RAILWAY AUTHORITIES V. HAR BOUR BOARDS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2964, 14 July 1891, Page 2

RAILWAY AUTHORITIES V. HAR BOUR BOARDS.

Somk friction appears to have recently taken pkce. between the Minister of Public Works and the Railway Commits siouers as to whether the shipping wharves in (ircyinouth and Westport should he under the control of the railway authorities or the Harbour Boards. The difficulty is not by any means a uew one. Some time ago much excited feelin;,' and indignation was in»uifu.«teri at Oiichungii owing to what tho local body there considered to be the arbitrary ami

unfair conduct of the railway authorities in respect to depriving the public of the common use of their own wharf. This is doubtless one of the eases the Chief Commissioners alludes to in the following memo.:—"The Commissioners woulrl also respectfully point out that there is no case in which the railways occupy wharves in any part of the colony which are, while essentially parts of and neces-s-ii-y for the railways, in the hand* of local bodies, where more or less inconvenience and trouble has not arisen tlierefroin ; and in every such case it would have been bettei and simpler to have until cly excluded all interference by local bodies.—(Signed) .la.mks M'Kkkkow, Chief Commissioner." The Minister for Public Works evidently thought to coinpromise the matter by placing the Kailway Managers upon the Harbour Boards. The Commissioners, however, promptly intimated—in the spirit though not exactly in the words of the immortal " I'ooksniM""— that this also would be equally objectionable. " The lion. Minister for Public Works, Wellington.—Referring to your suggestion as to the district managers of railways at OreymouUi and Weatport acting as members of the respective harbour boards at those ports, the Railway Commissioners do not see that they can consent to their officers occupying positions in the directorate of public bodies, likely, as these are, to be in frequent correspondence with them on works, expenditure, and other business in which there may be differences of opiniou. This would prove umbarrasing both to the Commissioners anri , the ollieers. They therefore respectfully decline permission for the district railway managers to become or continue to be members of harbour boards.—(Sigued) Jam i> M'Kkkkow, Chief Commissioner." Tlik question, though apparently a simple one, is surrounded by considerable diliicultie.s, and these are not at all lessened by the knowledge the public have that ouoc the railway authorities obtain control all other rights and privileges are regarded as of very little consequence indeed when compared to the departmental regulations and red Upe.