WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 258, 29 October 1907, Page 4

WELLINGTON HARBOUR BOARD.

MR. FERGUSON'S RESIGNATION.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Monday. Mr. W. Ferguson's resignation of the position of secretary and engineer to the Wellington Harbour Board was considered by the Board in committee this afternoon. It was decided, "That the resignation of Mr. Ferguson be accepted with regret; that the committee regrets to learn from Mr. Ferguson that he is unable to negotiate for a continuance of his services, and desires to place on record its sense of the extreme value of such services to the port of Wellington during the past 23 A years; further, that the committee recommends to the Board that an agreement be entered into with Mr. Ferguson—he having indicated his willingness to agree to the same—that •his services as secretary and engineer terminate on November 1, 1908; that he be granted six months' leave of absence from May 1, 190S; and that he for a period of five 3 r cars from May 1, 1908, act as consulting engineer to the Board, if arrangements can be made by him to that effect, his fee as consulting engineer to be £500 per annum, such sum to cover the whole of the remuneration of Mr. Ferguson for such consulting services." Speeches were made by members appreciative of Mr. Ferguson's long and valuable services. There was some warmth shown during the discussion in reference to the circumstances that led to the resignation, namely, the chairman's recent ruling that the secretary could not take part in discussions at a Board meeting without the unanimous consent of the members. Mr. Ferguson has accepted the posk tion of engineer to the Wellington Gas Company at a salary of £1500 per an T num, with liberty to take private practice.