THE HARBOR WORKS CONTROVERSY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6230, 6 September 1888, Page 2

THE HARBOR WORKS CONTROVERSY.

(to the editor.)

Sib,-— May I beg space for a few final lines, jaatto correct some misstatementi in Mr Kennedy's letter appearing In your issue of to-tfay. It is not true that he .wjaj,invited ,by t Mr Guinnesa^qi jnralt upon the Ministers with others re damage to harbor works by, the, Gerda accident. The request made by Mr Guinness was wholly with the -vfew-of- stopping the works if considered to the welfare of the port, and had nothing whatever to do with the question of the .Gerda damages. Indeed, on our way back to Greymouth in the Brunner, Mr Kennedy yoluntarily. remarked to me that he would haye ,'bee'n|wllllng to give me his help in the object of my mission to Government, had- I^a^ked him to to do so when in Wellfngtohj but his pro*

(See towrfhjpage.)

ferred kindness aame too late ; and had lie been sincere, a word in season would have shown it, an he must have known that for reasons already expressed I could not approach him. Mr Kennedy is qu'te right, however, In supposing that he is wrong in harboring the opinion that it paid friend and myself to industriously circulate the notion that he was hoatilely disposed to my firm. There has been no necessity on. my part to circulate anything of the sort, as he has made the fact patent enough by Mb own actions ; nor do I know of friendß that have taken up onr cudgels against Mr Kennedy. But If any have done bo, they no doubt feel justified in contending on the side of the right. I do not deny that Mr Kennedy was successful in inducing the Government to supply the locomotive, which Involved, as I have said, an unnecessary outlay to my firm of 1 1000 ; but that is where his kindly intervention comes in, when a little time lenienoy on his part was only needed. That, however, was denied us, notwithstanding our willingness to guaran'ee to overtake contract requirements ; and our ability to do so has been since amply verified by results. — I am, <fee., A. M'Kay. Greymouth, September 5. .... .~ t