WASTE LAND BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 4072, 15 March 1876, Page 2

WASTE LAND BOARD.

At the Board's weekly meet'ng to-day there were present the Chief Comi ia ioner (in the chair), Messrs Reid, Clark, Butterworth, and St ode. The principal business was the following On the Executive’s i eo Immendaf ion in fav or of the appointment of Mr H. B. Martin as permanent auctioneer (o the Board coining up for Mr James * ilner said he d-d not consider it fair, for many reasons, that the.' appointment should be made. He had held a licence _ for many years, whi'e Mr Martin; had held none; and his fellow auctioneers had known nothing about the matter — only having been apprised of it by a letter from the Executive, which meant something and meant nothing. It was, he thought, the! most irregular thing done by any Executive. ! The present auctioneers to the Board obta’ned their appointments by tender, and the same, course should be adopted ih this case—not by sub rosa arrangement. He, had no feeling against Mr Martin, but he really felt hurt, as did his brother auctioneers, at the thing aomg before the public in this way.—The; Board resolved unanimously to appoint Mr Martin as its permanent auctioneer; he to find the usual, g arantees. On' the resolution . be'ng minuted, Mr Reid remarked that he did not understand what Mr : Milner meant by his allusion to sub rpsa arrangements. The, Executive bad reoqm- 1 mealed that a permanent aucioneer should be •appointed, had fixed his salary, and reborn- ; mended a" name to the Board, which had the; appointment in their own hj nds. He did not! think likely the Board would'submit the appointment to competition. The Board' and .the. Government ..had previously made i great blunder. in taking tenders fr m d fferent auctioneers. Here the case was different; a license was hot requ'red, but a permanent officer, who would give his whole time to the Board.—Mr Strode regarded this appointment as in the same category as any other appoint- ■ ment under the Executive; they appointed the man they oonsidei ed be t fitted, to perform the duties without rega-d to tendering.' .