Treasurer Wins Appeal On Harbour Board Post

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30152, 8 June 1963, Page 10

Treasurer Wins Appeal On Harbour Board Post

The appeal by Mr A. J. Sowden against the appointment of Mr A. I. R- Jamieson as secretary-manager of the Lyttelton Harbour Bboard was yesterday upheld by an appeal board consisting of Messrs E. A. Lee, S.M. (chairman), A. Prentice (Harbour Board representative) and R. R. Senior (Harbour Board employees’ representative).

The decision was unanimous- The appeal board ordered the Lyttelton Harbour Board to pay 20gns costs.

Mr Jamieson is manager of the Christchurch airport, and is employed by the City Council. Mr Sowden is treasurer of the Lyttelton Harbour Board. The position of secre-tary-manager of the Harbour Board became vacant on the retirement of Mr A L. Burk. The Harbour Board appointed Mr Jamieson to the position advertised at £3OOO a year. The appeal board’s decision in favour of Mr Sowden nullifies Mr Jamieson’s appointment, and the position is now vacant. The next move is for the Harbour Board to appoint someone to the position, and this will almost certainly be Mr Sowden. It is then open for Captain A R. Champion, the board’s harbourmaster, who had lodged an appeal against Mr Jamieson’s appointment to the position, to appeal against Mr Sowden’s appointment.

Captain Champion, questioned last evening, said that his solicitor was away. He could not say at present whether he was going to withdraw his appeal or proceed with it. He would make a statement on the matter on Monday. The engineer-in-chief of the Harbour Board (Mr J. A. Cashin), while not lodging any formal notice, indicated that, if certain findings were made by the appeal board, he would lodge notice of intention to appeal against the appointment He was not available last evening to say whether he would proceed on any intention to appeal. The hearing of the appeal, in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday was held in camera. Mr C. G. Penlington appeared for the Harbour Board and Mr B. McClelland for Mr Sowden.

Mr Clelland submitted that the hearing should be open to the press. It was a matter of public interest, he said. Mr Penlington submitted that the hearing should be in camera, on the ground that it was domestic matter of the board. Mr Lee, after consulting Messrs Prentice and Senior, ruled that the hearing should be held in camera. Mr Sowden was bom in Lyttelton and was educated at the Christchurch Boys’ High School and Canterbury University College. He began work with the Harbour Board as a junior clerk in April, 1930, immediately on leaving high school. He served for two years and a half on home service in World War 11.

He was appointed actingaccountant of the Harbour Board in August, 1946. and accountao} in February, 1947. He was made chief accountant in November, 1958, and treasurer in October. 1960. He acted as secretary-man-ager whenever Mr Burk was absent. Mr Sowden is a registered accountant.