HARBOUR BOARD WORKMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 253, 23 October 1909, Page 7

HARBOUR BOARD WORKMEN.

AN INSPECTOR'S AUTHORITY. UPHELD BY THE HARBOUR BOARD. At the last meeting of the Harbour Board seven complaints were received from men who had been dismissed from their employment upon the construction of the new wharves by Mr. Young, inspector to the Board. These complaints were referred to the Board in committee, and were considered yesterday afternoon, when the engineer (Mr. Hamer) and the inspector (Mr. Young) were present. • Mr. Kneen protested against any inquiry being held' without the men being present. Nooourt of justice would condemn men unheard. These men al-1 leged that the inspector tad usedj language towards them that he .would I not stand from any man. The men ought to be present. Mr. Mitchelson: We are asking our | responsible officers to report. We can't go between them and the men. It is ' well known that many of these men! are loafers. I go down on the wharves every day, and ccc lot 3of men loafing in the most disgraceful way. Mr. Basley: I think the men should be present. " j I The Engineer,' said if the Board waa i i going to make every statement made by a workman, who was aggrieved because he had been discharged by an oilicer responsible to the Board's engineer, the subject of an inquiry, they had better put the shutters up on the work at once. If he was to be responsible to the Board he must be allowed to determine who was right in a matter of this kind. He would back up the inspector every time he appeared to be right. In these cases the inspector was absolutely in the right. Continuing, Mr. Hamer said he. was continually receiving shoals of complaints from persons with imagined grievances, many ' being anonymous. If anybody interfered with his authority he could not hold himself responsible for the work. They had been told that the inspector had used bad language to some of the men, but he could assure the Board that j some of the men had used the most weirdly picturesque language to himself. He could tell the Board that it required some pretty tough language to deal with i some men. '

Mr. Young, inspector to the Board, said he had used no bad language. Ha ■might have said, "I won't have any d loafing here." The men who had made complaints were idle loafers, who, when reprimanded for loafing, einiply defied him and left the works. The inspector went on to give details of each case.

Mr. Kneen: We ought to have the men here.

Air. Mitchelson t The men do loaf. 1 have seen them loafing day after day. I would not give them twopence a day myself. Mr. Heather: I think it i 3 a mistake for the Board to hear complaints rf this kind. We have responsible officers to deal with them. Mr. ilacfarlane: It will not do to interfere. Mr. Bradney: I entirely agree with the attitude taken up by the engineer. On the other hand, there is rarely smoke without fire. We get too many complaints. Scores come forward, and in these particular cases you have so.far only heard one side. Some of the men are respectable men and do not want to come back, but you are not doing your duty by the men unless you hear them. Men employed by the Board should be discharged by the Board. Mr. Mitchelson: Mr. Young is an officer of the Board. Mr. Bradney: He is not an appointee of the Board, but of the engineer. We have given the engineer a second- incommand, and he has superseded him. Mr. Hamer (angrily): That is utterly untrue, and is a statement you have no business to make to this Board. Mr. Bradney (excitedly): Mr. Chairman, I protest against this. The engineer has no business to address, mc in that way. Mr. Kneen: Hear, hear! Mt. Keyes: We have a very good inspector, and there is evidentlj' a combination against the best inspector the Board has ever had. We have gone too far with this matter already. The Hon. E. Mitchelson moved, and Mr. 11. D. Heather seconded: "That, having heard the engineer and Mr. Young, the committee is of opinion that no action should be taken." Mr. Kneen moved, and Mr. Bradney seconded, an amendment: "That the matter be deferred until the men have been heard." Mr. Basley eaid he would have to vote for the amendment, as he would like to hear the men. Mr. Macfarlane: We have no right to interfere between our responsible officers and the men. Mr. Kneen: That is a good old Tory doctrine. Mr. Mitchelson: He is a radical! The amendment was lost, and the motion was carried on the voices.