The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 1930. THE HARBOR HOARD “BREEZE”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11123, 5 February 1930, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY, 5, 1930. THE HARBOR HOARD “BREEZE”

at the Harbor Board mutiny; ou .Monday was both exhilarating and interesting, but it cannot honestly be claimed that it succeeded in removing tho whole of the trouble that required consideration. It was®*precipitated, it seems, owing to the action of the Chairman and some other members of the Board m inviting the consulting engineer (Mr. Reynolds) to supply a report cm the harbor works whilst the resident engineer (Mr. Marshall Smith) was on holiday. Unless it could he shown that such a. step had become a matter of urgency, the decision in that regard must, we feel, he hold lo havo been unfair to the resident engineer: The Board, as a whole, did not, at any rate, press tluy viewpoint of urgency and, consequently, it admitted that Mr. Marshall Smith was justified in entering a. protest. But the Board most certainly did right in challenging the form which portion of the protest took. It would have been foolish and undignified on its part, if it had • adopted the resident engineer’s report whilst it continued to contain an assertion that certain unnamed members had so far forgotten their- position as to make enquiries from members of his staff on matters relating to the carrying out, of the Board’s works. In the cud, Mr. Marshall Smith, it will have been noted, availed himself- of an opportunity to withdraw the allegation. What. the ratepayers may reasonably hold,, however, is that it would have been fairer to the Board, as a whole, if the members had decided that the complaint "should'he justified, if it could'have hcon justified.-, A A s • matters now stand, the ratepayers are left, with the impression that the-complaint

was provoked and that it was withdrawn merely fur flu; sake of peace. May he, however, some

ujfaocout member or members pnay find that they are being wrongly blamed on the matter by the public. Mr. Marshall Smith has, of course, no right to object to any member of the Board inspecting the works whenever be wishes to add to his knowledge as to what is going on. But, on the other hand, there is a great deal to he said -in favour of his contention that it would be better if members of the Board—and tills would apply especially to the Works Committee—were to make a point never to pay any official visit of inspection in his absence. Assuredly, much might be done on the 'spot by the resident engineer to rc/iiove any misunderstanding which might arise in the mind of a member. What will surprise the ratepayers most was, wo think, that the Board allowed to pass unchallenged Mr. Marshall Smith’s attitude in respopt of its appointment of a consulting engineer. “I must,’ he said. l fhe allowed to use my own judgment and discretion in carrying out works under my charge.” That might mean a great deal beyond a rightful claim to. have sole control in the matter of supervision of any work. It will ho agreed that it is open to quite another interpretation. \M the circumstances, the Board, we Jhink. should have told Mr. Marshall 'Smith plainly either that it intended Mr. Reynolds to he a consulting engineer in the true sense of the term or it should have dispensed with Mr Reynolds’ services. If we are not greatly mistaken, the general opinion is that, if tho Board had, from the oujpet of the undertaking, utilised \M> services of a consulting engineer Jcgularly, it would have secured 'much hotter results from the heavy expenditure that has been involved in the effort to secure, a satisfactory new harbor at this port. It does not, of course, follow that a consulting engineer and a resident engineer will invariably see eye to eye hut, in trfe event of a serious dispute, the ißoard is entitled to, and always j should, call in additional expert aid. Whatever may be said to the contrary, the ratepayers cannot be

blamed for holding the Board responsible for seeing to it that the best possible results are secured and the utilisation of the services of a con-

sulting engineer, as well as those of &\ resident engineer, is the best 'means of attaining that very desirable end.