DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 320, 17 April 1875, Page 2

DEPUTATIONS TO MINISTERS.

THE Hi-EBOB. A deputation, consisting of Messrs. E. B. Car gill, K. M'Neil, H. Tewsley, C. S. Reeves, and the Secretary to the Board (Mr. J. 1. Gillies), waited, as members of the Harbor Board, upon the Hon. Mr. Richardson and the Hon. Major Richardson and the Hon. Major Atkinson last week, to ascertain their views in regard to the legislation necessary to place the Board in a satisfactory position. • The two points brought most prominently bisfore Ministers, were, first, the absolute necessity of an jimmediate increase of revenue to enable the Board satisfactorily to carry out its functions. It was pointed out, in fact, that the Board, without a sufficient'revenue, was simply powerless to effect the purposes the local legislature contemplated, and, seeing that the local legislature had no power to impose the taxation necessary, that such powers should be given by an Act of the General Assembly. It was therefore considered desirable that Minister's opinions should be elicited as to whether the matter would receive their support in view of a measure being framed. The second point was this : The deputation wished to impress upon members of the General Government the absolute necessity of dealing with the whole harbor iii regard to the matter of any improvements that might be contemplated, inas-r much as, if only one part of the harbor was dealt with, the works there carried on might be seriously, affected,, and prove detrimental to other portions. The Board, therefore were anxious that Ministers should recognise the necessity of the control of all works throughout the harbor being confined to them, and urged upon Ministers the desirability of any reserves that had been made in the past for the deepening and improvement of the harbor being vested in the Harbor Board; in trust for the purposes for which they had be-on reserved.

During the interview, the Hon. the Minister of Public Works especially brought forcibly before the deputation the great care that had been exercised in preparing all plans of improvements, and the duty that was now incumbent upon the Government to be satisfied that no plan of improvements would be detrimental to the port, as a port.. The deputation expressed themselves as being as anxious as the Hon. the Minister, of Works could be that the plans should be well considered, adding that, they would only be too happy to havo tinassistance of the General Government ami their engineers,. or the assistance of anyone whom they might be pleased to appoint to consult with the Board and to

give their opinion upon the matter. The members themselves were, of course, merely laymen, and had no desire to set up their opinions against the opinions of professional men, and considered that the question of improvements was one that ought to be fully dealt with by competent professional authorities.

On that assurance Ministers expressed themselves willing and prepared to render all the assistance tney could to the Board. —' Guardian.'