confirm the names of the local bodies liitely to be affected by tiie creation of a Special rating area as follows : Boroughs—Greymouth, Brunner, Runarigri, Kuniara, Hokitika and Ross; Town Boards, Cohdeii’; toffnty Councils, Grey, Wfestlaiid arid Iriangafiua. Further ptiirifs the Board considers should bo dealt with by the commission are :

(1) Limits of wharf and Grey-Brun-ner. Railway; (2) Generally the terms of the proposed agreement between the Minister of Railways and the Grey Harbour Board with respect to management and control of the Greymouth railway wharf referred to in section 4 of the Grey Harbour Board Amendment Act, 1920; and particularly (a) as to the equipment of buildings, sidings etc., on and about such wharves and yards, the apportionment of the rent and other revenues,'arising therefrom, tiie expenditure on account of repairs and maintenance of such; (b) as tb irliiit siiiri should be jiaid by the Railway Department '(1) for the amount expended by the Board in acquiring lands which have since been taken over by tlife Railway Department; (2) for wharves and equipment oi nhalves constructed dhd paid for by the Board, but taken over and managed by the Railway Department and used in connection with the whole Wfestland Railway system; (3) for t’-e amount paid by the B bill'd for rolling stock used by tiie Department over all the ■'Westland Railway system; (e) The question of tbe payment of royalty and a special rate on coal won or to he won by the State from the Neison-Grey coal reserves or other endowments of the Board. In the past it has been the practice to pay on coal sold to-the public only and not on coal used for publicpurposes. The Board desires that all matters of dispute which are likely to arise between it and the Railway Department as the result of the new arrangement, he decided by the Commission, unless previously arranged, and thus prevent future misunderstandings.” The commission is to he held about the second week in January.