HARBOUR BOARDS’ CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1929, Page 5

HARBOUR BOARDS’ CONFERENCE

AUCKLAND, Jan. 30 Fifty-five delegates, 1 , representing twenty-four Harbour Boards, were present at the Triennial Conference of the New Zealand Harbours’ Association, which opened this morning. AL* MacKenzie, Chairman of the Auckland Board presided and extended a special welcome to Hon Air Cobbe, Minister of Marine. The President of the Association congratulated him on his elevation to Ministerial rank. The Harnour Boards throughout New Zealand had the utmost confidence in Mr Cobbe. The Arayor welcomed the delegates on behalf of the city. Hon Cobbe said tlie Harbour'Boards obtained all their very wide powers from the Government, and it was therefore necessary and seemed reasonable that the Government should have some representation on these Boards. The Harbour Boards were exempted by law from payment of income tax, land tax, stamp duties and certain other charges, and there was a good deal to be said for the Government declining to pay full dues on its goods passing over the wharves, and altering the basis of computation of dues on shipping. It was a matter for Imperial action, and could hot he dealt with by the Dominion alone. Considerable expenditure on ports should always be regulated by district trade, necessities of sound finance and the certainty of surmounting engineering difficulties. He urged personally that the Harbour Boards should be able to make reasonable and adequate provision for retiring officers of deceased contributors.The Marine Department-was most anxious to render every reasonable assistance to the Boards, and aid them m the discharge of their important duties, and it must of course he recognised that the Department had always to hold even the balance between the various interests concerned.