5
devoted to this question, and his solution was a
combination of private enterprise and Government
control and supervision. He stressed that the
properly
first need was for a pairatohy constituted
Believing that
Advisory Port Authority.
private companies could not be expected to meet
the cost of those developmental works and reforms
which are necessary to secure true efficiency and
economy in the handling of cargoes, he nevertheless thought that private enterprise should be encouraged
rather than abandoned; but control of the port
itself and of all port facilities should be centred
in the hands of Government who should put into t operations
foot such works and extensions as the Advisory
Authority would recommend.
In short, the Govern-
ment should undertake the construction of quays,
harbour roads, junk basins and the carrying out of all necessary dredging, whilst private enterprise should be required to provide the sheds, cargo
Government handling and all other facilities.
should then lease the steamer berths to private
operators on long term leases, but these leases
should take the form of a first call on the berth,
Government reserving to itself the right when the
berth was vacant to assign to it vessels other than
those with which the lessee was directly or in-
directly connected. The basis of this policy is,
in Mr. Duncan's own words "that while there would
the
be broad impartial outlook of Government which would
provide the costly works and lease them on reason-
able terms for the exploitation of the port, the
administration of business would be carried out
by commercial people who should be interested in
despatch