HARBOR BOARDS' CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 25 October 1907, Page 2

HARBOR BOARDS' CONFERENCE.

THURSDAY'S SITTING. Per Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. At Hie Harbor Boards' Conference today it w:is resolved that the Conference t',;-'»nm'uvcd of the proposal that haiboi |,oVriU should be made contributing bodies under the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards Act. It was decided to urge on the Governi nieiit the need for legislation to provide that boards might out of their own funds, either with or without contributions from employees, make, restricting allowance. Mr. Harold Beauchamp remarked that what was proposed was for the boards to do something legally that they were now doing illegally. It was r. olved that the foreshore of all bailors wider the control of a harbor board should be vested in such

The following resolution was passed: "This Conference affirms the principle that, where lands vested ill harbor boards are taken and injuriously affected Iby the Crown, full compensation should be paid for in the manner provided by the Public Works Act; and that in this connection the attention of the Government be called to the promise given by the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, to the Otago Harbor Board, that in future lands taken by the Government from harbor boards would be taken under the Public Works Act." The Conference resolved: "That it is desirable that the Government Bhould facilitate the passing of any special Act introduced by any Harbor board to give it rating powers for security for any loans for harbor purposes." "That the Government be-asked to purchase an up-to-date dredge, which may be let to harbor boards upon payment of a reasonable rent." Hon. T. K. Macdonald was re-elected

president. Messrs Mitchclson (Auckland)', Laurenson (Lyttelton), and McKerras (Otugo) were re-elected vicepresidents. The Auckland delegate moved that the powers conferred upon municipal corporation by section 204 of the Muncipal Corporations Act, 1000, should be also conferred upon harbor boards for the purposes of establishing ferry services. Mr Napier observed that the harbor boards could be just as well trusted to manage ferry services as municipal councils. Mr Ferguson ("Wellington) seconded. The motion was carried with vigor.

Mr Brown (Napier) moved that the attention of the Postmaster-General should be called to the loss of revenue sustained by harbor boards through large quantities of merchandise passing through the parcels post. "I have seen in Napier," he said, "two or three tons of straw hats all coming by post. Why, ships are floating post offices, and it seems that only iron and barb wire come as freight." Harbor Board revenue was suffering severely. The motion was carried.

Messrs. Beauehamp, Ferguson, Connett, Brown, and Graham were elected to the executive, and Mr. Hood Williams was appointed auditor. The conference is now in committee on the Harbor Boards Bill,