WHARF ADMINISTRATION

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 73, 22 August 1938, Page 3

WHARF ADMINISTRATION

ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE

COUNTY COUNCIL’S REQUEST

SHARE IN ADMINISTRATION

BOROUGH COUNCIL AGREEABLE

There was a full attendance of the Opotiki Borough Council on Eriday night, when Councillors W. A. Gault, S r Maxwell, W. A. Butler, G. J. Neilson and Mr J. I'. Merry waited on the council in connection with the County Cbuncil’s /request for represensentatidn in connection with the administration of the Opotiki harbour. The county chairman, Mr W. A. Gault suggested that the meeting take the form of a round table conference.

In reply the Mayor said the council had a lot of business to deal with. He suggested the deputation put their case which could then be dealt with by the Borough Council at a later date.

Mr Maxwell said in that case they would get no further ahead. ’The Mayor: 1 understood you had a good case to put forward.

(Mr G'ault replied that Mi- Merry had put the council’s case in his letter to the Borough Council which stated that the council asked for representation. The reply of the Borough Council was not to the point at all. ’The point was that the County Council wanted representation. They were not referring to the management. The county supplied the greater part of the wharf revenue. , That was plain enough. It was no use putting in their case then. The Borough Council knew what the County wanted and the deputation knew what they wanted.

The town clerk then read the County Council’s letter to the Borough Council in which a round table conference was suggested.

Mr Maxwell asked how they were going to agree if the Borough Council didn’t give them a conference.

Mr Gault: We would like to hear yotir arguments against. We are only asking for our rights.

" The Mayor ;We won’t know if we are wrong until,, you put us right. ' Mr Gault : if you are favourable to a harbour hoard it could he considered. We can state our ease and then take our hats and walk out.

Mr Bridger said the two bodies appeared to he■ speaking at a distance that night. There should he no personal feeling about the matter. Personally he was agreeable to sit down to a round table conference. Mr Stevenson also said he would prefer to carry on in a friendly .manner.

Thu Mayor then stated that they would hold a round table conference. Mr Gault thanked the Mayor for the concession and said the wharf served both the borough and county, and was self-supporting. The wharf.ages in the main were paid by county ratepayers. Only a small proportion of the people of the district were at present represented. Twenty three per . cent of the population, of the district lived in the borough and! 77 per cent, in the county had no representation on the wharf. The rateable values were: borough 18 per cent, and county 82 per cent. They thought it only fair underi the circum'stances that the people who provided the revenue should be represented on the administration of the wharf. When the county deputation waited on the Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Marino, the Minister had said the position was unique in that a borough administrated the wharf. Mr Fraser had said that if the two bodies wore agreeable he would put legislation through next session. The County Council was not very keen to have a harbour hoard. It was quite plain as,. t 0 what the County Council wanted. In supporting Mr Gault’s argument. Mr Maxwell said it- was quite clear that most of the revenue came froui the county.

Mr Noilson also supported the pre-

vious speakers and said that wliere there >vas taxation, there should he representation. They were living in changing times. Some county people had told him they were willing to go as far as having! a liarhour hoard. A harbour board' would result in more expenditure. Mr J. T. Merry said ho was glad to know a round table conference had been agreed to. It was a wise move. The county was making the wharf pay. Nowhere in the Act had a borough the power to administer a wharf,The Minister had said the position was unique in New Zealand. A harbuhrfflbpard would mean a great deal more expense to both '.borouglyfand county. The county, did not'-want sir harbour: hoard. He felt they ■ slipulth all pull together.

Mr Bridger said the Minister must have been impressed by the fact that the borough had put up a wharf. What was to be gained by the alteration he could ri6t see. His opinion wars, the wharfages-should he reduced so that there was no profit shown apart from sufficient to maintain the wharf. Mr Merry said the object of the meeting was to have a round table conference. The borough' appeared to be holding back. He as|-i

eel if Mr Short would like to speak. Mr Short said he agreed with dual control providing thje.-. eounty accepted liability. . w —-f-. Mr Brown asked •if t- the County Council had suggestions for better or cheaper administration, ~ ‘ ' Mr Gault sjijd it was not a. question of the cost of administration. Mir Stevejisoh: It seenis to be a little complicated. The only way appears to v be a harbour board.

Mr Merry said'the matter was not at all complicated. If the borough agreed ,to equal representation they could go before the Minister and he would probably agree to each body having four members each, making • eight.,-members - :,'ln' reply to Mr Bridger’sr. remarks Mr Merry said that on duly one occasion had tlie Borough Council gone to the bank for assistance.

Mr Day; It would be quite a separate body. That would mean a secretary.

Mr Merry replied that £SO was at .present allowed for, towards the cost of secretarial work.

Mr Stevenson said there were supposed to he rumours about in- connection with the Borough Council getting something out of the wharf funds.

idf ** np "'- v " if t ••• « Mr Gault said he had heard nothing’to that effect, and the other county ifepiesehtattives supported this view.

Mr\ Merry said that some years ago the Borough Council had assistance through the wharf credit being a setoff against a debit in the general account‘.and the Borough Council had probably saved many hundreds of pounds 'in interest.

Mr Maxwell: The county councillors have discussed the matter pretty fully but the borough councillors have said very little.

Mr -Stevenson said there were certain works going on at the wharf at present and asked if the county representatives. V“had any suggestions to make, or not.

Mr Maxwell: The present works do not affect the County Council at present.

The Mayor; It seems to me to be fortunate or unfortune that the wharf is in the borough. Mr Moody then asked if the county would take sole control if the Borough Council desired that. Mr Maxwell asked the Mayor if the Borough Council would hand over the wharf to the Cbunty Council.: The Mayor: The. council has not discussed that.

Mr Merry asked what Mr Joliu.son’s views were.

Mr Johnson said that if they had a business with good management why change it? 'Die present administration had been in vogue tor 50 years. Some of the country people would not be affected hi his opinion.

Mr Stevenson said that if it were agreed that dual representation would not put any burden on the borough ratepayers they should get the matter settled that night. Mr Gault: The county would be sharing any burden. Mr Stevenson referred to the fact that they would soon have a railway in Opotiki. The borough wanted the butter to go over the wharf.

Mr .Merry said the position might become quite acute when the railway got to Opotiki. The Svharf might be a losing job and it would be a good thing to have the County Council to siiare the burden. Mr Merry then referred to Mr Short’s silence and said lie had always been opposed to dual control. He then asked Mr Short to state his views clearly. Ml* Short: A personal attack.

Air Johnson asked if the County Council had anything in view in connection with the wharf if the county had representation.

Air Bridger said they were getting away from the point. All they, wanted to know were the reasons for representation.

Air Gault: We haven’t heard much of the borough’s ease: Air Briggs asked if the suggested 50-50 representation was the ultimate goal of the county council.

Air Gault replied to the effect'that tlu> County Council had not considered that aspect. <

Mr Ncilson said all they had asked for was equal representation and that \Vas all they wanted. Z\lr Merry said it would not lie necessary to have representatives of the local bodies on the suggested body.l Reading from, the County Council's letter to the Borough Council, Mr .Maxwell stated the- Minister had suggested members of each local body. Mr Merry said the County Council had been free in the discussion and asked the Borough Council to he bqually free. The Mayor; You’re had the feeling of the Borough Council. This remark instantly brought-forth pretests from the' county representatives. '

Mr Stevenson appealed for a decision that night and said lie could not see why the matter should he held up... .. Mr Johnson said he agreed with Mr Stevenson. «

Tho Mayor said the Borough Council would like to consider the matter and the county representatives then withdrew. A discussion then took place in committee and the following resolution was carried: /-■■ J “Tho councilfcig not- opposed to the 1 having feprosentutjnfi in the administration of the liarbour provided it can he done legally. and without expense to the borough and that the County Council will take its share of financial liability ; but before coining to any definite arrangement with tho County Council the Borough Council intends to procure further information.

Tho members of fbe county deputa;tion again entered the borough chambers and the resolution was read over. The Mayor was asked what information was required h.v the council and if the deputation could assist but the Ma yor was non-eomuiital.

Air Gault then thanked the council for the hearing and the decision arrived at. He' said the matter would have to be gone into deeply. They thanked the council for the honour of a round table conference. The members of tlie''county deputation then ivithdrew and the Borough Council continued ordinary business.