THE TAKAPUNA WHARF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8888, 26 May 1892, Page 6

THE TAKAPUNA WHARF.

SCENE AT A HARBOUR BOARD MEETING. AN A ENDED ESTIMATE. THE TROUBLE THAT IT CAUSED. There was an unusually warm discussion

[ •it a meeting; of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday. The Board, who have been considering a proposal that a wharf should be built at Takapuna Beach, appointed a committee some weeks since to obtain the necessary information as to the cost. This committee visited the site with the Foreman of Works, Mr. Taylor, and a report of the cost of the work was submitted to the Board a fortnight ago; but it was also stated at that meetiag that the breakwater would have to be carried up to the proper height before the wharf was built. Some members then objected that the Foreman of Works had said nothing to the committee about the alteration to the breakwater. As a result of their comments, Mr. Taylor sent a report to the Board yesterday explaining:— I left the plan and report in the secre-

tary's office about twelve o'clock on the 11th April, 1892. During the afternoon, and before the time appointed for the mooting of committee, the secretary asked me how the passengers were to get to the shore, seeing that; the wharf ended 240 feet from the shore ; and I replied, " that the breakwater would require to be carried up to its proper height. The secretary then suggested that I had hotter state this in my report, as the original instructions were " to interview Mr. Napier, and report upon a wharf and roadway at Takapuna Beach." I took the report to Mr. La Roche to be amended by adding, "It will be necessary to carry up the breakwater to the proper height before building the wharf." This [ report as amended was re-written, and the original report never left my office again ; it was destroyed. The Chairman (Mr. McMillan) said ho was very glad the Board had received this explanation, as it set at rest a matter disputed at the previous meeting. He moved, " That the explanation be accepted as satisfactory. " Mr. Withkford said that he and the other members of the special committee had investigated tho site of the proposed wharf, and he asked Mr. Taylor to show him the spot where the whavf would terminate. Mr. Taylor pointed out a spot on the beach a little above high-water mark. Ho (Mr. Witheford) as a member of the committee, did not know anything of the breakwater work until ho was informed at the meeting that it would be required. On examining the letter-book, he found that the original report had been copied there, and that original report, which contained no mention of the breakwater work, had not been placed before tho Board or the special committee. The Chairman interposed that there was no " original" report. The report had been amended by Mr. Taylor, and placed before the committee.

Mr. Witheford wanted to know whether the rights of the special committee were to be respected. He asked whether Mr. Brigham had received the first report from tho engineer's department. Mr. Brigham : Certainly; but I must explain that what Mr. Taylor states is absolutely correct, and— Mr. Withkford : All I want is an answer to the question— The Chairman : But you must allow Mr. Brigham to explain. He cannot answer the question in a way that will leave a misapprehension. Air. Witheford went on to say that the first report was the property of the Board, and ought never to have been interfered with. It should not have been destroyed. Mr. Alison was about to speak on the question, when Mr. Taylor was brought into the room. At this moment also the Chairman suggested that as it was evident that there would be an animated discussion, and probably some recrimination, the Board should go into committee. This suggestion was not agreed to. Mr. Alison said that having considered the manner in which the report had been amended at the direction of the secretary, the question arose in his mind, is Mr. Taylor capable of carryine out his duties? Is he capable of reporting upon a work such as tho Lake Wharf Mr. Taylor had told the committee on the ground exactly what he proposed, and when ho came before the secretary, who know nothing about the matter, and liad not visited the site at all, Mr. Brigham altered the report. Mr. Brigham : I did not alter the report. Mr. Alison asked whether it was the duty of the secretary to interfere with the foreman of works ? If so, it followed that he had a better knowledge of engineering than Mr. Taylor. He (Mr. Alison) believed that Mr. Taylor was thoroughly qualified for the position ho occupied; but tho direction of the secretary changed his report, because of the question of approaches, which had been tho cause of all the trouble in respect of the Takapuna Wharf. He did not wish to speak harshly ; but it seemed that in this matter the secretary had exceeded his duty.

Mr. Brigham said that the explanation of the matter was exceedingly simple. The Board had adopted a resolution that the foreman of works should confer with Mr. Napier, and submit plans and estimate of the cost of a wharf, and also of a roadway.

Mr. Alison : What has that got to do with it?

Mr. Bkigham : That my duty was to see that the report was in accordance with the resolution of the Board.

Mr. Alison : You consider that your duty is to see that tho foreman of works should report that certain work was to bo done whether it was necessary or not ? Mr. Bkigham : No ; Ido not say that. The Chairman : Mr. Brigham had to see that the resolution of the Board was carried out.

Mr. Bkigham : The work commenced 240 feet away from the shore. I said to Mr. Taylor, " How are tho people going to get on shore?" when he said that the breakwater would require to be brought up to tho level of the wharf. "Then," I said, " had you not better say so?" That was all.

The Chairman : The secretary did nothing improper. He simply made a suggestion. Mr. Bkigham : He need not havo taken the suggestion if he did not wish. Mr. Alison remarked that tho foreman of works had made at the previous meeting of the Board a statement which was contrary to fact. To the question as to whether he had sent in any report beside that submitted to the committee, ho had replied "No;" whereas it had been shown that another report had been sent to the secretary, who represented the Board.

The Chairman : The question put to Mr. Taylor, I think, was whether any other report had been sent to the committee ? Mr. Alison said the whole thing simply meant this: That four member# of the Board were asked to report 011 a certain work, visited trio site with the foreman of works, took into consideration all the circumstances, obtained a report from the foreman, and agreed upon a certain course, but that at the dictation of the secretary the report was altered, and that the special committee were mere puppets in his hands. There was no doubt in the world that the breakwater work was unnecessary. The Chairman : I think you forgot the fact that this report, stating that it would be necessary to carry up the breakwater to a proper height, was read before the committee.

Mr. Alison repeated that the report had been changed at tho direction of the secretary. He had altered the report. The Chairman : He did not alter the report. Mr. Alison : He mado the suggestion. The Chairman : And ho was quite right in making the suggestion. Mr. Alison was sorry that he could not support the Chairman's motion. If approaches were necessary, Mr. Taylor would have said so in his first report. The Chairman urged that it was not fair to Mr. Brigham to bring his name into this matter again and again. Mr. Brigham was only an official of the Board, and was placed at a very great disadvantage in rebutting charges made against him. With regard to this question, he had made full and ample explanation. The report came before him, and he simply made a suggestion, Ho thought it was ungenerous of Mr. Alison to mention the secretary's name in the way he had done. Mr. Alison replied that ho did not wish to treat Mr. Brigham or anyone else ungenerously ; but if the secretary had not

interfered with Mr. Taylor's report there would not have been any trouble. The Chairman : Would you expecb Mr. Brigham to say nothing if he saw a palpable mistake in the report ? Mr. Alison retorted that there had been no palpable mistake. Mr. Taylor had mentioned the question of the wharf approach to the committee ; that subject had received a gocui deal of attention. Surely the committee should get credit for a little sense. Was it to be imagined that the committee or Mr. Taylor would report on a wharf in the sea without an approach ? Mr. Niccol said he would not have spoken had not the Chairman expressed his opinionhe thought rather without sufficient consideration that the secretary was I quite right in what he did. It appeared to him (Mr. Niccol) that the moral of the whole matter was that Mr. Brigham was not right in what he did, and that Mr. Taylor was not right in accepting the suggestion. The sooner Mr. Taylor knew that he was responsible for his own reports the better, and the sooner Mr. Brigham knew that he was not to interfere in matters that did not come within the scope of his duties the better. In accepting the suggestion to amend his report, Mr. Taylor had stultified himself. Ho had expressed one view to the committee, and another view to Board. He should be careful to prepare his reports in such a way as to clearly express his opinions, and then stand to them. A report of this kind was not strictly office work ; it dealt with technical matter, and pertained properly to the engineer's department. The Chairman : Mr. Brigham's position is this, simply: That he made a certain recommendation that the wharf and breakwater and approaches should be reported upon; and it is very natural, while not wishing to dictate to Mr. Taylor, that when the report came in, and Mr. Brigham found an essential part, that dealing with the approaches, was left out— Mr Alison : It was not left out. The Chairman : I think that the eecre*

tary, in drawing his attention to the omission, was perfectly justified. Mr. Gkorgk, believing tho explanation of Mr. Taylor satisfactory, supported the motion. The whole question at issue turned upon this point: When does a report come in ? Mr. Taylor had stated that only one report was sent in. He (Mr. George) took it that a report did not come in until it reached the committee or the Board; therefore thero was only one report in this

The Chairman' exclaimed, approvingly, " Hear, hear !" when Mr. Alison, with considerable warmth of manner rose and protested against Mr. McMillan's remark, and when called to order, insisted that he was not out of order. The Chairman : You are out of order, Mr. Alison, and I must ask you to resume your seat. Mr. Alison : Then, Mr. Chairman, I will bring the matter up in another way. You say " Hear, hear" to these matters, and you are causing the whole trouble by your injudicious and inexpedient manner of conducting the proceedings. Mr. Withkkord asked the Foreman of Works whether he had told the committee that a breakwater would be required ? Mr. Taylor : I think the remark I passed was that the breakwater would be required. Mr. Witheford : When the report was handed in to the secretary, did ho receive it on behalf of the Board, or on behalf of Mr. Brigham ? The Chairman : Ho received it on behalf of the Board, of course. Mr. Withkkord : And must any report handed in bo stamped with the office stamp ? The Chairman* : Why, who disputes that?

Mr. Alison : You do, sir.

Mr. Georgk : Well, I dispute it. The Chairman said that the stamping of such a document was a pure matter of detail.

Mr. Witiikford : Why should not a document of that kind be forthcoming at any time ? Whose property is it? The Chairman : If anybody finds he has made a mistake, and withdraws a report there is nothing irregular in that. Mr. George : A report can always be withdrawn until it comes before the committee.

The Secretary : I have withdrawn my own reports dozens of times. Mr. Henderson*, while agreeing in the main with what Mr. Niccol had said, believed that in this case tho secretary was in order. Mr. Brigham, seeing an apparent omission, only drew attention to it; and that suggestion evidently reminded Mr. Taylor that tho amonded report was necessary. Before the discussion closed, Mr. Brioham asked permission to say a few words. Mr. Alison wished to know if members would bo allowed to reply to the secretary. The Chairman thereupon ruled that Mr. Brigham could not give any further explanation, as that which he had already given was satisfactory. Tho motion was then put and carried. Mr. Withkford moved, " That it having been stated at last meeting that the members of tho Board were nob entitled to obtain information respecting the business of the Board excepting through its secretary, members are, in the opinion of this Board, entitled to obtain information respecting the affairs of the Board from any of the heads of departments." He pointed out that in Boards like that it was found necessary to divide the duties into different departments, appointing a head to each department; such hoad men being more or less experts in their duties. Thus the harbourmaster attended to the berthing of ships, the foreman of works to the carrying out of tho Board's orders, or making suggestions for the execution of such future work as the Board may dirccb or desire. A secretary was appointed to look after finances and to see that the accounts and records of the office wero kept in tho best possible way. Each of these officers was directly amenable to the Board only. If work wero bungled the Board alone could censure. Thero could be no clashing of duties where every officer was an undisputed head of his own department. If he wanted to know whether a breakwater was necessary he would not ask the wharfinger or the secretary. He asked the engineer or foreman of works. Otherwise he might be on tho very site of a work, and yet the official in charge could not answer his questions unless he had an order from the secretary. The Chairman, remarking that this motion had been submitted in consequence of something that had been said at last meeting, pointed out that he had never disputed the right of a member of the Board to ask even a subordinate for information ; but there were questions of good taste and good feeling and courtesy which ought to be observed in matters of this kind. If subordinates could give information with absolute freedom, there would be an end of all discipline. The Chairman took opportunity to withdraw a statement he had made at tho previous meeting to Mr. Lalloche, admitting that he had spoken on the facts as they then appeared to him ; and also paid a tribute to the esprit de corps which existed amongst the officials of the Board.

The motion was agreed to.