MR. WITHEFORD AND THE HARBOUR BOARD'S LAUNCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 43, 20 February 1902, Page 2

MR. WITHEFORD AND THE HARBOUR BOARD'S LAUNCH.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —1 was very much surprised to. read that the Harbour Board had •"•» il" "•■< uc-Y tion in taking iht* iv: •■ ■•■- ---'he absence of the Chairman, o f lending the Board's steam launch to one of our Ministers, it seems tiiat Mr Witheford can do nothingright in the eyes of some of the "old women" who sit on our municipal councils. I have not been long i (1 the country, but yet long enough to have noticed the lack of men of a<v tion in our public bodies. Mr Witheford is the only member who does his best to push Auckland- interests with the Government, and into local affairs he also puts his whole heart and soul, and is not afraid to put his hand into his pocket. Mr Witheford was also greatly blamed for the part he took i7i calling the first meetihg in connection with the Premier's send-off, instead of allowing the: Mayor to do so. If all the correspondence which has passed between the gentlemen responsible for this movement were published it would be seen that Mr Witheford had therein a strong justification for his action. —I am, etc.,

AN AMERICAN.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —When vSir Joseph Ward reads the report of the Harbour Board's meeting, and Mr J. H. Witheford's reply (re the above), he can only come to the conclusion the members of the Board are not a very happy family. The very action of passing such a resolution, in the absence of the member supposed to have committed such an outrageous act, obtaining the use. of the launch for the purpose of showing- a Minister of the ■ , Crown the excellent shipping facilities, etc., of the Auckland Harbour, shows to my mind, as it will no doubt to the majority of yonr readers, a spirit of jealousy and the absence of gentlemanly feeling that should exist. Would it not have been more manly to have waited until Mr Witheford was present at a meeting-, and given an opportunity to explain his action. His letter in your issue of last night's "Star" throws a , different light on the matter, and I should like to know which member of the Board, had he been so situated as Mr Witheford, would have acted otherwise.

I know of no individual citizen of Auckland that has done more to entertain distinguished visitors, and show them the beauties of our harbour and its excellent sloping advantages, at his own cost. I do not agree with everything Mr Witheford does, but I admire his undoubted faith in the resources of Auckland and its future prosperity. His, perhaps, over-anxiousness to do all he can to benefit the community which he' so well represents, may appear to his fellow members On the Harbour Board quite different to their sleepy ideas. What a igood thinr-; it would be if there were more energetic members. To illustrate, ■see the Board's action re the question of the counterpoise stage, a matter whjich has been before the; Board about 12 months, and a, special, man sent to Sydney to obtain information thereon. Would it not have been to public advantage to have settled that matter, instead of taking up the time discussing a Crown Minister's trip in the launch? —I am, etc.,

FAIR PLAY.