App. V
ADD.IV
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- 5-
administration and secondly, to suggest alternative forms
administration in the event of a Port Trust not being formed.
A note of Mr. Colman's remarks on the former occasion will
be found in the minutes of the second meeting of the Committee,
and a copy of his remarks on the latter occasion is to be found
in Appendix IV. We deal with the opinions he expressed in
paragraphs 9 and 13.
(6) Having considered the documents specified in paragraph
5(2), the representations received and Mr. Colman's remarks, the
members of the Committee expressed their individual views, in which
there was a great measure of unanimity on the major issues.
The conclusions of the Committee and its recommendations are
recorded in paragraph 15.
6.
Interim representation to Government. The need
for an agreed comprehensive Development Plan.
It was brought to the notice of the Committee that several plans
in the past for the development of the Port had been prepared, notably
by the late Sir Maurine Fitzmaurice, C.M.G., M. Inct.0.E., in 1921, and
by Mr. John Duncan, M.Inst.C.E., then Port Engineer, in 1924, but none
of these plans had been formally adopted by the Government and the
works actually carried cut touched only the fringe of the programmes
envisaged in these reports.
The trade of the Port reached its peak in 1924 (vide paragraphs
6 to 20 of Sir David Owen's Report) and the subsequent decline no
Joubt provided the reason for not proceeding with schemes which had
nvisaged a progressive increase in trade.
1
It has been argued before us however, that as some of the
schemes provided for reclamations and the consequent re-development
of certain areas, an atmosphere of doubt was created in the minds of
I ssees of land on the water front in the areas expected to be
affected, which was responsible for the failure of these lessees to
develop their properties or even to maintain such facilities as
formerly existed.
178