OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15986, 31 January 1914, Page 13

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

'the. monthly nieei>uig of tho Otago Harbour Boated, ueld last, liiylil, was aiteiiikd by Messrs 11. E. Moiler (chairman), J. -boution, G. IS. Bullock, \Y. Belcher, T. l'ictdis, VV. Wilkinson, J. D.cksoJi, A. 11. Brdger, E. C. Hazier, T. Scollay, T. 11. Russell, J. 11. Walker, and F. \V. l'lalts. FINANCIAL. The Jiot debit balance waa stated to be £25,886 ss. COUHKSrO.VDKNCK. The Secretary ot the General Labourers' Union wrote asking tile board to receive a deputation from the union with reference to the union's preference clause. A subsequent communication statid ihut the two grievances were:- First, the engagement ot men by the board who wore not members of the union; and, second, the victimisation by the board of certain members of the Labourers' Union.—Mr Belcher .suggested that it the deputation was in attendance it sliouid be heard. —The Chairman said that as tney were going to have a special meeting in a week's time, he thougnt tho board could meet the deputation then.—lt was decided that the deputation be received at the special ineeting. the Secretary of the Institute of Local Government Eng neers of New Zealand wrote asking that the board's engineer be permitted to attend the a.nnual meeting of the institute, to be held hi Auckland on Alareh 10. —Mr Belchcr moved that the letter lie received, and asked what connection, if any, the Institute of Engineers had with any public body. Mr Bullock seconded the motion. —Mr llazlett asked if the motion

implied permission to the engineer to attend

the meeting, and on being informed to the contrary, he said he would move an amendment in that direction.—Mr Walker seconded, and Mr Wilkinson supported tlie amendment, which was cairicd, Mr Belcher

withdrawing his motion, and express iig satisfaction with the reply he had received to his question from the engineer. HKI'OIITS.

The Harbour Master reported that the minimum low water depths at the entrance of the harbour were: —North channel, 36ft; bend, 30ft; Victoria channel (centre), 18ft,; Victoria channel (sides), 17ft. On January 23 the ICittawa, while swinging, preparatory to going to the wharf at Port Chalmers, backed too far astern, with the. result that she injured her rudder oi: the bank, and

had to bo docked. The shipping returns for December showed that, there had been 33 arrivals, representing 38,906 tons, and 35 departures, representing 49,497 tons. —Received.

The Standing Committee reported as follows:—Letter from Union Co., olfering £250 in settlement of claim for salvage of Kowhai. and suggesting, if this offer is not

accepted, that the matter be referred to arbitration. It is rccommendrd tliat the

board's resolution fixing the claim at £500 he adhered to. —Agreed.—Letter from Union Co.. requesting access through the dockyard to the area leased from the board for

workshops. It is recommended that the request be granted at the board's pleasure. —

Agreed to, with the addition that the Union Company give an indemnity as to any claim that might bo made in the future.—The engineer's report is submitted herewith for adoption.—The revenue for tile month of December amounted to £4733 6s 9d, a.nd the expenditure out of reve.iue to i.7911 3s 6d. lixpendiure out of loan amounted to £4062 16s. Owing to tlie strike, no vessels were docked during December. The Revenue Dock Account for December amounted to £561 4s Id, and the uxprnditure to £795 10s, leaving a debit balance for the month of £234 5s lid. General accounts to tailing £3335 6s Bd, and dock accounts, totalling £2003 Ps 6;l, have been examined, and are recommended to the board for payment.—All these clauses were adopted.

The engineer's annual report was presented, and contained 16 pages of typed matter.

Mr Loudon moved that it be received and discussed by the board when the estimates were considered. —Mr Hazlett expressed the opinion that the report should not bo published, as -there were items that should riot be scattered all through New' Zealand, as they would if publication took place.—The Chairman said the report would not be published in the meantime. It could be considered at the special meeting required for consideration of the estimates. —It was agreed that the special meeting be field on February 10, at 2 p.m. DISMISSAL OF EMPLOYEES. Mr Belcher moved the billowing motion standing in his name: —"That an explanation be made as to why the scrviccs of T. Wilson, S. Gardiner, and A. K Dawson were dispensed with." In supporting the motion, Mr Belcher said that in addition to the names mentioned in his motion there were also two others named M'Kenzio and Mathieson, whose services had been dispensed with without notification. He was given to understand'that some of those men had been in the employ of the board for a considerable time, and were discharged because they would not do certain work in connection with the erection of barricades at the time of the rccent industrial trouble. They found that by so doing they would bo getting themselves into disfavour, and were liable to bodily harm; and, further than that, they considered they were doing something derogatory to their manhood. lie did not know exactly who was responsible for the discharging of those men, and the principle he wanted to establish was that when it was found lieccssary to dispense with good and faithful servants the board should have some opportunity of saying whether it should be done or not. That had never been done, and he had no hesitation in saying that the dismissal of these men was entirely wrong. lie wanted to find out --and he would pillory when he found out — the person who had discharged them. The men found themselves in a most awkward position, and were likely t'o be subjected to bodily hanr. for doing the work they wcro asked to do by the Harbour Board. That was not right nor was it, t.ho duty of public bodies to throw in their lot with that class of people who, in his opinion, had the whip-hand at the present time. He wanted to know who was responsible for the dismissal.

I The Chairman: Tlio board. In conclusion, Mr Belcher said that matters of that kind should unquestionably be brought before, the board, and if the engineer was responsible for discharging these men it was a wrong action oti his part. Mr Fiddis seconded the motion. Mr Scollay expressed views in accord unco with those of Mr Belcher. Ihe cause of those men's offence was now a thing of the past, and the loss of work they had suffered was surely a sufficient punishment, and would enable them to be reinstated. Mr Dickson pointed out that the resolution requested an explanation, and he thought that should be made. The Chairman stated that the men had not been discharged, but the whole of the board's works were stopped. Eleven men had not been re-employed, and those men had refused to work at the time of the erection of the barricades. These were erected on the authority of the chairman, and the reason why the men had hot been employed since was because the members of the board had given the executive officer to understand that the men who had refused to work should not bo restarted. That was practically agreed upon at the meeting at which Mr Loudon had asked that li,-i should fctart the works at Sunshine, and give the men a chance to do something. These men had been given to understand that if they refused to work they would not be re-employed. No member of the board should rnn away with the idea that it was Mr Mason, or the foreman of works or even the chairman who had objected to any of these men getting back to work. Both of the officials mentioned had stated that the men referred to were good and capable workers, and should be reappointed. Flight throughout the dispute lie had tried to arrange matters as amicably as possible, and had studied the men in every particular. His whole attention as chairman of t.ho board had been devoted to smoothing matters over, and he had invariably done what had seemed best to him. The trouble was that some of these men had turned upon the others who were continuing work while there were people about and that was, he considered, the worst feature of the case. Those in authority in the board were doing the best they could in the interests of the board.

Messrs Fiddis, Bridgcr, and Wilkinson all commended the chairman for tho action he had taken during the recent strifes.

Mr Walker remarked that as Mr Belcher' 6 object in asking for an cxplanac.on had been accomplished, his motion could be taken as carried.

Mr Belcher, in reply, stated that nothing that had been said justified what had been done, nor did tho chairman's explanation clear up the matter; The board should not take the part of the police in connection with trouble of that kind, and if tho civil authorities wanted anything done they should do it themselves.

The Chairman repeated that he had done what he considered was best on tho interests of tho board and of the port of Duncdin, and he added that his action had been endorsed by the other members of the board. These men would be reinstated when opportunity offered to engage them again. The motion was then carried. COMPLIMENTARY,

Before tlic board rose the Chairman mentioned that tliat would be Die last meeting at which Mr Mason would appear in

his capacity of secertarv. He thought members would agree with him in expressing ' appreciation of the services rendered b.y Mr Mason during the time he had filled tho position of secretary. -(Applause.) lie ako introduced the new .secretary (Mr Bardbley).

Mr Mason sincerely thanked the chairman for the kindly remarks he had made, and the members for the way they had received them, lie had entered into office in 1901. he had been associated with the board as far buck as 1882. Speaking of the harbour, he said there was nothing from an engineering point: of view to prevent the largest vessels being brought up to Dnned'ii.

Mr Baidslcy thanked the board for the confidence reposed in him by appointing him secretary. He honed lie would merit the confidence of the honrd, and that members would be satisfied with the efPorts he would make in the interests of the board.