THE HARBOR BOARD AND THEIR SERVANTS.

Evening Star, Issue 17033, 2 May 1919, Page 4

THE HARBOR BOARD AND THEIR SERVANTS.

TO THE EDIXOB. Sir, —In your report of tho last Harbor Board meeting tho board passed what appears to me to be a motion of censure on the harbor master and pilot for not taking a certain steamer to sea on Sunday. Now I am told by a reliable authority that the aaid steamer was net ready for sea on Sunday, owing to another body not working on Saturday. If that is correct,_ then the two servants named have been’ oen sured not for what they did', but for what they would probably have dona had the steamer been ready for sea. But we will let that pass Clause 63 of tho Harbor Board by-laws states that no pilot slir.ll bo bound to take a slip.* to on Sunday. At the board meeting of March 28, 1913, a letter was read from tho pilot staff asking the beard to give an interpretation of tho above bylaw, as a case had arisen where th© owners of a certain steamer declined to comply with the usual practice of tbo port. In that letter it was pointed out that the pilot staff were confident of what tho boaid’s interpretation would be, but they wished to avoid making fish of pvw company and ilcsh of another. In other words they (tho staff) wished all companies to comply with the established custom, or that the custom should be dono away with by the board. Tho result of that letter is recorded in the minutes. Ro Sunday work for pilots: It was resolved, on the ‘motion of Mr Platts, seconded by Mr Hamel, that tho by-law remain as ii lj, it being understood that tho established custom of Oj* port bo adhered to—viz., that for any removal of a vessel on a Sunday the shipowner shall pay tho pilot tho customary fee. I understood that a harbor master’s most important duly was to administer tho by-laws of the board impartially, v itbout fear or favor. It appears to mo that, while there was a pilot available there was no course open to the harbor master other than to refer the company requiring n pilot on Sunday to tho pilot direct. Whatever power the harbor master may have had or thought he had prior to this pilot's letter to the hoard in March, 1915, was overruled by tire above resolution passed on that date. Tho pilot’s position in the matter is clearly defined—the taking of a. ship to sea on Sunday is left entirely to Iris own discretion. I am, told the pilot had on a previous date taken a ship to eca on Sunday to oblige tho same owner who now again required his services. When ho asked for his usual gratuity it was declined. Perhaps members of tho board will be surprised to know that for every Union. Company’s steamer that leaves a New Zealand port on Sunday the master of such steamer receives £2 over and above Ilia wages for his Sunday work. So the pilot, in asking for a similar fee, which was recognised by the board to be right and. proper, was committing no breach of the by-laws. That being so, why was tho motion of censure passed on the harbor master and tho pilot. I could understand tho board rescinding the objectionable bylaw, but, as I said before, I cannot see on what grounds the censure motion was passed.—l am, etc.. Fair Plat. April 30.