MR TURNBULL AND THE HARBOR BOARD.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2715, 1 December 1881, Page 3

MR TURNBULL AND THE HARBOR BOARD.

SECOND EDITION

At the meeting of the Harbor Board to-day Captain Sutter asked permission to make a personal explanation on behalf of a member of the Board. He read a letter h hich appeared in the “ Timaru Herald ” on the 25th November, charging Mr Turnbull, as a member of the General Assembly for Timaru, with neglecting the interests of the Board in respect to the fore-shore endowment, and charging him [Captain Sutter] with bringing up the matter at a public meeting for political purposes. The reason ho brought the matter u-p at the public meeting was that Mr Turnbull was unaware of whut had already taken place, and he thought the Board were equally unaware of it. Mr Turnbull sent down to him, as Mayor, three copies of the Bill, accompanied by a letter asking him to call upon the Chairman of the Board and give him a copy of the Bill and see if the Board wanted any report upon it and to see whether the Bill was correct or not. He called upon the Chairman and not only took him a copy of the Bill, but showed him also Mr Turnbull’s letter asking the Board to make any comments upon it and see if the Bill was correct. Mr Archer sent for the Engineer and banded him the Bill and pointed out the schedule to him and suggested that he had better see if it was in accordance with what had been agreed to by the Government. He would not have interfered at Mr Turnbull’s meeting had not that gentleman been attacked unwarrantably. Mr Teschemaker—Did that letter contain the actual boundaries as contained in the Bill ?

Captain Sutter —I handed him the Bill itself, and that contained the boundaries.

Mr Turnbull—Tlio Bill bad not been in circulation ten minutes before I posted it to Timaru. I could do no more. I did not know exactly what agreement been made. He bad not seen no plan like that before the Board while at Wellington. The Secretary stated that according to instructions he had written to the Government pointing out the discrepancy between the schedule of the Bill and agreement previously made. A reply had been received acknowledging the receipt of the letter and promising that the matter should “ receive early attention.” After some little desultory conversation about the plans etc., the matter dropped, Mr Turnbull remarking that nothing sould be done till next session, and Mr Barker that the Government could not get out of their statement that they only wanted enough for two lines of rails. Captain Sutter then left the meeting to attend the nominations at the Wash dyke. After the ordinary business had been disposed of Mr Tesclmrnaker said he should like to ask Mr Turnbull a few questions. The intentions of the Board and the Bill did not agree one bit. He wished Captain Sutter were present, as he could perhaps throw more light upon it. The Bill, so far as he could make out, had been sent by Mr Turnbull to the Mayor. That struck him as being a very informal “proceeding—Why was it not sent to the chairman ? He would have circulated it among the members, and they would then have had an opportunity of finding out the discrepancy complained of. Captain Sutter said the Engineer had been instructed to report upon the Bill.—He wanted to know by whom ? He, as a member, knew nothing of such instructions being given. The Board had been kept in total darkness as to these matters, and at the last moment a gigantic plan came down which shov/ed that the Board had been relieved of all their land. Why was the Bill notin accordance with the agreement made with the Government ? He did not believe the Government had any wish to take any advantage of the Board. He bad a telegram from the Hon. John Hall, which ho would read, and it would show that be had aeted in perfect good faith. It was as follows ;--“Had plan prepared, which now in Wellington, showing land be taken by Government and surplus for Board, Showed this Turnbull, leaving it with him for some time.” It was perfectly evident that the Bill was placed in Mr Turnbull’s hands by Mr Hall, and he sent it to the Mayor, ho (Mr Tescheraaker) did not know why. The Mayor said the Engineer was to report upon it, but the Board were kept in the dark, It appeared to him the whole of the blame of this bungling must be charged to Mr Turnbull, Mr Turnbull said he was written to by the Mayor to send down the Bill, and he sent it to him believing it would be circulated among the other members piore quickly that way as the Mayor was in town every day, Mr Hall brought in a plan and laid it on the table of the House, Mr Hall brought the plan to him one day and said “ This is the plan to carry out the agreement with the Harbor Board.” He asked Mr Hall if he was going to introduce the Bill to give effect to it, and he said he was. As soon as the Bill appeared he despatched copies to the Mayor, and he believed to the Chairman of the Board also. It was not for him to compare the Bill with the plan and say whether they were correct or not. The attempt to throw all the blame on him was most unfair, and ho believed it was done to make political capital. They had the whole data in Timaru, and yet did nothing about it. Mr Hall —We had nothing at all. ’ Mr Turnbull—You had Mr Oliver’s letter, and you might have compared the Bill with the agreement in it.

Mr Teschemaker—l doubt whether the BUI was sent to the Chairman at all.

Mr Turnbull—lf you dare to say such.a thing, sir, I will very soon tell you what I think of you. I am not going to have my veracity impugned in this way. Mr Teschemaker—My remark was based upon your own. You spoke doubtfully about having sent a copy to the chairman.

Mr Turnbull —If I did not send one to him it was contrary to my usual practice. If any paper of importance to the Board appeared, it was my habit to send copies to the Chairman. Why is this attack made upon me in the absence of the Chairman, who could say whether or not he received a copy ? There were so many other questions— Mr Turnbull continued—involved in passing of the Bill—the stonework at Whales Creek and others —that he could not concentrate his attention on the foreshore question. The Board had Mr Oliver’s letter, in which he stated he would give certain things. If the Bill failed to give those things, it was not' impossible to alter it. He repudiated the charge of having neglected the interests of the Board in any way whatever. Mr Teschemaker could not make out why he had been attacked by Mr Turnbull as he had been. All he knew about the matter was from a telegram he held in his hand from . Mr Hall. He believed Mr Hall placed the matter in Mr Turnbull’s bands in order that he might see whether the boundaries there given were correct or not, and as no comment was made by him upon it, the impression left upon Mr Hall’s mind would be that they were correct. His impression (Mr Hall’s) was that Mr Turnbull actually said they were correct, If Mr Turnbull could not carry all these things clearly in his mind why did be lead the Government to believe the boundaries were right ? Mr Turnbull —I did nothing of the kind in any shape or form. The Chairman deprecated the warmth of some of the previous speakers’ remarks. The Board did not know what they ought to have known, and they had a perfect right to make an enquiry. The Board knew nothing of the discrepancy between the Bill and the agreement,

Mr Turnbull —Copies of the Bill were sent down, and were submitted to the Engineer. The Secretary could bear him out in this, he believed. Mr Moody said he never saw the Bill.

The Secretary said he remembered the copies being fetched from the Council Chambers at the Mayor’s request to a meeting at which the Mayor and the Chairman (Mr Archer) were present. He was not aware whether the Engineer was asked to report upon the Bill or not.

Mr Hall said he knew nothing of any report being asked for, or anything else about it. If anyone gave instructions for a report he should have seen that it was presented. That had nothing to do with Mr Turnbull. There seemed to be too much work done here that no one knew anything at all about. Mr Barker said he had attended every meeting, and he had never heard any report called for. The matter then dropped.