HARBORMASTER'S STAFF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 267, 18 December 1909, Page 6

HARBORMASTER'S STAFF.

PRUNIXG KNIFE APPLIED. A RECONSTRUCTION SCHEME ' The principitl business at the Harbor Board's meeting yesterday aftern"'ju was the consideration ui three motion*) introduced by notice by Mr. C. A, Wilkinson, having for their object a considerable retrenchment in the amouui oi salaries and wages paid in the ha ringmaster's department. The motiu.es were:—

(1) That the position of depi.ty harbormaster be abolished, and that the harbormaster and deputy harbormaster be notified that their servi vs will be dispensed with at the end of January, 1910." (2) That applications be called for the position of harbormaster at a salary not exceeding .€250 per annum. (3) That the employment oi a night-watchman be discontinued, and the present holder of the position be given the usual notice that his services will not be required.

By permission of the Board the mo tions were introduced seriatim.

In moving the first, Mr. Wilkinson said that he felt very strongly that with the decrease in shipping at the port and the decreased revenue an ad justment of the salaries of the harb irmaster and his stall at the port were necessary. He pointed out that, imuwiiately tfte Board had ceased to collect a rate a fresh arrangement had been made with the secretary, but though there had been a tremendous shrinkage in the trade the Board had not yet dealt with 'the matter of reducing the expenditure at the port. The Board'#; finances were none too flourishing, and the Board must meet the case. The harbormaster had stated emphatically at last meeting lha: no possible economies could be effected in his department, and he was allowed 1 to make a statement that his men were already working 72 hours a week. Seeing that for three days prior to thai meetiug there had not been a jingle steamer in port, he thought there wi? no excuse in that week, at any rate, f >r such long hours. The harbormaster and his staff were costing the Board XIOOS per annum. Captain Hood's salary wa* £325 per annum, 'with a free hoi».»e (worth, say, £4O a year), or £305 a year—£l a da)', including Sundays. Such pay, with such trade as ours, was ALTOGETHER RTDKJULOt'S. At Picton, where there was a daily O vice, and about twice as much shipping as was being handled at New Plymoirii, the position was worth only £2OO per annum. As fer the deputy harbormaster, his services were totally unnecessary, and it was possible to save £2OO a yea r by doing without him. Then there i were J. Fraser at £IBO, and R. Inch, the ' nightwatchman, at £l5O a year. They could do without a nightwatchman altogether. There couldn't be very mucn to steal, and there were responsible ollicers who could be depended upon to keep an eye on the Board's property. If the Board adopted his M'lieme they V«-nM save £75 on the harbormaster's salarw £2OO a year now paid to the deputy, and £l5O to the nightwatchman. m £425 in all, a very material saving, con sidering the Board's straitened finances. This would bring the cost of the harbormaster's staff down to about £6OO a year, which should be quite sufficient for 'the working of that department. In view of Captain Hood's statement at last meeting thn Board must adopt the present proposals because the loyal 00-opcrattion of Hie harbormaster was essential in efl'ectinn reform. If economy were necessary it was of no use for the man in chai\'r. .-i . say "it. can't be done." Sympathy for i the men likely to lose their billets uni del' a reconstruction scheme must no! interefere with the members' judgment. If they found a man arguing that 1-c ; could not effect retrenchment then they | must find a man who would do it. 'if . eonrse : it was not nice to have to cit down salaries. He would ratlior ry.-e them. But the members of tile Board must not be too liberal with other ' people'*. tTie ratepayer.-', money. 1 The changes, continued Mr! Wilkin- ' son, ought not to affect the efficiency 'if the stair. There was no earthly rc:i son ! for the employment of a depute hart-n master. The appointment liad !ie>n made in tile days of the dailv servic. when the early morning and la I o-;i rniglit arrivals entailed a jrr.it deal of work on the harbormaster. \ () . v 11,... , wore only two passenger steamers n week, and the work being so "really duced. it necessarily followed that a ! little retrenchment coul<] be easily effected.

SOME FJOirRKS. Mr. Wilkinson then quoted some figures to show that the cost of berthing steamers had greatly increased. When Captain Hood was' appointed harbormaster in 1597 it was at a salary of £175 per annum and a free house.' In that year 410 vessels were berthed, the average cost per vessel being 8s Ori. In ISDO his salary was raised to £2OO. 11l that year 404 vessels were berthed at an average of 9s lOd. His salary rose to £250 in 1001, when there were' 445 vessels berthed; average charge lis 3d. In 1904 the assistant harbormaster was appointed at £IBO per annum. Tn that year 476 vessels wore berthed at an average cost of 18s per vessel. Captain Hood's salary wa« raised to £325 in 1508. and the assistant harbormaster's to £200; 535 vessels being berthed, average cost 19s 9d. During the six months in 1909 after the opening of tho Main Trunk railway, with the same sal. anes paid despite the tremendous decrease in the trade of the port, there were only 177 vessels berthed (as against 240 in the corresponding six months of 1908) at an average cost of £1 9 S Sil per vessel. Thus the cost of berthage per vessel had increased from 8s (id in 1897 to 29s 8d in 1909, a tremendous increase. His present proposals, he ' thought would not deal hardly with anyone. They could get one mail in the place of two, and pay np to £250 and a free house. This would bring the berrli. age cost to 14s 3d per vessel. Sucll a salary would not 'oe unreasonable, and there would be nothing to prevent Cantain Hood applying for the position, and, if he were selected, he would know the conditions under which he was appointed—a thing ho had not seemed to know at tho previous meeting of the Board. Captain Hood hadn't recognised that hr, should have been th* first to say thai as the revenue had fallen off he'would do his best to effect economics, hut he had argued the other way round. He felt quite sure that the Board would re. ccive

PTjENTY OF APPLICATION'S from sonic of ilie best men in New Zealand, for the salary ami house allowance were liberal, ' and the duti-s were not arduous. At Picton tile harbormaster had to attend to a da l\ steamer service and ITome boats for £*2oo a year, so £250 would not be unreasonable here. lie eouldn't see .'loathe members of the Board could hel,) supporting his ideas, although his motion might not go through as he had presented it. But the number of vessel' trading to the port had decreased, .)ml the revenue, too. For instance, iu the three months of Sentemher. Oc ;tml November of last year -the Board Vid' received for the mail service, hire of warps, etc., £258, and had paid out mi. dcr this head £157, leaving a clear profit of £lOl. This year, in those month.-, the earnings hud been only .C 1 GO. an-l the outgoings £125, leaving a profit nf only ;£3."i. The figures lie had quoted were very conclusive, and whilst lie lind every sympathy for Captain Hood he felt it to be, his duty to the ratepayers to urge this maCler oil the Board mul acquaint them with the actual facts. Mr. Newton King seconded the notion. lie agreed that the deputy harbormaster, whose appointment lie hid opposed at the time, was not required. The harbormaster's salary won raised two years ago. At that meeting he liad voted against it. Those were the dnvs when the Board was making £IOOO a year, but since then the Board had L'nne 1 to the country, raised a- loan, and nn«limfTn •practice rigid e-eonoiuv. He and] Mr. Maxwell had assured I lie nite|i,ivers of certain facts, and tliey had io see. that those facts came about. \V"iv the position to crop up in the private business of any member of the Hoard he would have to cut and prune—there ■was nothing else for it. ft was alwavan unpleasant duty, but it had to be done occasionally both in public and mi private 'oU6iness. The position didn't need much talking about. Captain Hood

would be able to apply for his position i again if he were -wining to accept the 1 amended conditions which must\ obtain until the port was ready for the direct steamers. Then, of course, it should be possible to increase ihe salary jiutu. Bat during the buifiliug period, owing to ■ the fuel thai, the revenue was not up to | expectations, not a penny must be spent whose expenditure could be avoided. They had cut down the length of the breakwater, and elided other economies with a view of avoiding the striving oi a rale, and fin l re was necessity for this retrenchment. A COUNTER J'ROt'ObAL. Mr. E. Maxwell, whilst agreeing with all that had ueen said concerning i!e necessity for economy, and that in the department under ti'scussion ecriii'n savings could be made, complained oi 1 the method adopted to bring about the desired end. lie agreed that one man could easily carry out the work at ihe port now, and LUat the position of deputy harbormaster should be aoolished. Bui he didn't tali in with the idea that Captain Hood's services should be dis pensed with. That was not the proj"i course to adopt. He believed in retrenchment, but it was not fair to an old and tried servant to dismiss h;i.. ior reasons oi economy only. He be considered conservative, hut he wa» cliucd to the Old Country view that iV.longer the service the more eonsidciatiou should be shown to the employee. Lt was only a fair thing on the part of the Board, on principle, that the present servants should get the first s>ay. He would move as an amendment that

the salary of the harbormaster be reduced to £250 a year as from Ist January, 1900, leaving tin? remainder of the motion as it stood, lie considered th-u this was the wiser course. The harbormaster had served the Board honorably for twelve years, and during that time there had not been the slightest mishap at the port, although there had been friction in certain directions. Hud he been 4 -', and as the outcome of that carelessness there had been an acci dent to shipping, the injury to the port and district would be immense. That must go to the credit of the harbormaster. But in the general conduct of i the port there had oeen no tronbh whatever. So there was no need t > dispense with Captain Hood's services m ; such a manner. He didn't think "Mr.' Wilkinson would say anything against! the harbormaster personally. Capta-n Ilood, he believed, would be prepared to take £250 a year. After last meeting he had met Captain flood and told fliio that he had acted most injudiciously, and he rather gathered, as he had half expected to do, that he had been influenced by consideration for the men under him, and had not wished it to be inferred that he was saving his own skin at the expanse of the others. Of course, he should have adopted the altitude of at once showing an eagerness in assisting the Jioard to reduce expense*. Mr. Maxwell pointed out that dismissal would he a great blot in the career of a professional man. People didn't expect a man to be dismissed e\-

eept for failure to carry out his duty, or because of tile abolition of his berth. To dispense with ids services and tell I lie man he might apply again co.ild hardly lie fair to the mail himself. It was not necessary to do an injury to the harbormaster in order to do justice to the ratepayers, and he hoped Mr. Wilkinson would adopt his amendment as part of the motion. The amendment ivas, seconded by Mr. Hushes, pro forma. Mr. Price endorsed Mr. Maxwell's r<marks concerning tile unfair effect ef the course proposed. lie was not wholly in sympathy with the amendment, either, cousiderinir the salary should be £275. Mr. .Maxwell replied "candidly and honestly that E250 and a free house va« a fair tiling, lie wanted to secare a reduction in expense, but at the same time .to act fairly towards Captain Hood. Mr. Wilkinson: I'm acting fairly, too. I think you'll allow? Mr. Maxwell: Oh, yes. The chairman (Mr. J. 11. Connett) sup ported the motion. He said that lie had opposed tile last increase in Cantain floods salary, thinking that £250 a year and free house, with an assisi. flit, good p,iv. The shipping had been reduced greatly sinre February last, and

he had waited patiently, meeting after nor. for «onii> such motion as this. Thcv h'ld reduced Mr. Rennell's salary, but had no' mentioned the harbormaster's slalT. He had waited expecting ('retain Hood to make some move, but when I hat olllcer said at the previous meeting that 110 reduction could Ibe made, how could members be expected to think ho would lie prepared to accept a lower salary; His position during tile last leu months had been a sinecure. The Hoarjl COULDX'T AFFORD SUCH LUXURIES

as the harbormaster at £325 and a free house, with very little work. He ws>s quite satisfied that at £2so' a year they would get some of the best men in the Dominion to apply for tho berth, for ho was sure that many of the leading shipmasters would be glad to retire from the seafaring life for n shore billet like this. Captain Hood should have offered spontaneously to make some reduction, but after'his action nt last meeting the chairman said lie felt impelled to support the motion. It was an unpleasant duty, but one they owed to the public. At' any rate, Captain Hood could apply again. It was quite time that this matter was brought upmore than time, for it ought to have bfen done .months ago. Captain Hood, who was seated in his usual place in the Board room, rose, and essayed some remarks, A MILD " SCENE."

The chairman interposed that he could not allow the harbormaster In join in tile Board's debate. As a matter

i fact, he should have gone out wli-n the discussion started, as Mr. Renneil had done when his salary was uud.'r consideration. The Board might decide that Captain Hood be allowed to speak, but iu such event lie would vacate the chair.

Mr. Wilkinson blamed the chairnuii for having allowed Captain Hood to take up such a stand at last meeting, lie didn't consider (hat the harbormaster should attend Board meetings at all. Tile chairman agreed that the presence of the loreman wa* far more necessary.

Mr. McCluggagc considered that the position should first be offered to Cantain Hood at the reduced salary. To dismiss a man after such long and faithful service was ipiite unfair to him. Mr. Hughes considered retrenchment necessary, but hi' would need to be given

seme stronger arguments to malic lion vole for the harliorinasinr's disinissa l .

Mr. Wilkinson, in reply, said that in iljc event of the motion being carri«<i. tin; present li:irbormastor could jipplv just the' .same n.s anybody cine, and if the nieinbers tfiought so highlv of h.s si-rviws then they could re-appoint him. What else could they do but dispense with the services of the man at the head of a department who refused ir> eliect economies? If in his own business lie suggested to the head of a department {lie necessity for retrenchment, and it' I ho employee raised nil sorts of tions to the adoption of such a course, he would very SOON GET ONE WHO WOULD cany out his ideas. Captain Mood had made that mistake of arguing that nothing could be 'done. Under his proposals, no harm could conic to Captain Hood, lie could apply, and the Board might re-appoint him. But they must show Captain flood that there was v.o dilliculty in getting other men to do the work, and that was the lesson he wou'd have to leam in the event of his being re-appointed. | The amendment wis lost, Messrs Max-, well, Hughes am! MeClugg'xge support'nj?. chairman and Messrs King, W iikinson uud Wells opposing, and Vlr. Price refraining from voting. Mr. Price moved a further amendment, that the harbormaster's salary W> l reduced Ey I'so per annum. He thouglil the previous cut too drastic, especially as the business of the port was increasing every day Mr. Wilkinson: Decreasing, you mean. Mr. Trice: Xo, it only decreased for a lime. Mr. Wells said that he had been awav tor six months, and he would like to know if Mr. Price's statement was correct. The chairman: No.

Ur. ICing: He's all wrong. : Mr. Price proccedod: It would not le very long before there would be t»n increase. Mr. King said the Board did not expect an increase for a long time to come. Mr. Maxwell seconded the aniendin .it as against the course proposed in the resolution, remarking that he would hkt to do the fair thing. Mr. Wilkinson appealed to the chair. Several members had made the inference that he was not acting fairly.—"lie ! was assured the remarks were nit meant to be so interpreted. AN EXPLANATION. Mr. Wells took it that this was nt: dismissal, but merely reorganisation of the staff, lie thought it 6hould be made clear in lie report of the proceedings that tile decreased revenue was not brought about by any fault of the port, but was merely during the time between the opening of the Main Trunk rail wry | and the completion of the harbor for the bigger voxels, lie didn't want f'le idea that the Board had borrowed a lot of money and that now the whole thing had burst. Mr. Connett said it was useles# to mince matters. This thing must lie done, and he blamed himself fo r ;iot doing it before. He was going to show Captain 1 food and other people here that there was no (Bllieulty in getting a good man for the billet, even if the j 4esent harbormaster were re-appointed. Mr. MfOlugjrage remarked that unlets he were re-appointed there would bo a serious reflection on Captain Hood'? character.

Captain TTood, by permission of the Board, laid on the Board's table a statement showing the trade and conditions at Oamaru. Mr. Wilkinson said he had no wish to be, ungenerous, but after this he must insist that no officer should be present at Board meetings. Matters of finance should he entirely in tlie Board's own hands.

Mr. King couldn't see how members eonld vote £275, after vetoing £2lO. and explain the matter satisfactorily to the ratepayers. The amendment was lost, the chairman giving his casting vote against it. The voting wa«: —Ayes: Messrs McCluggage, Trice, Hughes and Maxwell; noos: "Messrs Connett, King, Wilkinson an:l Wells. There was a loose discuMioi whilst the division was being taken. Another amendment by Messrs Me Cluggage and Price, endeavoring to secure the berth to Captain Hood al £2OO, was negatived, x and the motion was carried by 4 to 3, Mr. Hughes not ! voting. j THE SECOND MOTION. Mr. Wilkinson then moved that applications be called for the position <"? harbormaster at a salarv not exceed' £230. - Mr. Price wished to add: "and th:H preference be given to Captain TToo:V The chairman refused the anvn :nt, but said that other things \eing equal preference would be given. Mr. Maxwell was glad' to hear Ui : .a remark, and hoped the Board would take Captain Hood's past services into consideration. Mr. Wilkinson said that he felt sure Captain Hood need fear no injustice. The motion was carried. It was decided that applications foi the post of harbormaster close on January 21st next. The motion to abolish,the position of nightwatchman was carried. FURTHER RETRENCHMENT. Mr. Maxwell acked leave to introduce a motion to reduce the salaries of the remaining members of the harbormasters staff. Mr. King objected, on theground that there had been nothing to indicate tlirt these wages were to be discussed. Mr. Maxwell oould do all he wished by notice of motion. . . After discussion, Mr. Maxwell intimated that he would give notice of motion to deal with this matter at next meeting, proposing to reduce the pay of the othe r two men by £3O a vear c'aeh. CAPTAIN HOOD'S ADVICE. Captain Hood advised the Board that if further retrenchment were needed it could be obtained by revising the regulations.—The suggestion was noted.