OTAGO HARBOR BOARD.

Evening Star, Issue 4186, 27 July 1876, Page 2

OTAGO HARBOR BOARD.

A special meeting of the Harbor Board was held tMs afternoon ; present—llls Honor tho DepufySa;.'rriat‘'iiflt'nt (in the rbair), Messrs Davie, Ritchie, Tewslcy, Reeves, M'Neill, and M’Kinuon. Captain Thomson wrote that, owin ' to the heavy swell at the Ha'.ids, the steamer City ol New York tviil not leave till to-morrow morning. The Board, having adjourned in Committee, resolved that the discussion on the ‘Wharves and Qua.-, s Reserves question should he resumed publicly. Ou tho n.Of ion of Mi' Tewssey, it was resolved “That the Harbor Board has already c x • press d Us willingness to pay the Provincial Govomment the amount named by tho Provincial Secretary to a Committee of tho Board; that such amount was fixed on data furnished by the Government Inspector o? Works, which was found to nearly correspond with the quantity supplied to the committee by the Board’s Engineer, but if i! hj; discovered that any considerable error has been made in the calculations the Board is willinv to pay pro rata for any increase which tho Govern, incur Engineer and tbo Board’s Engineer mav nmundy anivc at on a revision of the figures.’’ It was resolved, ou the motion of Mr Davik, “ That the Board assents to tho proposal of tho Government to ex<vu ie from its endowment the triangular piece of land reclaimed by the Government between the railway and Clark street, with a vii w to enable the Government to carry out certain obligations it hivi entered into in connection with the same. That in assenting to this, the Board desires it to be distinctly understood that it is without prejudice to ir.-i ri-dits, us respects the Wharves snd Quays Reserves at present under tho management of the Corporation. Tbo following letter to the Chairman was read from tho hoard's Engineer:— “ As reported in (ho ‘ Diily Times’ certain meiu>3 hers of the Board at the last meeting gave expression t« remarks ol am offensive nature towards

? y »^ lf, » W i¥ cl11 can ?, ot »How to p&ss unchallenged. I ™ 8 that ‘y of my position ~ a \ n ly precluded from taking action ya- Pr ? sa i°Porta of the Board's proceedmgs, but I respectfully submit that t’ e fa ;. r deb , afc « h"8 been exceeded not only at the meeting referred to, but also at several of the ?- 8 me i et m S ' and ia defence of my professional li °a 1 ■'\ n \ c^ ns , train od to request from the Board a decided declaration of opinion upon the > hen , ?? do ' Mlt will be conceded that ? al ‘' s ? cccftdence is placed in its engineer 1, , entrusted with the carrying out of an bh?* 1 ' ! 11 scheme such ns that of harbor improve* meut, it cannot fail to retard if not militate against in?- 1 l UCI - ess . fal . PF°«coution of the works. In making this request I think It right to state that if the B >ard, individual member of it, have any charge 0f h , a *? v ® r nature, to prefer against rue, which may rightly be considered as prejudicing vhe proper conduct of the department over which t exercise control, or if it can be pointed out that my wt ionshftveln the am .Best degree tended to ob«,r mterfere with the legitimate carrying out or the scheme of harb ir improvements, w»rk« sanctioned in a manner inconsistent with my position professionally, it would be competent for the Board to take such action relative thereto as it might deem fit; but Until such specific charges, if any, are made and verified, and not merely thrown out as insinuations having no substantial basis, I consider that I have a right to the Board’s protection, and requea, that such will be granted to an extent that will in future prohibit the use of expressions offens;ve uud, I submit, totally uncalled for,” It was resolved to request the Engine-r to state explicitly what portion of the report he takes excel. tion to, 4