Kak
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(e) The matters over which the Trust would have control, to be:
Leasing or letting of piers.
Construction of new piers as and when necessary, and
the charges therefor.
Lights and buoys (Navigational) and the charges therefor.
Mooring Buoys and the charges therefor.
Ferries and the royalties, etc., therefor.
Dredging the Harbour as required from time to time.
Licensing of pilots.
Regulation of Harbour traffic and the promulgation of
the necessary by-laws for that purpose.
The general policy of the Harbour.
NOTE.
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These are the matters usually under the control of Harbour Trusts.
The three years' experimental period would, as already mentioned, disclose whether any addition should be made to these functions or whether any modification of them would be necessary or desirable.
(f) The rents of the piers, the charges for the use of mooring
buoys, the charges levied upon the ferry owners in the form of royalties, etc., and the light dues to be paid to the Trust.
NOTE. Out of these revenues the Trust would pay the remuneration of the staff provided for in the next paragraph, as well as the cost of maintaining the lights, buoys and ferry piers not belonging to the ferry concerns, Government piers would of course be maintained by the Government,
(8) No charges or rents to be levied by the Trust without the
consent of the Governor thereto having been first obtained.
NOTE.
It is customary in Port Trusts for the legislature to fix a maximum scale of charges beyond which the Trusts cannot go without further Parliamentary sanction. This proviso is made with the object of protecting the public, that is, the ship-owners and merchants, against unduly heavy charges, although naturally it is to the interest of the Trusts to keep their charges as low as possible. I have inserted this provision with an eye not only on the maximum charges but on the minimum as well. It might be conceivable, for instance, that the proposed Trust would suggest too low rentals for the renewal of the pier leases, in which case the Governor could refuse his sanction and call upon the Trust to reconsider the matter. At the same time, as far as I can gather, the holders of the pier leases which expire in 1949, do expect to be oharged higher rents for renewals, but not unreasonably higher. What would be a fair rental is the crux of the matter, but it should not be difficult to arrive at it.