BLUFF HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2981, 3 May 1911, Page 10

BLUFF HARBOUR BOARD.

DISMISSAL OF PILOT STAFF. INVERCAEGILL, April 25. Since the Bluff Harbour Board resolved a month ago to giv§ the whole of the pilot staff three months' notice of the termination of their engagements, and Chief Pilot and-Harbour Master M'Donalil a year's- leave oi absence, prior to the termination oi his engagement, -considerable interest has been evinced by residents of the Bluff and others in what they considered to have been the too hasty action oi the board. At to-day's meeting of the board a motion was considered which in effect would have amounted to a reinstatement of Captain M'Donald as harbour master. The previous resolution dealing with the staff was carried by the narrow margin of five to four. To-day the chairman (Mr R. A. Anderson), after expressing regret that the outside pressure which had been brought to bear had made it necessary to give a full explanation of the circumstances leading up to Captain M'Donald's dismissal, gave a detailed statement compiled mainly from resolutions recorded in the minutes of the board for the last 10 years, which showed that the recent Knight oi the Garter incident (which immediately preceded the dismissals) was but the .final stage in a series ot- cases of ,*vnat the board held to be -neglect of duty by Captain M'Donald. The minutes of the board showed that warnings had been given Captain M'Donald for occasional lapses into intemperance. This explanation would, he said, never have been made had not some of Captain M'Donald's friends unwisely pushed the matter. It was freely admitted that Captain M'Dcnali was an excellent pilot, but that there had been cases in which his administration as harbour master had been hardly satisfactory. The motion was lost by six to three.

At a later stage Captain Lovett, who has been second in command for 19 years, was apponited acting chief pilot and harbour master.

Among Captain Lovett's references were many testimonials from ex-chairmen of the Bluff Harbour Board, and from representatives of the shipping companies and employers. There were 27 applicants for the position, th© runner-up being Captain M'Dougall, who js at present senior pilot to tho Otago Harbour Board. AN UNPLEASANT DUTY. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, April 25. At the meeting Mr G. P. Waddell moved —" That Captain M'Donald's notice of the termination of his engagement (passed at last ■ meeting of the board) be extended to three months to enable the new board to have the opportunity of investigating the conduct and duties of the pilot staff, including the signal station, and the arrangements at Stirling Point with a view to reorganisation, the betterment of the service, and more efficient appliances for the safer protection of vessels approaching the port in foggy weather." Mr Waddell said that he submitted his motion because so many people had expressed disapproval of the board's action. If the harbourmaster's notice was extended as proposed it would give the new board an opportunity to inquire into the circumstance of the case, and would give Captain M'Donald a chance to answer any questions that might be asked concerning his alleged neglect of duty. He would not allow Captain M'Donald to be made the scapegoat of the Knight of the Garter inquiry. The board, in. taking the action it had (humbugging, as Mr Waddell called it) with reference to its pilot staff, was running a risk of losing two of the best pilqts in New Zealand. Mr Gilroy seconded the motion, and endorsed the remarks made by Mr Waddell.

Mr Fraser supported the motion. It was hardly fair, he thought, that the board should have taken the action it did in its expiring moments. It was not very judicious to dismiss the whole staff. It -would have been more just to leave the matter over to the new board.

Mr Fleming said that it was probably correct to say that the board should have had more evidence placed before it as to what had actually been done. It was probable that many members of the board knew more than he did of the working of the board. He had beard .lots of things about this matter, but hearsay did not count. The chief pilot's 'whole career depended on the action of the board. Mr Fleming agreed with. Mr Fraser that it would be more satisfactory to give the new board a chance to consider the matter. Mr Anderson said that all the members knew that the reason the board had gone into committee at last meeting was that it might go into the matter as fully as possible. It was not done to smother anything of which the board was ashamed, but was done in the interests of all concerned. The board was responsible for the conduct of all the members of the staff, and personally he felt that responsibility very greatly. The board had not acted hurriedly, and it had done its best to deal justly with the matter. The amount of ignorance displayed by various writers in the papers was colossal. One did object to people taking up an uncompromising attitude on a question concerning which they knew nothing whatever. Those who were inside knew best what was the right thing to be done. It was quite possible that Captain M'Donald was one of the best pilots in New Zealand, but it was not as a pilot that he had been censured. He- had been censured as a harbourmaster in connection with the carrying out of other duties. The court had found that the lookout service at Stirling Point was wanting in efficiency. The board could not be held responsible for details that the officials were well paid to have attended to. Personally,. the speaker had been a consistent friend of Captain M'Donald. The old board knew all the circumstances, and how cculd the

new board adjudicate upon the question? The present members were surely the best judges, and if they threw the responsibility upon the new board they would be shirking their duty. He saw nothing whatever to induce him to change the attitude he had taken up at last meeting. Taking all the facts into consideration he could not but e«e that it was time eomo move was made in the direction of reorganising the pilot staff, and all the members of the staff had been given notice to enable this to be done. Mr Hawke said that all the members knew that he did not agree with Mr Fleming that no blame was attachable to Captain M'Donald, The finding of the court was distinctly to the contrary. The beard did not act solely on the Knight of the Garter incident, although it caused them finally to make up their minds. Every chairman -of the board had had trouble with Captain M'Donald. He was a good careful pilot," and they were all sorry about the position that had arisen. Mr Green said he saw no reason to alter his opinion. The public had thought that the board's action was due to the Knight of the Garter inquiry, but that was not quite so. The inquiry was only one of the causes.

Mr Brodie said that he quite agreed with the statement made by the chairman.- , All the members should have known of the matter referred to. They were recorded in the minutes of the board. Captain M'Donald was a good pilot, but as he had been a failure.

Mi- Bain said he thought the chairman, was justified in making an explanation. Mr Bain remarked that he would not have r.tood again as a candidate for the board if this matter had not com« up.

Mr Fleming said that the public ought to know that the affair had nothing to do with the Knight of the Garter. That had been the general impression. The Chairmr.n said that the Knight of the Garter incident had brought matters to a bead. The resignation of Captain M'Donald had been lying in the board's office for seven years, and could have been dated and put before the board by the chairman.

Mr Waddell, in reply, said that he had thought all along that Captain M'Donald should bs punished, but not dismissed. That was a. drastic form of punishment, to.-> severe altogether. A definite charge should have been laid and Captain M'Donald given a chance to defend himself.

Tlie motion was lost by three votes to six, those voting in favour of it being Messrs Waddell, Gilroy, and Fraser, and those against it Messrs Fleming, Bain, Brodie, Hawke, Green, and Anderson.