HARBOR BOARDS’ CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3340, 5 October 1911, Page 2

HARBOR BOARDS’ CONFERENCE.

IMPORTANT DELIBERATIONS. THE COST OF THE ELECTIONS. . iPEE PEERS ASSOCIATION.Ji WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. The fifth annual Harbor Board’s Conference was opened to-day. Mr. Robert Fletcher, chairman of the Wellington Harbor Board, who presided, said that the most important matter on the order paper was that of the cost of elections. The last election cost the Wellington Board over £IOOO, and an amendment of the Act was desirable in the direction of reducing such expenditure. The annual report showed that 22 boards were affiliated. • Mr. Greenland (Westport) moved an amendment to the Act to allow greater freedom in allowance by boards of travelling expenses of members. An amendment was proposed by Sir Arthur Guinness (Greymouth) that .the clause referring to expenses should define those actually incurred, as allowed and passed by a board. After considerable discussion, both the ,-motion and amendment were lost. Mr. Loudon (Otago) moved to amend the Act in the direction of providing that boards - should have power to charge storage on any goods allowed to remain in any shed or wharf, or approach thereto, for a longer term than allowed by the by-laws. It ' was explained by Mr. Belcher (Otago) that at Dunedin a large quantity of coal and timber was dumped on the Board’s land, and the Board was unable to charge for it. The motion was agreed to. ' The Conference also passed a motion from the Otago Board to empower boards to recover damages for injury to property in any court of competent jurisdiction. On the motion of the Otago Board, it was also resolved to extencf the limit of leases from three to seven years in the case of buildings or, parts of buildings the property of a board, leased for any .purpose other than the storage of goods. It was also resolved, on the motion of the Otago delegate, that board lands adjacent to a wharf be included in the definition of wharf. v : . By a narrow majority it ,was decided to empower a board to acquire or take under the Public Works Act more land than is required for any of its objects, and to dispose of any not so required by sale thereof.