Drainage Engineer Vanishes from Home

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 892, 8 February 1930, Page 1

Drainage Engineer Vanishes from Home

LETTER TO WIFE INTENDED TO DISAPPEAR From Our Own Correspondent DARGAVILLE, Today. Rumours that Mr. O. S. Dahl, engineer to the Raupo Drainage Board, was missing, were confirmed at the meeting of the board yesterday. Mr. Dahl’s wife wrote from Hamilton under date January 27 to the effect that her husband had left her at Hamilton on. the understanding that he was proceeding to Palmerston North. Later, said Mrs. Dahl, she had received from Palmerston North a letter from her husband expressing his intention of disappearing. She was unaware of any reason for his taking such an action, and had not learned of his whereabouts since that time. Mrs. Dahl returned papers in connection with the board’s work.

Mr. Dahl was engaged about eight months ago by the Otamatea County Council to manage that body’s undertaking to operate the engineering work of the board. At the board’s meeting on January 13, Mr. Dahl being present, the secretary reported in his capacity as clerk of the Otamatea County Council that he had received notice of Mr. Dahl’s intention to resign his position at the expiration of three months, such notice being required under the con* ditions of his appointment. The notice of resignation was formally accepted at a meeting of the Otamatea County Council on January 15. It was generally understood then that Mr. Dahl was to enter into active connection with his late father’s business at Palmerston North. The board regretted losing Mr. Dahl’s services, and made eulogistic references to his work.

Mr. Dahl left by car for Palmerston North immediately after the meeting, indicating that he would be back on the following Friday, the understanding being that he should continue to work at Ruawai until the completion, at about the end of February, of the board’s loan expenditure programme. He has not returned since that time, and the board’s sole knowledge concerning his movements is contained in the letter received from Mrs. Dahl. __ The board decided to ask the council to carry on the engineering work of the board, and that the assistantengineer, Mr. H. M. Reid, be allowed to reside at Ruawai, until the completion of the board’s loan expenditure programme, in view of the circumstances.