WAITARA HARBOR BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 302, 18 June 1912, Page 5

WAITARA HARBOR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the abote Board was held on Friday evening. Present: Messrs. W. l'\ Jenkins (chairman), Hicks, Hine, Rattenbury, Smith, and Jennings. Leave of absence was granted to Mr. Birdling for two months. WOOL SHIPMENTS. The manager of the Bank of Australia wrote that during the past season 140 bales of wool had been sent forward for j shipment through Waitara. There had ; been great inconvenience owing to shipments being split up, and if this could not be safeguarded against it Would be necessary to consider the matter of shipping through another port. The chairman said he had instructed the_ secretary to write explaining the position. The secretary read his letter, showing that the fault was mainly the shipping company's, as the timetable of boats was pre-arranged, and in the calling at 1 numerous ports delays occurred, so that the stay at the various places had to be curtailed. A copy of the letter was sent to th« Auckland manager of the New Zealand j Shipping Co., who, in acknowledging receipt, said he had sent the complaint to his head office. Mr. Hine hoped the Board would keep I the complaint of split shipments steadily in view. It was a very serious matter, or, at any rate, the small shippers particularly considered it *o, and it did the port no good, j The chainjian 1 bought the secretary's j letter clearly explained the position. | The secretary said that as a matter of j fact there had only been in the last two » seasons one complete shipment of wool, j Mr. Houghton was well aware of the | position, having received quite a sheaf I of letters of a similar strain to that from j Whangamomona, The boats were generj ally ordered away with little or no no- !' tice, and it sometimes happened that a barge might be loaded, and it was found the boat had gone. » ; LEASE OF WOOL SHED. I The manager of the Auckland branch of the N.Z. Shipping Co., wrote that his company would accept the terms for a j fresh leaße of the wool shed for a period |of three years at £OO per annum, with ia right, for a further term of two years. It was resolved that a draft copy of the lease be forwarded to the company, j The Auckland manager of the -company also informed the BoaTd that it J was their intention to put in the new j dumping plant. DONATION TO FIRE BRIGADE. The secretary of the Waitara Fire Brigade wrote asking that the Board might see its way to make the Brigade an annual donation. It was moved by Mr.' Hine and seconded by Mr. Rattenbury that the Board make the Brigade a donation of ten guineas.—Carried. A BUTTER CLAIM. Mr. Newton King, writing further re , two boxes of butter that had gone J astray for several month?, and had"ultimately gone bad, said he did not think the Board could avoid liability for payment, hut it was a matter of arrangej ment between the Board and Messrs. Hatrick. The secretary read letters ho had written on the subject showing clearly that the Board had accepted the butter back from the Pitoitoi into the shed on the clear understanding that it would take no liability. , No action was taken. NEW BY-LAWS. 1 The secretary read a draft of a new I by-law proposed to be brought in respecting storage of goods in the Board's sheds, both for imports and exports; and also a by-law on the subject of ) claims, requiring them to be made within 30 days of alleged discharge of goods from boat. It was resolved that the necessary steps be taken to bring the by-laws into force. SMALLER HARBOR BOARDS. Mr. Hine, reporting on the proceedings of the Local Government Conference In New Plymouth, said he had heard on good authority that it was the intention to abolish the smaller harbor boards, and to place their affairs in the hands of borough or county council r, or a committee of both. He thought if the Board was wise, it would pass a resolution protesting against such a proposal, and he moved: "That where a harbor district has been constituted, the harbor affairs of such district should continue to be administered by a board directly responsible to the electors of the'■said district, and this Board strongly objects to any suggestion that its functions should be delegated to any Council, and that a copy of this resolution he forwarded to the Minister of Marine, and also to the members representing the district —Messrs. Wilson and M.'sP." Mr. Hine said that after all the trouble the Board had gone to to constitute its district and obtain self government, any attempt to do away with it should be strenuously opposed. Mr. Jennings said the late Minister of Marine (Mr, Millar) was dead against what he called these "small pettyfogging boards," and to do away with them had been on the tapis for'some time. He (Mr. Jennings) had had «wny conversations on the subject with Mr. Millar, but he was not to moved; he could not see anything outside of Otago. There was no doubt it would be most detrimental for the smaller bodies to have their affairs conducted by either counties or borough councils." _ Mr. Rattenbury, in seconding the motion, endorsed Mr. Jennings' remarks regarding the service of the smaller boards. The motion was carried. On the motion of Mr. Jennings, seconded by Mr. Smith, a vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Hine for attending and representing the Board at the conference in New Plymouth.—Mail.