LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 23, 22 October 1907, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

MR. FERGUSON'S RESIGNATION. Sir,—l fully endorse all tho praise that Air. Beauchamp gives to the great skill and ability of .Mr. Ferguson, Harbour Board Engineer. lam suro tho' citizens of our city have noticed for years past tho vast improvements and facilities which he has constructed for our shipping requirements, and 1 consider his resignation will prove a sad loss to tho Board, both in money and otherwise. It will ho shown , that three persons will bo employed to perform his present duties. But his works will remain a monument of skill his enemies cannot ignore. 1 have no doubt those gentlemen holding prominent positions who have been working for this end aro now satisfied with their endeavours. Whatever the citizens . may think of them remains to bo seen.—l am, etc. CHAS. 3IMMONDS. . Wellington, October 21.

HARBOUR BOARD CONSTITUTION. Sir, —With the excuse that a good suggestion may sometimes come from a humble source, I ask your tutelage for the following. Our Board of harbour control should bo nominated, not elected.. I would suggest a Board of ton citizens as follows: — Two members of Parliament (to be nominated by tho Government of tho day.) Two City Councillors (nominated by the Council, the Mayor need not he one de jure, junc.; Two representatives of shipowning firms (each purely, shipping firm in Wellington to have a power of-nomination). ■' Two representatives of importing firm's (each large importing firm'to have a power: of nomination). Ono Labour representative (nominated by the Unions). One Chamber of Commerce representative (preferably the President). The Chairman of the Board, to be elected by the members annually. ' A country representative is unprovided for because I wish to create (in theory) not only a thoroughly' .representative body, but also a chamber of experts, and a country member cannot bo expected to readily grip hold of harbour politics. Country interests would ho briefed hy five of tho nominated body and could he delegated to one of these especially. I contend that' at the present time our Harbour Boards aro not representative bodies nor yet aro any of them composed of exports. Some important sections of tho commercial etat of thol Dominion aro at present cn~ tirely unrepresented, their interests are played 1 with, and their warnings fall on deaf ears. "

; 1 now come to the executive staff, and'in .making tho suggestion- herein sot down, am guided by the example of many great ports. First: Chief Executive Officer should be.tho Harbour Master. official should be a nautical man of proved ability, with a long practical experience of ships ,docks, harbours, cargo.'-aud stowage. Second: An engineer, whoso consulting services or part tiino only might bo required (in this I do not claim to be an authority). Third: A secretary and treasurer who should bo a good accountant and organiser, and nothing more than a well-salaried official and a servant of tho Board.

The Harbour Waster and Engineer not to attend Board meetings personally unless specially requested, but to mako written reports, not only on their own initiative, but also at the request of any two members on any point they may wish to bring up. I claim that a scheme of control analogous to tho foregoing would bo (1) representative, (2) efficient and economical, and (3), most important of all, expansive. The usefulness of tho system of' administration at present in force will be soon outgrown by tho increase of tho port, if such is not already tho case. —I am, etc., ■.''.-■ ;■ EVANUS. Wellington, October 21.

THE Y.M.C.A. /Sir,—l am sorry that tho Y.M.C.A. man'agoment should have such rules as one in particular, only, allowing persons to become mombers who are bona lido members of some church. Now, sir, they aro getting support outside of members, and thero are many Christians in this city w,ho are not attached to any particular church and' yet ,aro debarred from belonging to the above Association. I, for one, would subscribe, biit not until such'-a oast-iron rule is wiped out. —I am, etc., DEBARRED. October .18. : THE FLOUR DUTY.

Sir, —You arc to bo commended for your trenchant leader upon the above question, which is in refreshing contrast to your morning contemporary's attitude on the samo subject. It is quito evident that the removal of the duty on both flour and wheat is imperative to checkmate the extension of State functions involved in the demand for State-owned flourmills. It is also apparent that the abolition of the flour, duty and tho retention of tho duty on wheat''would prejudice our miilers and encourage corners in the cereal. The failure of the crops, duo to tho dry seasons down South, which has produced an increase in the prico of flour and a consequent rise in tho price of bread, coupled with the fact that the area under wheat is a diminishing one, proves conclusively that it is insonsate folly tor us to depend entirely on this slender supply. Now, sir, in conclusion] permit me to state that the Premiers' proposed legislation in this matter is of the most undemocratic character. No one can deny that it is arrogating despotic power to the Premier and the rest of tho Protection-ist-Socialist Ministers to demand that a vital question like this should bo totmgfoiTcd from eke popular Assombly to the Qoyanior-in-Ceuucif, which is practically the Cabinet, consisting,' qf a few individuals witli pronounced protectionist prejudices; and vesting in these few men tho power to.play battledore and shuttlecock with the'duties.' It is government by Cabinet, and if tho demand is complied witr thoro is no necessity for popular rule whatever. It is safe to say that no government under the sun would consent to confer such power on tho executive. I trust the Opposition will opposo this measure when the Premier brings it down; but in the present state of public apathy to these mattors, and the steady tendency of tho Government towards the shoals of State Socialism, it is too much to hopo for its defeat. —I am, etc., ■■•- ; ■•T. W. BURKE. Masterton, October 19.

FIRES ON WOOL SHIPS. Sir, —Much interest is felt at the present moment over tho question of fires on wool ships. Tho Turakina's is tho latest examplo, and, naturally, public attention will be directed to tho enquiry now proceeding. I notico that Captain Forbes Is reported as having said "that if .the men smoked in the hold when loading they would be instantly detected." Surely Captain Forbes cannot bo taken seriously. Who is going to detect tho men ? Wherever and under whatever circumstances smokers may bo working they will have a sly draw if a chance occurs, and in a good many instances officers themselves are tho transgressors. For very many years I was in a position whore my duties brought me intimately into connection with the workers and'officers of steamers, and I have repeatedly had to check both for smoking in tho holds. Men aro warned of dismissal, but still somo will indulge. Officers aro on duty to, among other things, prevent surreptitious smoking, and some of theso do it themselves. Only a few days ago I chanced to be on a steamer which called at Picton. Cargo in tho shape of hay, flax, etc., was being shipped, and, although strictly against rules, officers wore smoking in very closo proximity to those highly inflammable materials, in one instauce. an officer slinging flax himself whilst smoking. If this is done in a large and well-regulated company, what must bo expected in tho smaller companies, where discipline is lax and everybody on board is on the same social scale? Tho theory of spontaneous combustion is quito untenable, and if every fire could bo traced back it would bo found to have originated through the agency of some olficcr or lumper breaking the rules regarding smoking ju ships' holds. Such lin offenco might well bo an indictable ono, , and offenders severely dealt with.—l am, etc., • PREVENTION. Chi'istchurch, October 20, 1007.