THE LATE MR C. Y. O'CONNOR.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11347, 9 August 1902, Page 11

THE LATE MR C. Y. O'CONNOR.

Sensational developments have taken alace in connection with the Coolgardie scheme, worry in connection with irhioh was supposed to have led to the iaicide of Mr C. Y. O'Connor, EngineerfrQuel of Westralia, and welL known in »$ fW Zealand. The report of the Royal Commission appointed to enquire into the water scheme states that Mr O'Connor pi- o *** implicit trust in his assistant, Mr Hodgson, and in the end practically Lit tli» work in his hands. Tha value 0 { this rare opportunity does not seem *o have been recognise- by Mr Hodg- ,<_, for at _ very early 'stage r.f tie jjyiiatic-n of the stheme be int.'ivsced fcja_«lf i" tk e occupation of land, the rthie ot which depended to some (-stent speri the fixing of the pumping station J; Canderdin. Evidence and files irdi--_te that this was net the most suitable e < B jtian for a pumping station in tie of the State. The confidence placed in him by the En-»foeer-in-Chief, instead of inspiring hun [£ _ determination to deserve that high defiWe «f confidence, seems to have bttn Bt-iied in furthering interests other than tboge cf the State. It might be said tnat ft should not have been expected that for ft lalary of £800 per annum those high qaditiea could have been secured ne>-e?-itrv for the administrative control of such httge undertaking. Such a contention Bagbi, bs used in condemning the coniiAnce. repesed in » man, but it was no <Hjti£c_tion for abuse of that confidence', ft was difficult to arrive at any other contiotion from the evidence afforded, ck-ru-jneatary and oial, than that it was the djacovery by Mr O'Connor of the degree to which his "implicit trust" had lifen zai_pl_ced and financial results pr_eet:_ing therefrom that finally unbalanced an al- j ready overstrained mind. j