CALLIOPE DOCK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 102, 23 January 1908, Page 8

CALLIOPE DOCK.

CAPTAIN BRIDSON.'S. GBITIpISM9rTHE DOCK3IASTER'S REPORT V •• tot TBLEOEArn— SrECIAL ' CORRESPOKDSST.tf* . ■' ■ , >, i.Auokland,"JauuarT.-22.'f:. The!. criticism/, of .r the . ; managemenfr->ofc the. Calliope Dock' uttered -bv ! Captain-'Bridscnd)'. .of H.M.S. Challenger, loaves the' Harbour Board several pomts.,to,consjder./In. ; : .. .concluding.-. h» letter, .Captain Bridson -mide >. the ..w»- •••.• ;.v- ---■ (1) Ihat-tlie dock- should: bevin chacgeiof' '■ a. reliable man .iiv- permanent'employment ofi the. Harbour. Board,, who; own £he- ■ dock, and who: would: bo-, also'-rospoiisibk-to s :the Board, blocks, .-gate,• stores, and alb appurtenances , are y m>good order. >\B.—ln iho, event; of ship on the.'dock/eiicn ( ..ca?eTVqu)'d, t haTO.' bo dealt, with., separately, -arid •tliO"responsi--bility fixed upbn<whichever.side'was;toHjlam6 for .it. ' sot atwxj ipo ' (2) That Hho. docking "aii'd"storing of /tho . vessel,- at'present* doiic by th'p contractor, . should bo .contrblledyljy tlie;'4l?ov4 t oj£cj/\l, who 'ex^en.ehced^^^j^c^r l .' v tho^caOT s bf•!a••'mßto^f:wiiF^^^g, ]jajo I'.. dock- the extra numbor 6f/stoFesi ,s aA'd 'iliij ~ smaller distance.', ap.a.rt. of .the.,chpcksre<iuir'ed, - . by her structure : would bo'pi'eTiously'mitlo tknown to this -.official -by the .naval authori- . (3) • That: ""P.' 0- gatekeepers :6iy. police 'should be.provided-by thp;<Harbbußj3oard." The doekmasterf ;t(Captaiit-.-iA.,V:Dudir):sub-mitted ,the : following report,- tfl Captain. Bridson'si lptten:—■•

■r, "Most • of, thp:.mattervcbjitaincd:;i)i i.Captain Bridson's. jetter, . being eriticism.-.pf ■ tho. - Board's docking 1- by ( -law's,ii >1 ■'« ImvelV no opinion to offer.thereon/ H.JI.G.fS IrishWaa givon permission to berth at"; the dock pier .as stated, :bn n perfectly'fiiic-day,' and till: water tanks,- and. inaniy.' opinion,, and presumably Captain' Sharpe's .also, any risk whatever of -damage to .either vessel or the dock, the steamer -being-- in charge of,-Pilot Sainty, and -almost.; handy and well ,-.equipped ..vessel i to. -berth, .i .;,Tha; commanding - officer, of ■ the • Chaillenger-.waa advised that he could place gates, if lie wished to.' ITho,,dock' f outside under,water has not;bceiv^examined''asstated, . nor, can it reasonably, .be - until -there arb'. somo meahs< of handling .it,-which,.wiU. be- provided, by tlie,largo,sheer-Jegs nbw.-,uu--•'der' erection. I deniur ■ from; the •statement that'--.ships;-arc docked by officers ,Vhb;. : ara : amateurs, or that, some ■; at •,any; rate~jo.fr our local "mastershipwrights.;';ar,e . not,yprofessionals. '-.Harbour, officers, ay'ail-' ablo to . take, sliips, iiitq.r dock",... if,." ; requi.red, and do take ill and 'oiit'all. tlie,.. forqign,'merchant ; vessels.. , ..'HiM.p.S. ' Iris-, frgfiuently goes to and . from the ...dock 'pier, ,'and ; : h'aa never done-.a|iy,damage." , v - Captain..-Bridson's loiter, and 'the -dock-, master's ;roporiy were; .bpt-li. . t'6, the Board in Committee. ; .'- . In tho course "of p referehee.'tb the remarks of Captain : Bc.idson,.the," Star " .' must be . remembered. r that' , .what. Captain liridson .i? really., objecting. to\arq;.tbo" Harbour Board's., by-laiv.s, , 'wliit-li'j',wereV. settled-.

.after due am!- have.!been. .in force for a considerably number of years. We do not linbw how or'gunboats, have been overhauled a);,'pil'ipp'e Doblt. without any fcpmphiirit "'being',, wide.'', Certainly, the existing system.. does., nut'.'seeiii; to .'liare', resulted in any serious' ll^rm. eit her to 'these, vessels or the dock .itself, jam! it isjipt'likely, that the Board will modify' i;s'b\'-law's,,unless and until very substantial' rcasbhs .'are advanced to prove that such a''ptep'is h'ce'essary. Wo must .leave to the/Hajthbur. Board...the question' raised by Captain. |lridson 'whether' it is advisable to place the ju "the., hands of a, spcoiaßv-appoint'pd "official'.to' bo' responsible for the blocksj; shores', .and.'.other appurtenances. ; Wo. that', .'Captain.' Bridson should liavo felt ..it .necessary...to'ife-,. port to his comniander;in-cliief..tlvat;;. in his opinion, warships on the Australasian'station, should lie .docked in Sydney in' Auckland, but it must hot I)e 'fombtCen'th.at. ■ warships, pay no dock dues,r.'antr are liable' only, for tho cost of 1 material; jised .in. rev-, fitting them. The Harbour Bba'mjan hardly bo expected to indulge in lavish'hid super-.' Huous expenditure for tho purpose pi attracting or, retaining business ' which"iY lso'distinctly miromunerative. Tho CallijpjVe Dock has cost the ■ Tlarboiir Board an', fiiormous amount of money already, and," of tho Admiralty subsidy, wo do not thilik- that tho Board is prepared'to follow Cajit'aiiP'Bridson's advice by launching or by assuming dangerous responsibilities for which no adequate. justification has yet'b.eca sliowii." , ' '- * •'••'•'it-