THE HARBOUR BOARD’S METHODS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6398, 21 December 1907, Page 6

THE HARBOUR BOARD’S METHODS

It is very much to be regretted that the proceedings of the Harbour Board continue to be characterised by that bitterness which resulted, naturally enough, from the announcement of tho coup effected by the Union Steam Ship Company in securing control of the patent slip. Every meeting of tho Board during the past few weeks has been characterised by a series of accusations and recriminations of a personal nature which are anything but creditable to a body of such standing. Members seem to have ranged themselves unconsciously into two camps, and there is an amount of irritability which we think is quite uncalled for. As a result, accusations and insinuations have been made which are in several cases quite unwarranted, and there seems a danger that the bitterness will be indefinitely protracted.

We may say at once that the “New Zealand Times’’-has not on any occasion published information or made use of documents which were clearly of a confidential nature. Tho confidential report of the engineers on tho Evans Bay scheme was in possession of a member of our staff ono or two weeks ago, but it was so plainly of a confidential nature, and its publication would so obviously prejudice the scheme, that we refrained from making any use of the information. As to our publication of committee proceedings, there is no canon of journalistic etiquette which forbids this being done, nor do wo know of anything which makes it an offence for a member of a public body, when ‘ appealed to on a point of fact, to state his opinion and quote documents which are not. confidential, even though the matter was the subject of a committee discussion.

The whole trouble, however, is the best'possible argument for giving more publicity to the proceedings of the Board. The matter of the acquisition of the patent slip had been brought before the Board on several occasions by its engineer. Some months ago the Board practically held the option of purchasing it, and a special report on the matter was prepared by Air Ferguson. Yet the only indication the public had that such an important move was under discussion was a small paragraph which appeared in the “ New Zealand Times ” in July. No more was heard of it. It was never mentioned at the Board in open meeting, except by way- of protest from the chairman that it had been spoken of in the “Times.” Tho next filling that happened was the rude awakening of the chairman and members of the Board to tho fact that they had dallied too long, and that another party had stepped in and secured the property. Surely such an incident as this is tho best possible argument in favour of shedding more light on the proceedings of a public body I Tho temper displayed at recent meetings of the Board, and much of the personal recrimination that has been bandied about amongst members, merely reflect the chagrin that is naturally felt at the checkmating of the Board by the Union Company. It is scarcely necessary to observe that members will be sadly forgetful of their duty if they allow this irritation to continue any' longer and to warp their judgment in dealing further with tho patent slip case. For the case is not yet closed.