WAITARA HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 332, 20 June 1911, Page 3

WAITARA HARBOR BOARD.

I'ERMAXEXT M'AEK TO CIO. AX UXAVAIUXU OPPOSITION. 1 SOME SHARP PASSAGES.

A special meeting of tlu; Waitara Harbor Board was held at the Board's office yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs. Jenkins (chairman), J. Rattenbury, Jas. Iline, jmi., .1. Smith. W. T. Jennings. M.P., R. Hicks, and \V. liirdling. There was a gathering of about a dozen members of the public present, and their npphu.se was an indication that they were opposed to the proposed methods of re-organisation. Mr. Hine was unsuccessful in his endeavor to have the Board's decision re-considered, and several members of the present staff will be dismissed at tlie end of the current month. The special business was to receive the report of the committee set up to deal with the re-organisation of the perinan-1 ent staff. At the last regular meeting.] it was decided to give the permanent staff notice of the Board's intention to | dispense with their services, and a committee was set up. The chairman, in opening the proceedings, explained that he had decided to allow Mr. Hine to uring on the motion of which he had given notice, this being diametrically opposed to the recommendations! which would be submitted by the committee. MR. HIKE'S MOTIOX.

Mr. Hine thanked the chairman for his courtesy, and said he would move his motion to rescind the resolution passed at the last meeting to dispense with the services of the permanent staff. He assumed that when he had done this the committee's report would be laid on the table. The resolution passed, he had reason to believe, was absolutely irregular, and perhaps ultra vires. It was customary to give notice of motion in matters of this kind, and the wisdom of such a course was shown by the fact that by the method adopted'of bnn»-' ing the business forward Mr. Jennings, j who was absent from the meeting, was given no opportunity of voting on the Bnbjcct. The Board's action was ultra vires, if not illegal. Besides, it was too revolutionary, too fast. The Board appeared to have taken a sledgehammer to crack a nut. He appealed to members of the Board to reconsider their action, and urged that re-organisation could be affected without the drastic measures that were being taken. They could secure economy and still deal fairly all round.

Tl"> chairman seconded pro forma, remarking that Mr. Nine's motion was a direct negative to the report which the committee was about to submit.

Mr. Jennings, after stating that he was quite unable to be pre-ent at the last meeting, said he would like to know what was in this report, and he would like to know what had taken place. The chairman saw no necessity for reading the report now. It would lii> presented shortly. No member of the Board but the members of the committee knew what it was, iso Mr. Jennings was at no disadvantage. c Mr. Jennings, nowever. said he had no desire to vote in the dark on Mr. Hine s motion, and tabled an amendment that the motion stand over until the report of the committee had been read. Mr. Hine seconded.

The amendment \Vas not put, the chairman proceeding with the reading of the report, which was as follows: ° THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. "As directed at the last monthly meeting, your committee met and discussed ■the matter of re-organisation of the staff and arrived at the following decisions, which are now before you for ■ your consideration:—(a) That tile positions of harbormaster,-wharfinger, and secretary continue to be held by one man, who shall be a master mariner with a sea-going certificate,, his.-.salary , to be £250 per annum, (b)~ That a cadet be to assist in the office at a salary of £4o'per annum with annual increases of £lO until' the salary reaches £BO per annum. (<•) That.l. W. Laing be re-appointed pilot and dredgemaster at a salary of £ls(j per annum with free house; : that he assist the secretary in the office when required to do so during the busy season, and generally under the supervision of th^"harbormaster to have charge of all river work; that he be relieved of all laboring work on the wharf aiid in the sheds. "Although this effects a savin" of £9O per annum, it is not the primary object in view in regard to the re-organis'ing. The great need for efficiency in carrying out the work of the port is the distributing of the. duties of offices in a more practicable manner, and not simply / making clerical duties the main feature, thus taking the first, step towards progress. The duties at present are, in the opinion of your committee, simply those pertaining'to office work, and this will never improve the harbor. What, we feel is required is the services of a ] qualified master mariner who can advise and assist the Board in improving the I conditions of the port, and who at the same time to take full charge of the harbor and its workings, and wil.li competent assistance this can be ' carried out under the conditions set forth. Want of proper supervision during the past appears to us to have been ' the cause of money being spent in- : judiciously and not economically, but we are of the opinion that the new scheme i will do away with this and other anom- ( alies. It is said that the office work i cannot be done with the assistance of a 1 cadet, but we might point out that a '" few years ago, when there was more j shipping, the present clerk was a cadet j and evidently did manage to give the t assistance required by the secretary, f There was also a time when the work <; of harbormaster, wharfinger, pilot and secretary were carried out by Mr. Cam- } eron without any assistance, and at that a time there was undoubtedly very much y more work to do, with perhaps an exception in the wool season. The suggested combinations of offices appeal to the committee as being the best for the efficient carrying out of the work, and we believe will be to the best interests of the development and progress of the t port wlfich, without any doubt, requires the peimanent services of an officer qualified to advise the Hoard, and be V able to carry it out in a vigorous man- P ner." n

According to the suggested conditions of appointment, an applicant for the position of harbormaster-secretary must be a master mariner with a sea-going certificate, and must be capable of carrying out the duties of harbormaster, wharfinger, and secretary (pilot and ■ cadet.assisting). Tie must be capable of advising the Board on all matters connected with the improvement of the nver, so as to enable tbem to eater for larger shipping facilities, and to take charge of all such works. He will be required to take charge of all dredgin* work ns _ supervisor, .the pilot being actually in charge. Renerally he will carry out nil works in connection with the care and improvement of the harbor and all works in connection therewith. THE MOTION- ONCE MORE. Mr. Hhte, in reply, said the position had changed somewhat, but he was still of opinion that his was the correct

course. The committee had given a deal of time to the matter, but there was a weak spot in the report, "'here were dozens oi men about who were capable of carrying out the duties of harbormaster, and men could be got who were capable of acting as secretary; but few incn could do the work of both harbormaster and secretary. He believed that it would be impossible to get such a man, for the training required was so j different. How many master mariners were certificated accountants. The motion was lost, only Mr. Hine supporting it.' REPORT PASSES UNALTERED.

The Board then proceeded to the eonsidenstion of the report, the reception or adoption of which wa6 not moved till a later stage, at the end of the discussion. Mr. Jennings suggested taking the clauses of the report seriatim, kut the cnairman was opposed to this course, saying the Board must deal with the ! report as a whole, and either take it leave ii Mr. Jennings said tlliit When he had opposed Mr, Hine, supporting the action of the majority of the Board in setting up this committee, he Had not necessarily given his support to the report submitted, but reserved the right to mako any suggestion for its amendment, lie was opposed to clause (a), and moved that. the position of harbormaster and wharfinger be distinct from that of secretary. He agreed with Mr. Hine as to the remote possibility of securing a harbormaster who could also be secretary, and in all his experience he had never seen a qualified master mariner acting' as accountant and clerk.

Mr. Hine seconded pro forma. lie railed to see that the committee had arrived at anj- very gj'eat economy. They proposed spending £450 per annum in salaries, whilst he .was prepared to submit a scheme to cost £424 per annum, and still deal fairly and squarely with every member of the old staff. Mr. Rattenbury said he would have liked a litle time to consider the report. which they were asked to deliberate and decide upon without any previous knowledge of it. He would support Mr. Jennings. It was imperative that the Board should have a first-class seafaring man as pilot. The secretary's work could lie done in three days a week.

Mr. Smith pointed out to Mr. Rattenbury that 110 suggestion hart been made by Mr. Jennings to amalgamate the offices of harbormaster and pilot, but of harbormaster and wharfinger. The amendment was lost, only Messrs. Jennings and Rattenoury supporting it. Mr. Hine moved a further amendment that the positions be (a) harbormaster •.and pilot (at £l5O and free house), lb) wharfinger (£150;, and (c) secretary ( £112). He pointed out that the Hoard already had employees to fill these positions. The assistant pilot was a -oung man, thoroughly competent. They had an employee who was wholly competent as wharfinger, and they could retain the present harbormaster and secretary as secretary. The Board would be taking nothing on trust. Members were agreed that Mr. Cameron was a good secretary, but he was getting up in years. How could the Board do better than to give him a post as secre- j tary, relieving him of the more active I work, for no man was as capable as he at the present juncture, having the whole of the Board's business at hia fingers' ends, whilst the members of the Board were nearly all new to the work ? ITe asked his colleagues to refrain from doing an unjust thing to its old servants. and particularly to its secretary, who bore a record of unblemished integrity and honesty, and was in every way a capable secretary. Mr. Jennings seconded pro forma, remarking that, he had understood that it. was necessary that a pilot should be a certified mariner.

Mr. Hine pointed out that under his scheme the Board would save £lO7 per annum, as compared with the present salaries. The committee's report showed a saving of only £9l.

The motion was lost, only the mover voting in its favor.

Mr. Hicks moved the re-appointment of Mr. J. W. Laing as pilot and dredgemaster at a salary of £l5O, in terms of the report. He remarked that Mr. Laing was one of the most successful men they had had at the pilot station for many years. Mr. Jennings seconded. Mr. Hine asked when Mr. Laing was to take up his duties as pilot. The chairman said that he could do this on his return from a month's leave in Julv.

Mr. Hine: He can't do that, for the present pilot's term does not expire fan 30th September.

'ihe chairman: Laing is the pilot now. Mr. Hine: [sn't he the assistant pilot, Mr. Cameron?

Mr. Cameron (secretary): He's licensed as a pilot, and acting as assistant for

The chairman: Then he's the pilot. That's good enough for us. Mr. -Smith: He does the work, anyhow.

The motion was carried, Mr. Hine dissenting.

Mr. Hicks moved, and Mr. Smith seconded, the adoption of the report. a JI' ne r °se and entered his emphatic protest against the whole business." The resolution savored very much of the "cut and dried," and of hole and corner work. He asserted that the secretary to the Board had been subjected to persecution in a manner that was absolutely disgraceful. Mr. Hine declared his inability to express in words his feelings concerning the whole I « f I ! S "I eSS ;, " I warn he cried, . tlm , t .. th , e PoW'c are against vou (applause from 'the T>iblie). Hu- public opinion can be trusted m a matter of this kind, a matter pertinent to the welfare of the whole district. I challenge you to resign. You resign, I will resign, and we will go to the ratepayers on this matter, and if as the result of the vote I go out I will do so gladly. The public opinion is all against you." Pointing across the table, Mr. Hine continued: ''You know it, Mr. Hicks" Mr. Hicks: I admit it, but my supporters (lidn t show it, did thev? Mr. Hine: Your supporters?' The British public want fair play. A further interchange.' and an appeal was made by Mr. Hine to the chair for he o w,1 lO f\ u • I ' e W!IS informp <l that he was at fault w personally addressing a member of the Board during debate Mr. lime resumed, condemning Mr. Rattenlmry for his weak support of the speaker at last meeting when he fount gainst this "rusl.-poiicy, and pointing out that to-day Mr. Rattenbury weaklv him in his condemnation of the committee work, of the hole and corner work, of four members waiting an the secretary and telling him that if he vyould resign there would be no fuss, no discussion, that he would get three months leave of absence—

The chairman: We've hoard that lv>fore. Mr. Hine: And you'll htir it ,-min A member: Well, say what's correct I he chairman• Stick t-> the point. Mr. Hine: I'll, you didn't say at lasc meeting that it wasn't correct Yoii tried to jus+ifv il. Yes. T'm going to stick to th' point. I am sticking to the point. You oil know that four of you

[went to the harbormaster and asked him to resign quietly. And now what do we | kvK is the str«>t? A man met me and ■t i.-cil, "Whatn-ciiij: (iov.'ii at the liar- | b i" office?" su«j»(v...i!g iliat there must li" something * "U'l; the hooks 'o ,|i-'Jly such amor,. i. was casting a slur on the secretary. i The chairman said that the biggest siur on Mr. j-i.rt )>ad been'cast '-y Mr. Hine himself. He was an old and valued servant Mr. Hine: Rc-appoint. him, then, 1 Mr. Jenkins, continuing, said it was a slur and an insult when Mr. Hine proposed to reduce Mr. Cameron's "screw" to the level ot a boy's salary. ■Mr. Hine: I'd reduce his duties as well. Don't leave that out. Be honest.

Mr. Jennings said he was exceedingly loth to say what lie was going to say. He remarked that he had been a member or the Board before Mr. Hine. He had stood up for Mr. Cameron before, and he had stcod up for him to-day, as lie always vculd. As for M r Iliue's boast of pu'iiic opin.oii. he didn't care a snap c.f h's f.pgen i.<r public opinion co long as he considered he was working in the best interests of the port and the district, and so long as he believed :ie was doing what he believ ; L to be right. He refused to believe that men like their chairman, who was the Mayor of the borough, and like Mr. Birdling and Mr.' Hicks, were guilty of wrong doing, or guilty of hole-and-corner work. He refused to accept that from Mr. Hine or any other gentleman in Waitara. Whilst giving Mr. Hine credit for sticking up for old servants, he (Mr. Hine) should not allow it to go forth that lie believed his fellow-members guilty of conspiracy. The language used by Mr. Hine to-day would be regretted by him as he grew older. He was going to help Mr. Cameron if he could, so highly did he think of him, but when a majority of members of the Board, after giving the matter consideration, declared in favor of the present scheme, he and Mr. Hine had to go down, and that's all there was about it.

Mr. Hine was allowed to make a personal explanation. He said that Mr. Jennings was absent from last meeting, and did not know what had taken place there. If the matter of staff changes had been brought forward in open board lie would have hau no fault to find, but he would repeat that there had been hole-and-corner work.

Mr. Ratt.enbury said lie had joined the Board with the intention of securing economy without impairing efficiency. He was not aware of any "holc-and-cor-ner" meeting. Members might have talked matters over together, but that was frequently done. There was, he considered; room for economy. Speaking as an old man, who had been connected with a great many public bodies, he said that Mr. Mine was young and energetic, and his energy in some cases exceeded his judgment, and he did not care whom he attacked. Mr. Hine was going to ( straighten the whole world, but, like I many another, he would find it a diffi-! cult matter. AMien he was older he would be content to leave it as many Others had done. The Board was not going to throw out old employees, for all the old employees could app'ly for positions. ' < The report was adopted.