MILFORD HARBOR BOARD.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 120, 12 February 1879, Page 2

MILFORD HARBOR BOARD.

The first meeting of the recently apj pointed Harbor Board was held yesterday I afternoon in the Road Board office, Tei nuika. The members present were Messrs I Mendelson, Tripp, Wilson, Rolleston, Hay hurst, Postlethwaite, and Beswick. : The first business of the meeting was, of course, the election of a chahiman. Messrs Rolleston, Mendelson, Hayhnrst. and Wilson, were severally proposed and seconded. The throe first-named declined for various reasons to accept the office, although urged for some time by their proposers to do so. Mr Rnlloston pointed out that the meeting had not a chairman, and that conscqu ntly their proceedings were informal. It had, however, by this time been settled that Mr Wilson should be chairman. Mr Roheston was then moved to the chair pro. tern., and the business properly proceeded with. Mr Hayhnrst then in due form proposed and Mr Tripp seconded, Mr Wilson. No other nomination being made Mr Wilson was declared duly elected. On taking the chair Mr Wilson thanked the meeting for electing him. He was not personally ambitious to he appointed, but he believed it to bo the wish of the distinct, otherwise be would have declined the honor as firmly as other gentlemen I had done. His only desire was to see the harbor made an accomplished fact. For this he had worked in the past, and for this he would work in the future. He then pointed out that neither the general nor the special local Act contained any provision respecting the number necessary to form quorum for future meetings. Some div ision should be arrived at on this point. The attendance of five members was necessary to properly constitute this, the first meeting but t no Acts were silent as to the number required to constitute future meetings. Reference was then made to the liabilities already incurred in -bringing forward this harbor scheme. These included an item which it Avas possible the Board would be called upon to pay, vdz., a sum of L3OO for Sir John Ooode’s visit ; another of L2O incurred by the local Road Board, Avhich in fairness ' the HarOor Board ought to take over, and about L 8 or L 9 incurred by the Chairman of the hito Harbor Committee in sundry small expenditures. These, however, could be aPoAved to lie over in the meantime until Sir John Goode’s report came to hand. Mr Mendelson thought that there was no necessity to make any special arrangements at present respecting the number necessary to form a quorum. The Act said that questions were to be decided by the majority of the members present. Mr Rolleston showed that the difficulty respecting a quorum could be avoided by adjourning the present meeting. Ho then moved the folloAving resolution, Avhich Avas seconded by Mr Tripp, and carried, “ That the Chairman be requested to inform the Government of the meeting of the Board, and of the election of a Chairman, and also to apply to the Government for a grant of the block of land mentioned in section 5 of the* Milford

Hiiroor Board Act, 1878." Mr Mendelson wished to have an application for tli ,* estuary included. The spit was of no earthly value without the water of the lagoon. Unless they got the water , the Board had nothing to deal with. Mr Rolleston pointed out that no mention was made of the estuary in the Act. The acquisition of the spit alone would strengthen the position of the Board. They could build upon it, and had power to horror upon it as a security. Mb doubt authority to deal with the water within the spit could be obtained when required. Everything depended upon Sir John Goode’s report. Nothing involving expenditure could be done until that report was received. In order to obviate all difficulty respecting the number of members required to form rhe next meeting, Mr Rolleston moved, and Mr Tripp seconded, “That the present meeting of the Board be adjourned to a day to he fixed by the Chairman on receipt of advices from the Government or from any other source which may require the consideration of the Boerd.” This resolution being carried, the meeting terminated.