The Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1878

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 567, 25 February 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1878

i letter from Mr. Brkhvfr appears in iiotr-.er column alien: :!.«.- Moeraki IJnr>our Board. The writer, v.-ry rr, . -•■ n.bly.we think, seems annoyed at wi.at isas .ppeared in our columns relative to curdn matters in connection with that lody, and accompanies his communi:ation with a demand that it should be nserted. This w:us quite liimect ssary, ls we invariably insert letters to tinivlitor that arefit for publication, and .ve suppose that 3lr. I'.HEMXEk's cintitmication would lie reckoned in thar •ategory. The writer says that we have made free use of his name, occupation Mid motives. Perhaps tr-e t>are mention >f Mr. Brem.ver's name in connection with the conduct of t : ie Moeraki Harbour Board is distasteful to thar gentleman. If such is the case, we have every respect for his feelings, for it cannot be accounted a honour to have one's name linked with such a mass of scheming and mismanagement. But the feeling of respect which we entertain for Mr. Bkemner is not reciprocated by that gentleman, for he hints at our want of respectability. He implies that we are not respectable because wo wrote a leading article and the public " very naturally believed that we had good groiHida for so doing." If our usual veracity has inspired the public with confidence in our assertions we cannot help it, but we, ot course, regret that it should have annoyed Mr. Bkemner. Havinsr mad-; this very remarkable statement. 31 r. Bremner proceeds to say : " In justice, therefore, to mvself, it is necessary that I should make a few remarks," &e. That U a matter of opinion. If Mr. Bremker hod aaked our advice, us a friend, we would have said, " Don't rush into print under the false notion of doing yourself justice." It is a great mistake : because, under certain cireumstanc- s. the less written the better. Then .Mr. Bremner goes on to say, " Your garbled statements have a semblance of truth imparted t-> them through the fact of jm old servant of mine holding an office under tin Hoard." This is very .«ad, if it be rrue, although we are scarcely clear as to itt meaning. We have debated tin- matte) in our own minds, however, and hay* concluded that he must have meant some thing when he wrote this mysterious sentence. Then, what was it .' We panst for a reply. Mr. Bkemxek's method </ explaining himself is not quite so clear as we could wish, or ae ii ought to be, t( enable that gentleman to extricate him self from what lie evidently supposes thave been aspersion of his character. Hi goes on to imply that he had no in teres in the appointment of Mr. Merc-hk to tin managership of the Moeraki Harbour and aays that lie voted against tin amalgamation of the two offices « Manager and Harbour Master. He ha' no sooner done this, however, than hi appears to have repented his action, foi lie proceeds to tell us how the bye-law: would have beer. sh;:i«?iid had it not beei for his vote, and that the Board wonk then have been " nowerhvs if.; enforci payment of any charges levied by the;i (as evidenced by the contractor for tin Kartigi section of railway successful]] defying the Board to charge thesis untitling for the use of the jetties or cranes).' He then proceeds to nay that they wotih thus be '* leaving the matter regarding ' the Harbour Master for the (Jovernnieli I to deal with." 2v>w, we cannot, c-ompre hend this line of argument. The Boaic passes bye-laws, Mr. Bi:£MNKR says. t< enable them to levy charged <m good; landed ; but there is amongst these bye laws one that empowers the Board U amalgamate the two offices of Manage and Harbour Master. The bye-law refer ring to this amalgamation of offices, i appears, could not be struck out, and i has to thank those bye-laws empowering the Board to levy charges for being car ried ; or, in other words, it was smuggle' through in good company. We do no suppose for a moment that the bye-lav amalgamating the offices was introduce* for the purpose- of finding a snug po3itioi for a friend anymore than for in juriiij an old enemy. But what we would iiki to have explained is the Board's interfer euce with the Harbour Master's positioi at all. They had previously been applied t< to pay his salary, but this they refused ti do, and now tlmy .have what, were the] not members of the Moeraki Harbou: Board, we would call the clu&li to pass ; bye-law for the purpose of anpoiatinj another man over his head. At tin same time Mr. Brkmser confesses that "as the Harbour 3laster was appointee and paid by the Government, there was n< occasion for us at the time to interfere.' We have already pointed out how tha gentleman, after the expiration of a fev minutes, at the same meeting, according to his own words, acts in direct oppositioi to his own previous convictions anc votes for passing t.he bye-laws. Tin result of the passing of the bye-laws although, of course, they were onlj passed that charges might be levied, R'.a: that Mr. Mercer, 3lr. Bremskr's shop } man. was appointed by the Board to fc.'u j double position of Harbour Master am i Manager. The significance of this evem ! would be plain to ;;ioat people, but Mr. : BkemXER coolly tells us, although hi; | vote waa the means of bringing ali tlvi | about, "Your assertion, therefore, that J voted for Mr. Merukr being Harbout : Master is not correct;" a;ul, lie say; further, that lie had "advised bin; not tc act until the question between ths Board and the Government is settled." Well, it would, perhaps, be desirable to have only one Harbour Master for Port Moeraki at a time, in order to prevent confusion. We quite agree with Mr. Bremner iii this. One is sufficient for Oamaru and Port Chalmers, and surely one will answer all the present demands upon the Port of Moeraki. But what is this question between the Moeraki Board and the Government ? Virtually this, that they want to get Captain Liddle out of his situation, and give it to another. 3lr. Bjjkmxer then goes on to say, "in carrying «sit works at the Port, I have consulted Captain Liddle as Harbour Master under the Government." Perhaps so ; but we remember baring lately seen an advertisement calling for tej&dt'rs for laying outer moorings in the Mujer&ki Harbour, in which tenderers w.ere instructed to apply to the Manager of the Moeraki Harbour Board. This seems to contradict Mr. Broker's assertion. What does a Wharf Manage?

know about- moorings, who, perhavs, saw the first at Port Moeraki, anrl that only at a distance, mal de mer being the probable penalty of l.is approachin ;r too near. His duty i 3 to see to the proper removal of goods fr.'in the jetties, and there it ends. Mr. Bremnkr asserts that " Tinstatement that Captain LiddlE offered to undertake the duty of Manager without increase of salary is absolutely untrue." X„w, th*SK are the facts of the case : Captain Lidixle receiv s from the Gov rnment the salary of LIOO p> r annum. To enable him to undertake the duties of Manager as will as Harbour Master, he would have to employ a boy at a small salary. The present wharf manager (Mr. Mekckb) ','ets Ll6O per annum from the Board, and the present Harbour Master's ami a buy's salaries wind 7 nor amount to more than t: at sum. whic i would enabb l savilig to be effected of L.IOO per annum. Wit' l regard to the start-men' that Capt.Liddlesaid "he was no' a pilot" and had no business to leave the jetty on any <lu;y in connect oil with his office, we have good authority for stating that it is incorrect. It, app-a>-s tha' until lately the Board has had no boat. A short while a'-fo, however, they purchased a " ileaf'' little tiling that would do for the Harbour Master to go outside in, and, perhaps, down in, and also would help the Board or Manager to while away what would otherwise be weary hours in piscatorial pastime. Its calibre is about one ton burthen. It is not yet known who is to have the charge (tf this twelve-pounder—for that- was tli prijie piliil for it—but we should say. by all means let ij.r. Mercer keep it, as it will more often bp required for fishing than for any other purpose. It is daw being adorned by a coat of paint, and is. we understand, to be called " The Excursionist," from the circumstance that it was first used for fishing purposes after it cauu into the possession of tile Board. No wonder that- Captain Liddlf. was somewhat reluctant üboiit piloting in vessels. From what we know of piloting, we should think that & boat would be necessary, unless, as in other things, the Moenki Harbour Board has a method of piloting peon liar to itself. It appears to ue thai: the old Captain was bamboozled at the meeting referred to, in order to widen the breach that, for no reason of his, had gradually been created bv the Board between him and them ; 3,1 if} now, we suppose, they will have the front the old Captain to go outside in the cockle-sheii, vvhictt nitj,c profile assert has bt;en purchased for a '-pleasure''' boat, and U> toaeii Mr. Mekoeu navigation in smooth water. Unless they wish to get rid of the old fellow, wo would strongly advise tiie .Board to provide him, if he must go out. in this boat, witha Captain Boyntox's rig-out. Thmanagement of ali'airs in tiie Moerak liarbotjf fr.:;,") the early days, when Sir. Leggatt was a? much a " boss" as was Alexander JSelkikk t.n ifie island oi Juan Fernandez, lias been most deplorable, \V;> have now a few words to sa* about the peroration of our correspondent's letter. We disdain, any intention to hold either Mr. Bkkaixeii or Mr. MkkCKI: up to rtilictile. We merely stated facts : and if, itl doing so, either or both of thos gentlemen thought they appear-d ridieu lous that is no fault of ours. We qui!wjree with oui correspondent that a luimbl. Seller of sugar, etc., may he as worthy of resp- pt- a.s f*u <-«li«or especia: Jv the description of editor nieiirloned by Mr. 73 rem - ner—and it is their own fauif if ch.-y ari not ; but- it is not moral, social, or commercial excellence alone that will fit, a man for the lowest biVtiioh of navigation. A person, who was asked if he could apeak CbTP'an, replied that he could not, bu: that he had a brother who could play th German lliue. To suppose that a grocer, printer, or anybody e:s-, without study. Would be able to occupy the position of fiai-iionr Master for Port M eaki or any other place would be squally ridiculous.