THE SHIP HAWKE'S BAY AND THE HARBOUR BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 74, 28 March 1895, Page 4

THE SHIP HAWKE'S BAY AND THE HARBOUR BOARD.

WEregreb'to learn that the 8.8. Hawke's Bay, of the Tyser lino of steamers, damaged the wharf at the Calliope dock the other day. It appears that the master,.:, Captain •; Felgato, holds « pilob exemption certificate for the port, of Auckland. Notwithstanding, this, he took Pilot Sainby on board, bub ib appears that the current, intensified by a wave from a passing steamer,, caused the Hawke's Bay to foul the wharf, doing . mote or loss damage to it. " The Harbour Board, watchiul over its property, promptly Berved a writ for i.450 on Capoaiu Felgato for damages on the evo of the departure of the Hiiwke'a Bay. No one will blame the Board for exercising vigilance in protecting the public property which ia; entrusted to its care, but there may be two opinions &a to the amouut claimed for damages in this case. We are, however, willing to credit the Board, whilst thus acting, with a genuine desire to do nothing to damage the reputation or the interests of the port. At the same time we are very strongly of opinion that it has acted with undue haste, and has displayed very bad judgment. The port of Auckland has an excellent reputation for despatch and consideration amongsb captains of steamers frequenting the port. Whilst it is not easy 10 secure such a reputation, there is no difficulty whatever in losing ib. We fear the Board by its present action is in danger of doing that. Once let the port be regarded as a place whore every advantage is taken in case of accident, and where no consideration is shown to thocaptaina in command of the splendid steamers coming every week to the port of Auckland, and our trade and commerce must suffer severely, in freights and in all other ways. The Board's action in tho case of the e.s. Hawke's Bay is specially unfortunate, because the Tyser line was the first to make the port of Auckland the first port of call for every one of its steamers trading to New Zealand. Ib was the firsb line to send its steamers to the Biutf and Wanganui. The Tyser line sends a steamer to this port onceamonth, sometimes of tenor; forinsbance the Hawke's Bay left this morning, bub will not leave the colony for some time to come, and another of their fico fleet, the Indramayo, (w due hore in a few daye. We have said enough to show that in case of such accidents as that of the Hawke's Bay, ib is nob always wise to exact the uttermost farthing. The Board may or may not recover some damages at law, but there can be little doubt that the interests of the port will groatly suffer by such hasty and irritating legal actions.