HARBOUR BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 345, 1 June 1877, Page 2

HARBOUR BOARD.

A special meeting of the Board was held to-day for the purpose of investigating the charges preferred by Mr. Lemon against another member of the Board. These, it will be remembered, consisted of the member in question having originated a report that certain members of the Board were interested in the contracts at present in course of construction ; and that the member of the Board had been the instigator of a certain letter being written. The following members were present: — Messrs. Sumpter (chairman), Steward, Reid, Lemon, Gilchrist, Shrimski, Borrie, Meek, and Menlove. The Chairman, in opening the business, said that lie hoped the matter before the meeting would be discussed in a calm and orderly manner, and that they would have no unpleasantness. Some question had been raised as to the power of the Board to sit as they were doing ; but he thought they were warranted in doing so, seeing that other public bodies had taken similar action. He asked whether or not the matter should be taken in open meeting or in Committee 1 Several members expressed the opinion that the matter should be as public as possible. It was decided to take the statement first that a member of the Board had originated the report that several members of Board were interested in the contracts now in course of construction The following witnesses were called by Mr. Lemon, and examined by him through the Chairman :

Mr. M'.Nab said: After hearing the report in town with reference to the members of the Board being interested in the contracts, some time since, I asked Mr. Shrimski whether the rumour was correct, and he replied that he believed it was true. I also asked him if the members referred to were Messrs. Sumpter, Meek, and Lemon. He said, "Yes, those are the members," and said that was the little circle. I afterwards asked Mr. Lemon if the report was true, and lie said it was not. He asked me to tell him my authority, and I said Mr. Shrimski had told me. In reply to Mr. Shrimski, Mr. M'Nab said it had been previously currently reported that members were interested in the contract, but I cannot remember how long I had heard it before I put the question to Mr. Shrimski. I am quite sure, when I suggested the names, that you said those were the men. I cannot recollect who I heard the report from first. The rumour had been so firmly fixed upon my mind by hearing the matter so currently reported that I put the question to you directly. I am "quite sure that you said " those are the men. I have never worked for the Board, except in my shop. Mr. David Miller to Mr. Lemon : You are in no way connected with the present contract under the Harbour Board. I never told you that I was going to tender for the works. You never spoke to me about the matter before I sent in my tender. Mr. Steward : Is any other member of the Board connected with the contracts I Mr. Miller : No ; there is neither any member of the Board or officer of the Board

——— ———— 1 interested in the contracts. There ig person interested in the contracts with except Alexander Smillie. Mr. Steward : Are you under any, ligation, financially or otherwise, to t member of the Board ? Mr. Miller : None whatever. Mr. Steward : Did you receive j special inducement from a member officer of the Board to induce you tender for the works ? Mr. Miller : No ; I did not. In reply to other questions, Mr. Mm said : No member of the Board, or offi of the Board, ever intimated to mo amount at which the Board was likclj accept a tender. I was not in a positi before the tenders were accepted, to that I was the person likely to geti contracts. I cannot state how any rep arose that I was likely to get the contra I never gave anyone to understand tha was likely to get the contract. |9 In reply to Mr. Shrimski, [I Mr. Miller said : I was employed m the Board before I got the contract, ■ was engaged by Mr. Forrester, who ■ commended me to Mr. M'Gregor. |I Mr. SThWAKD : Have you any arranffl ment with any member or officer of H Board whereby that officer or membctß the Board shall have an interest in ffl contracts. fl Mr. Miller : No ; I have not. j Mr. M'Gregor: I have heard thogi ports that certain members of the Boi were interested in the contracts. The li persons who mentioned the matter to were Messrs. Walkem and Peyma afterwards one of the contractors spoke me about it, and after that Mr. Shrini mentioned it. These were the only p sons who mentioned the matter to n No names of members of the Board vi mentioned, though Walkem and Peym freely mentioned the name of Mr. F reste'r. So far as I can remember, } Shrimski said that he had heard the port in a general way that certain mc bers of the Board and Mr. Forrester wi interested in the contracts. Mr. Steward, in response to tlio quest of Mr. Shrimski, said: I v never asked any question by any meml of the Board upon this matter befoi With reference to a remark of J Shrimski I wish distinctly to say tl I did not directly or indirectly move I this inquiry. I have heard rumours tl members of the Board were interested the contract, but I cannot say precis when this arose. Both the contract' and Mr. Shrimski some time ago and different times indicated their belief tl there was some complicity between II ler, the contractor, and the Inspector the Board (Mr. Forrester) ; and also tl there was some interest in which Mill and some members of the Board wi concerned. Mr. Shrimski has said tl he believed there were some members the Board too intimately connected wi the contractor. The conversation wi Mr. Shrimski took place in front oft Board offices. I say positively that J Shrimski spoke to me the mati several times. H

This was the whole of the evidct taken upon the first mutter. It was tli decided to go on with the second on plaint, upon which the following ovidou was taken : Mr. Thomas Fairlte : T remember I ietter signed "Venice Preserved." J! Hesketh told me that ho wrote the lett at the instigation of Mr. Shrimski, m that he got paid for it. I think he si he got either L2 or two guineas. T conversation took place shortly after t letter was written. The conversation to. placo in the little carpenter's shop i the wharf. Mr. Hesketh volunteer the statement. 1 To Mr. Shrimski : 1 have spoken I you since on the matter, and you denil the correctness of the statement poil blank. I The next witness called was Mr. I Hesketh, but that gentleman had inl mated his intention of not attendii) The following statement, made by M Hesketh when before the Standing Coi mittee, and reported at the time, w handed in, as was also one made by M Steward at the same time : "Mr. Hesketh first stated that he bt lieved he was accredited with the auth<n ship of the letter, but he was not tli author. People gave him credit for 11101 cleverness than he possessed when tlie thought he was capable of writing such ietter.—The Chairman then asked if h knew who was the author, which que! tion Mr. Hesketh declined to answer, bu added that he would volunteer a state ment in his own way if the Committc would allow him, and stated that lie ha written the letter, but that Mr. Shrimsli had not paid him for doing so ; that li had written it for a bit of fun and showe it to a second party, to whom he gave th letter. He believed that it subsequentl] passed through Mr. Shrimski's hands, bu could not say whether Mr. Shrimski o the other party referred to had put it ii the paper. He believed he could have go payment from the second party if he ha< asked it, but did not get any payment fo doing it. —ln answer to a question put bj the Chairman, he .declined to state th name of the second party, as lie did no wish to get himself into trouble. answer to Mr. Steward, lie stated that to did not remember, in any conversatiol with Mr. Steward, saying that he had re ceived payment for writing the letter." " Mr. Steward stated that shortly aftel the appearance of the letter in tin Evening Mail, signed 'Venice Pre served,' Mr. Hesketh met him on th footpath near the Northern Hotel, an< asked him if he had seen the letter in the Mail. Mr. Steward asked, ' What letter I Hesketh replied, ' The letter signed " Venice Preserved."' Mr. Steward said he had. Mr. Hesketh then said; 4 1 wrot< that letter, and I am sorry for it now; but I wrote it for Mr. Shrimski, and as »

piece of literary work, as Mr. Shrimski ( >'iid not write the letter himself. And you know I am a poor man, and I did not see why I should not earn two guineas when I could gut it.' Some further conversation took place, but not referring to thi3 matter. Hesketh was perfectly sober at the time. The statement was entirely voluntary on his part, and was not led up to by anything in the conversation. " Mr. Lemon briefly addressed the Board. Mr. Shrimski said that the report referred to had been current before he returned from Wellington, and denied that he had ever dictated the letter, or paid for it being written, or had any intention of paying for it. After some discussion of a very warm nature, the following resolution moved by Mr. Gilchrist, and seconded by Mr. Reid, was carried :—" That, for the information of the Government, a copy of the evidence taken at this meeting of the Board be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary." TENDERS FOR CEMENT. The following tenders for the supply of cement were opened : —Guthrie and Larnach, Li 19s. lOd. ; Cargills, Gibbs, and Co., L 4 19s. Gel. ; T. W. Tulloch, L 4 19s. 9d. ; Briscoe and Co., L 5 ss. Messrs. Cargills, Gibbs, and Co.'s tender was accepted. REMOVAL OF CONCRETE BLOCKS. Some discussion took place in reference to the removal of the concrete blocks at present laying at the Lagoon. It was ultimately decided to call for tenders for cutting the blocks and removing them to the Breakwater, and setting them in the works, the Engineer to prepare the specifications for the work, and tenders to be sent in before the next meeting of the Board, one of the blocks to be cut as a trial test prior to the acceptance of tenders. The Board then adjourned.