THE HARBOUR BOARD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 6

THE HARBOUR BOARD.

■ : . ■ 1^ —;,,'. ' " Although it would be absurd '_ to speak of Mr. Ferguson's resignation from the service of the Harbour Board as an irreparable calamity, -there is no question that in losing him : the Harbour Board has lost an officer of unusual ability, whom it will be by no means easy satisfactorily to replace; For many years Mr. Ferguson has exercised a degree of authority in his position which is, perhaps, unusua) in port government in this country, and although he has been' given the disposal of vast sums of money, and this has contributed to the success of liis efforts, it will be, generally admitted that his administration of it has* been most judicious.,: /His retirement'.is therefore greatly to be regretted. 3Ve_ do :jiot know all the considerations which have influenced him in resigning his post—' the reasons which he sets oitt_ in his letter- of resignation, certainly are not, to our . mind, ■',' weighty enough to warrant •' the extreme. step which he/has taken I—and1—and we are not -disposed to speculate on matters.which will probably be the subject of later discussion by the Board. It is clear, however, that Mr. Ferguson is dissatisfied with recent invasions, ; of the authority which /he. has exercised" for so many years. There has been a tendency amongst certain members of the Board to use their position to secure the public eye. It is a tendency discoverable somewhere in> all public boards and -bodies. To some einen, public . offise presents'' irresistible '■' fasci actions., as a .-.highly advantageous for the furtherance 'of political aspira■tions. In the case of the Harbour Board a desjre Jot publicity has 'led some of the members into interference with administrative details which should have bsen left to the- chief executive officer of the Board. Speaking broadly, the Harbour Board, and in fact public bodies generally, , would do well to merely concern themselves with genera 1 lines of policy. -If the chief executive officer is not fit to be entrusted with the details, he is not fit to be entrusted with executive power. 3lr. Ferguson's resentment of such .methods as we have mentioned is, therefore,, natural enough. If, as" is possible, there have been faiilts on both sides, in the matter of encroachment on authority, that does not lessen our regret at the' resignation of an able offi- , cial, nor moderate our conviction , that members of such bodies as the Harbour Board should not use their public office for the purposes of personal notoriety, ...■..'