THE HARBOR BOARD APPOINTMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 12316, 4 October 1904, Page 6

THE HARBOR BOARD APPOINTMENT.

TO THE EDITOR, Sir,—l was out of town at tho week end, and have only just had my attention directed to your article of Saturday uiglit on this subject. If not too late I should therefore like, with your permission, to say a word as to how the qualifications of the two men in the running struck me and determined' me to give my vote for Mr Mason. As much of (he selection work was done in committee, I am forced to keep silent on certain things which unmistakeably looked like a premeditated job on the part of a few to put -Air A. Dillon Bell into the vacant position. Of course, it didn’t come olf, and hence tho tears. Briefly, as to the career of the two men. Air Arthur Dillon Bell was the son of the late Sir Francis Dillon Bell; G. 8., K.C.AI.G., Commander of the Legion of Honor, formerly Minister of the 'brown, Speaker of the Bouse of Representatives, member of the Legislative Council, and Agent-General in London for this colony. Oue can see tix&b from liis parentage every avenue to learning and occupation was open to him for the asking. r With these opportunities he was a successful candidate for a university scholarship, and at the Grammar Srhoal of Christ's College, Canterbury, ho was elected to a senior scholarship in the Somes Foundation, open to pupils in Communion with the Church of England only. So much for what you choose to call his “especially distinguished scholastic career. ” , At the ago of eighteen he was apprenticed to Sir John Hawkshaw, London, where he was during three years, or until the age of twenty-one, employed in drafting and other general work in connection with railway tunnelling, viaducts, bridges, eta, and a dock and look at Fleetwood, Lancashire, From 1877 to 1879 Air Bell was employed as assistant-engineer on the staff of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. These five years, from tho age of eighteen to twenty-three, the major portion of the time being spent in an office as a cadet, make up what you call his employment on important railway and harbor works in Great Britain. From 1880 to 1891 he was employed in the colony of New Zealand in the capacity of Assistant-ffligi-neer of Public Works, Assistant-engineer, Resident Engineer in charge of Defence, and latterly Engineer in Charge of Public Buildings under the then Minister of Public Works (Hon. T. Fergus). For the last seven years Air Bell’s time has been for five years devoted to public works in West and. from, the end, of 1902 to tbs

present time Principal Engineer for Ha*'bor and River Works under tho Engineer-in-Chief of all marine engineering undertakings throughout West Australia, or, say, eighteen months of actual experience in connection with harbor works. Undoubtedly an excellent career for an engineer of public-works, but entirely lacking in an intimate knowledge of the conditions of harbor difficulties and harbor work as presented in the Dunedin Harbor. - Against this we have tho gentleman, selected. Mr Blair Mason commences life as a practical engineer, serving in that capacity for six years in the Otago Foundry. After nine years of practical engineering, during which time he, a* opportunity offers, attends the University of Otago, taking up chemistry, physics, and mathematics, where he is a prixe-tafcer and is in the final examination placed in the first class, in 1882 be_ enters the office of Messrs Barr and Oliver, civil and marine engineers, and is by them deputed to take soundings on the Otago bar for Sir John Goode, and has to take a hand in laying out the works for the improvement of the channel at the Heads and the formation and dredging of the Victoria channel, and acting generally as assistant to the then Board’s engineer. In 1885 Mr Mason joins die Victorian Government, and for sixteen years is employed exclusively cm marine engineering work, some of lus duties being the construction of wharves and jetties irt Apolk Bay; the betterment of Waniugnbool Harbor, which, under Mr Mason’s 1 * advice and supervision, was made the third port in Victoria (the conditions of the entrance being similar to what obtains in this harbor) the opening out of Anderson Inlet (another case analogous to Otago Harbor); and full control of all dredging and maintenance of tiie several channels at the entrance of the Melbourne Harbor at Pori Phillip. Surely tills is a record in marine work that, if we take into account the time devoted to it, tlie magnitude of many of the operations, and the success of the whole of them, should make it gratifying to the people of Otago that we nave secured the services of one so qualified in this particular department. I should say, in addition, that Mr Mason has produced for the Admiralty' and the Victorian Government, the following magnificent series of charts : —South Channel, Port Phillip (2); West Channel, Port Phillip (2); Port, Phillip ; Oippsland Lakes; West Charm-si, Port Phillip, with adjacent banks; Anderson Inlet. Tho trouble, however, is hot that we have not selected the best man to deal with our shifting channel at Otago Heads, the deepening and maintenance of the Victoria channel, and tho placing ,6f the Board’s plant in a thorough state of efficiency, but that we have not selected Mt Bell. This was the candidate cut and dried by a section of the Board, old friends politically and socially of Mr Bell’s. Even the expert chosen by the majority of the Selection Committee is a friend of Mr Bell’s, and does not hesitate to state that be places him first because be knows him well. Mr Mason he places second on his merits, at the same time stating that, as he was the only candidate possessed of a knowledge of practical engineering, and was conversant with local conditions, these qualities should make an excellent recommendation for the position. I may say that until a few weeks ag« Mr Mason was an absolute stranger to me, as to the great majority of the Board; therefore the question of the personal element has never come into play in Mi Mason as in that of the defeated candidate., —I am, etc., T. Boss. October 4.