Dock Engineer.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 4296, 27 February 1884, Page 4

Dock Engineer.

(To the Editor.)

Silt, —When you consider the vast interests at stako in connection with the new dock, involving the prosperity, to a largo extent, of this port in tho future, and affecting as it must its pro-oiuinenco amongßt the ports of the colonies, ovoryono must agr.ee with you that tho appointment of Engineer under present circumstances is a matter about which there should be no possible chance of the petty corruption and button-holing so common in connection with these appointments, finding any place in connection with this one. Unhappily, such does not appear to bo tho case. Tho Board meets, not to consider the fitness of the candidates ; not to carefully weigh the special qualificationa of tho certain admittedly qualified men; not oven to road as a matter of form tho testimonials : but f-imply to read out the applications, proceed to ballot on what was.clearly a foregone conclusion. I knov/iiothing of tho candidates —the fortunate appointoo may be tho best for aught I (mow —butthoro can be no queition that tho appointment has been made va not very decent hasto—ono may hopo.-£hat after repontance shall not over.fc\ke us. Mr Clark has dono well to take upon himself the not very grateful task of seeking to obtain a re-consideration of the matter, and he will no doubt be roady to bring forward good reasons lor what ho has undertaken. If, to anjono specially, it is owing to Mr Clark's persistence and energy that the now dock has been sot on foot at all, and it is therefore peculiarly appropriate that he should, at some personal unpleasantness, endeavour to prevent a serious blunder being made at tho present juncture,—l am, &c, Mbbuuakt.

Mr Edward Bailey, of Green Lane, sends us the following report of an outrage on Saturday night:—"Sir,—May I beg space in your papor to complain of a cowardly outrage commuted on two children on tho Romuera Road yesterday (Saturday) evening ? My eon and daughter, aged 17 and 15 respectively, left home at 7 o'clock to go to Newmarket, returning from there about a quarter-past eight. When walking along tho Romuera Road, they noticed a man dodging them, Booming to have come from the direction of Market Road, Being very timid, they allowed him to go past them near Portland Road, walking on slowly bohind him. When near Mr A. Isaacs'a gate, the man camo suddenly upon them both, running at them and knocking them both down, and nearly stunning the boy by hitting him in the lower part of the cheat. The girl had a little purse in her hand, and a packet of butter-Scotch, which, in hor struggle to retain her purse, was scattered all about, and was picked up by a younger son this (Sunday) morning on the road where tho marks of the struggle were plainly seen. Her pursq was opened, but fortunately none of its content* were missed. The screams of the children were heard by us in Green Lane Road, but thinking they had met some cattle coming through Mr Buckland's paddock, were not particularly noticed. The boy and girl arrived home utterly exhausted and breathless by the brutal and cowardly attack. I may say on their screaming out the man made off swiftly, running in the direction of Newmarket. Tho fellow, as far as they could sco, was of short staturo, slouching look, small dark whißkors, round felt hat, and dark clothes."