WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1873, 6 October 1913, Page 5

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD.

' ROYAL COMMISSION. THE BOARD'S ACCOUNTS. The accounts' and engineering work of tho Westport Harboui' Board were dealt with in the evidenco given on Saturday before the Boyal Commission appointed to inquire into the administration of tho board.

Members of tho commission present were: Messrs. J. S. Evans, S.M. (chairman), W. Ferguson and E. Fitzgerald. Mr.A.S. Maginnity appeared on behalf of tho Government, and 'Mr. T. W. McDonald, on behalf of Mr. C: N. Greenland (secretary to the board), Mr. J. Colvin (lato chairman of tho board), and Mr. A. A. Wilson appeared on behalf of tho Harbour Board.

J. C. Dudley, Government Auditor, said that in May last ho had examined tho books and accounts of the board up to December 31, 1912, and had found everything correct. In consequenco of statements he had seen in the newspapers lie had made a moro careful examination than usual. . He went round with tho secretary on pay-day, and saw his system of working, which was excellent. The wages were paid by Mr. Greenland ■ himself. The witness gave details concerning. the manner in which the accounts connected with t'ho various branches of tho board's work were kept. The ' system of issuing tickets on the Cape Foulwind railway was very weak, and could be abused by dishonest guards. He advocated the adoption of the same system of issuing _ tickets as that of the New Zealand Railways.

Members of the commission made it quite clear tliat 'thero was not the slightest suspicion that any guard was actually dishonest. They were inquiring merely into the question of principle. The system of measuroment of logs adopted by the board, the witness continued, was that the square of the small end was taken, and one-fifth added. He had seen a typical load, and there , was very little tapering in the lops. It was possible, therefore, that . t'no system miglit at times impose injustice on the sawmillcrs. In the case of the load he saw ho would rather have been the Railway Department than the sawmillcrs. Dealing with tho wage system, ho said that it was most correct and convenient. The board had a system of deducting from men's wages certain sums, in accordance with orders signed by the men. Mr. Ferguson: Practically acting as a debt collector.

The witness said that the receipts signed by such employees were receipts for tho payment of the wages in full. They did not show that only a certain sum had actually been handed over in cash, and a portion retained for payment to some creditor Tho witness gayo details of- tho various accounts of tho board. He did not think that tho system of keeping separate aocounts for loan and revenue moneys was a very great advantage, as it led to considerable complication of book-l>ee{>ing. Separate accounts had to bo kept in accordance with the Act, to ensure that loan moneys are extended on the specific work for which they are boriowcd. Tho accounts submitted to him in May last had been submitted in cxaetly the same form as they had been since 1867.

ENGINEERING WORK: George Edwin Richaidson, locomotive engineer in the New Zealand Railway Department, said that he had been stationed at Westport from 1900 to 1905. For part of the time he was manager of the locomotive and maintenance department. He had not paid much attention to the Harbour Board's works. He knew nothing of tho management of tho Capo Foulwind Railway or of tho board's repair workshops. Somo work for the board might havo been done in tha railway shop, but ho could not remember it. From what he had seen, he thought that tho work done in tho board's shop could be carried out with advantage in the railway shop, which was capable of undertaking repairs to the dredges, cranes, locomotives. and trucks. He. thought there could be a considerable saving in labour if one shop did all the work—for instance, only one foreman and one storeman would bo required, instead of two at present. There was no necessity for tho duplication of the heads of dewhich the retention of'tho two shops occasioned.

A DEFECTIVE CRANE. In answer to Mr. Ferguson, the witness gare particulars of the board's fcraues. The first crane had been erected in 1900. It was an English 20-ton crane, and workod splendidly. The second was a locally built 15-ton crane, which was erected by tho firm which made it. It was then found that, the crane would not swing, and that if it swung out over the river it would have fallen in, the counter-balanco being wrong. Ho'had to put on some twenty tons of extra balance weight. The wheels kept carrying away, and one way and another the crane was a continual source of trouble. He had made it workable, but it was never satisfactory, and they " dodged " it whenever thoy could. Mr. Ferguson: You would describe it as a "botch" job,—Yes; something like that. ■. I Mr. Ferguson.: How .did it com© to be taken over ? ' Was it paid for in instalments as the work of erection proceeded p —l cannot speak as to that. Mr. Fitzgerald: Was there anything wrong with the design of tho crane?— Most certainly there, was. The witness, continuing, said that the adding of tho extra 20 tons put a tremendous additional strain _on the crane. The wheels were cast-iron instead of steel, and oontinually broke. He had not been responsible for taking over the crane on. behalf of the' Railway Department. ! I ho witness said that he was in estport when the dredge llubi Seddon arrived, and remembered the criticisms which had been expressed at tho time. He could not givo any opinion on them. He had formed an opinion as to the economy or extravagance of the board's administration, but he would / rather not express it. _ • The inquiry was adjourned until 10 a.m. to-day.