THE PORIRUA ASYLUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 13

THE PORIRUA ASYLUM.

AN EXTRAORDINARY PROCEEDING.

THE ENGINEER RECOMMENDS A MAN'S DISMISSAL.

THE GOVERNMENT RKSPOND WITH AM INCREASE OF SALARY.

(From Our Own Correspondent, ) Wellington, September 22. There hat recently been eiected near Wellington a great asylum for the insane, upon which an immense sum of public money has been expended in a manner that, according to opinions that have from time to time been ! freely expressed, would spell ruin to private I enterprise. On the 7th July last Mr Duthie moved that in view of tho unsatisfactory state of these buildings there be laid upon the table correspondence by Mr Bell or any other engineer-in-oharge in reference thereto, and also in reference to the dismissal or recommendation for the dismissal of the inspector on the works. In the course of bii reply — which, by the 1 way, was interrupted by the dinner adjournment— the Premier said that the motion was misleading. So far as Mr Bell \ra« concerned, he was not the engineer-in- charge of the Poiirua Asylum. As for the inspector, in his (Mr S< ddon's) opinion he was the beat man on the job, yet here waa a nv>tion r< fleeting on him as having bern suspended. The inspector Lever was suspended. The Evening Post now publishes a very full explanation of this sffair by Mr Arthur Bell, now in the service of the Wesb Australian Government. This geutlemau is brother of the member for Wellington, and would appear to be possessed of as caustic a humour as that distinguished lawyer. The correspondence should prove generally interesting and instructive, and to none more so than the Premier. This is how the Post puts it :— AN EXPOSURE. TO THE EDITOR OV THE EVENING POST. Pertb, Western Australia, 31st August 1805. Sik, — Ino'icein your issue of the Ills' July a paragraph to the effect that the Hod. the Premier denies that I recommended tbe dismissal of the inspector at Porirua Asylum Tbe actual facts are these : I was directed by Mr Seddon personally to take over the entire and special charge of tho asylum woiks, then »t and a little above the foundation stage. My firatand, as it pioved, my last visit was sufficient to show nis that the inspector of works appoiuted by Mr Seddon was hopelessly and dnngeiously incompetent to bo enliMfled with the overseeing of a work of this importance, and I immediately sent in a full report, lecommondiug his dismi-sal forth with, giving my reasons aud grounds at length, and stating that I would" decline to take any responsibility whatever in regard to the works unless that recommendation was given effect to. My rep »rt was addre-B'd to the enfiineer-in-chi' f. A few days l*ter I received a foimil ottjoinl letter Irom and signed by Mr jjeddon himself, relieving me from the charge of the asylum works, which a week earlier bad been specially committed to m<\ This letter I simply acknowledged formally without comment, and I never bad anything more to do with the asylum, nor did I ever visit it again. The overseer was kept on. A few weeks afterwards his salary was considerably increased Tbe report and letters mentioned were duly filed on the departmental files, where I occasionally saw them aftcnvnuls, and, being official documents, ar<j, of course, there still, and producible, unless they have acciderilally detachud themselves. Loyalty lo the traditions of public service, of course, prevents my quoting them further than is necessnry to clear uiy professional reputation, whirh is seriously impugned in the light of the present condition of the building by Mr SeoVon's alleged denial. I am in courtesy sending a copy of this letter to Mr Seddon, as 1 entirely refuse to believe that he made the denial, aud I also enclose a copy of my letter to Mr S'edilon, to the publication of which I have no objection. Faithfully yours, Arthur Bell, M.lnbtCM. Late engineer for defences and engineer-in-charge of puWic buildings for the colony of New Zealand. P.S.— To correct tbe paragraph further I might as well add that I voluntarily gave up my offire as engineer-in charge out of regard for Mr Blair, under circumstances which are wi-11 known, before Mr Seddon was in office, and theiefore did not resign it onaccouut of anything connected with Porirua.

Perth, Western Australia, Slat August 1*95. Dear Mr Hnddon,— l enclose you copy of a letter which I have addressed to tbe Evening Post on the vexed question of Porirua. I have not, of course, any doubt that with your usual fairness you will at once admit ft is impossible for me, Eocing how the asjlum baa turned out, to allow my professional reputation in tbe colony where I served so long as an engineer to remain impugned by any doubt as to the precise ciicumstances attaching to my very few daya in charge of the works at Poiirua since the subject has been brought into the publicity of parliamentary discussion. I don't believe, of course, for one moment tbat you ever did deny that I recommended 'b dismissal, because a stronger or more absolute recommendation than that contained in my report to Mr Hales has never prohably be-n recoided in tbe Public Works department, and, moreover, it was rei-lied- te by yourself personally, and not by him. No doubt you will have contradicted the statement that you made this denial, but of course 1 have not received the later issues in which that contradiction appears. "Why not produce tbe papers? I'eihaps Hales docs not care that they should see tbe light, because he did not support the recommendation, as of csurse he should have done,— probably because it came from iue. But why Hales or anybody else should affect you or the Government is rather more th »n I can make out. Of course I can produce the documents, but equally, of course, I shall not further than is necessary to clear my own reputation Noblesse oblige. Western Australia is going ahead fast. The gold dUcoveiies have done wondera for the colony, its prosperity at present being very niaiked, and there being many public work« in swing and prospect. Shall be ever so much obliged if you will kindly send me your own .statements, as Minister for Public Works and for Mines, for this year, and with kind regards, believe me, yours very faithfully, Arthur Bell. P.S.— I am sending a copy of thib letter to the paper, also feeling mre, of course, that you will not have any objtction.