HARBOUR BOARD RETRENCHMENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 257, 21 April 1888, Page 6

HARBOUR BOARD RETRENCHMENT.

Auckland, April 18. At the llaibour Board yesterday afternoon i lii* icport of Iho Special Committee re re-1,-enchinent (alieady published in our last i--uc) un-> eonsidcied. On the lirst clause, which recommended the retention of Mr La Roche in the Engineer's depii tment, Mr MeKon/io mo\ed, as an amendment, "That the same notice be gi\en to each member of the Engineer's- department/ It wimi mistake to lotain the junior engineer and dispense w ich the chiei. If it was found necessary at the end of June to retain Mr La Roches services, that could be done, but it would be bad taste to appoint him nov to take the engineer's place. At the time of the Engineer's original appointment, he (Mr McKen/ie) had urged that theie was no neces"ity ior the engineer at all, and now lie was of a similar opinion. It was w ell that if one should now go, all should go, and, it necessary, ;it the end of June applications could be called for the position of engineer in the usual way. In its pro-cut form, the recommendation of the Committee made it appear that Mr La Roche w ould be engineer, ana he did not think Mr La Roche had suf-iicc-nt experience for that position, he ha\ing been only a cadet last year, lie mo\ ed " That the sen ices of both engineers be dispensed with."' Mr Claik seconded the amendment. Tie -aid lie did not like either the finding of the Committee or the amendment, but°ot the two he prefened the latter. His opinion | fiom the beginning was that it was a mistake to abolish the department, and further that the junior had not the neces- , sary experience to be at the head of the depai tment e\en with the diminished work which the Board had determined to carry | out When the time came that the Board [ iound out their mistake in doing away with j the whole of: the ollicers 1 they could decide \\ hat ehv-s ot a man should ha\ c the position. He w.i> sati-lied that they would lequire a duly qualified engineer, at perhaps a salary le-s than the Board had hitherto paid. Mr Button said he thought the Board had a \eij trood engineer. and one capable of doing his work well Perhaps Mr Me(Jicucn was a little expensive, but the Jjoaul might lose more than his salary by luung an inelhcient man. He was in favour of keeping the Engineer's stall as it wa-> at piesent. The Chaiiman (Mr Niccol) objected to the iccommendation that Mr La Roche should be retained He did not think it necessary, and did not think that, Mr La Roche was competent to tak<> charge ot the department. To call him the engineer was to place him in a false position and over the head of the Foreman or AYork*. Mr La Roche was quite capable ot doing the clerical work ot (ho department. Jlr Tajloi- (Foreman tit Woik-) was capable of carrying out the uoiks for some time, and the question of filling the \acancy in the Engineer's depai tment could be tilled in June. The question was put to the Board, when the amendment A\as carried by 6 against 4, and the lecommcndations made by the Committee weie agreed to without discussion.