Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Controversy over harbour work
The harbour board is divided about whether tradies should be given the day off to attend a ceremony, this week 110 years ago, as we take a flick through the archives. From the Marlborough Express, March 3, 1914.
The arrangements made for the function of driving the first pile of the training wall at the Wairau Bar, to be held next Monday, were reported to the Harbor (sic) Board last night by the chairman (Mr L. Griffiths).
The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister for Marine and Customs, had telegraphed that he would be present. A luncheon would be held in town at 12.30; the party would leave Blenheim in motor-cars for Dillon’s Point, and be conveyed to the bar on punts towed by a motor launch. Speeches would be made at the official ceremony, and the party would then return to town via Dillon’s Point.
The question of inviting the tradespeople to observe a holiday on the Monday in lieu of the Wednesday was discussed.
Mr G. Patchett said that deal of disinclination to depart from a good the ordinary fixture was displayed in connection with a recent occasion, and he hardly thought that the Board should press the matter.
Mr J. J. Corry said that he differed from Mr Patchett. Monday next would be essentially a Blenheim day, and the event would have a special meaning for the tradespeople themselves. The Board had been carrying on an uphill fight for five years in the very interests of the trading community, and the ceremony now being provided for represented the culmination of its efforts.
He felt that the Board could depend on the sympathy of the businesspeople, and could rely on an expression of cordial interest from them in connection with what was an epoch-making occasion.
He was quite certain that if the tradespeople of Blenheim were given the opportunity of attending the function to see and hear for themselves what had been done and was being done by the Harbor Board they would not fail to realise that very great and promising advantages had been won for them. There had been no flourish trumpets about the Harbor Board’s work, but it was none the less important.
Mr Corry went on to say that he was rather surprised on reading the report of the remarks made by Mr R. McCallum, M.P., at Picton regarding the development of this port.
He was surprised that Mr McCallum should be out of sympathy with the action of any Government in granting money for harbor improvements at Blenheim.
It might be to Mr McCallum’s advantage to speak in this strain at Picton, but he did not think that that gentleman could expect to make a favorable (sic) impression at Blenheim with the same sentiments.
He presumed that Mr McCallum would have an opportunity of further explaining his attitude; he supposed that he would be a speaker at the pile-driving function.
The motion was carried.