CHAIRMAN AND ENGINEER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17175, 4 February 1930, Page 7

CHAIRMAN AND ENGINEER

! RESIGNATIONS TALKED OF COMPLAINTS OF INTERFERENCE WISER COUNSEL PREVAILS ,swo resignations were in the air ictf..'the greater part of yesterday's Harbor Board debate of a report subkitted by the resident engineer, Mr. 0. F, Marshall Smith. Early in the day the chairman, Mr. J. Tombieson, had intimated his intention to move for the dismissal of the engineer, and though at a later stage he seemed to have dropped this project, he again showed interest in it and towards the close of the meeting told the board, that if the engineer was retained, in view of the terms of < the ■report he had submitted, the board would havo to accept his own resignation. Wiser counsel prevailed after a long debate had taken place, and the meeting closed in an atmosphere of renewed goodwill as between the ■.- chairman and engineer. The latter agreed to withdraw a clause in his report that had given offence to several members of the board, including the chairman, and Mr. T. Todd, convener of the works committee of the board,- thereupon withdrew, a proposal to the effect that Mr. Marshall Smith be compelled to prove the statements which he had incorporated in the report Compliments were paid to the engineer on the smooth manner in which the work of the board had .progressed since hi 3 appointment as engineer, and on his part Mr. Smith stated that he had drafted his report under a sense of injury, in that the consulting engineer to the board had been called in during his absence for m special report on certain phases of the works. • Members of the board had assembled after the luncheon • ment well aware that developments of -»'serious nature might follow the chairman's earlier statement that he intended to ask for the dismissal of the engineer. A number of other - matters had to be cleared up immediately after the adjournment, however, and it. was some time before the chairman's motion could come .for- . ward. ■ "OtF BIS CHEST." When the topic of the relations between the chairman and engineer was taken up again, Dr. Collins asked the chairman it he did not agree that a motion such as his wouid require notite , to he given. , The ichairman. stated that he was inclined to agree with.this view. Dr. Collins asked further if the chairman would move, at the close of this dtocussion, that the board ask for the engineer's resignation? The chairman: Oh, no! I've got it off my chest howl ' ■ Thjji reply was greeted by relieved ; laughter-'and brief applause, but Dr. Ooljins held that the move already made by the chairman had prejudiced the position of the engineer whose position was so insecure that he must feel, it ikeenly. The engineer had complained that the excessive zeal of some members had caused him considerable embarrassment and difficulty in maintaining discipline and carrying on the work. In effect, the 'authority of the engineer had been made subservient to the wishes of "inquisitive , liosey Parkers" on the board. Dr. Collms spoke strongly . upon- thejicti- " vifcies of some members of the board •which had placed their unfortunate executive officer in this position, and he declared that he proposed to consolidate Mr Marshall Smith's position by moving at the" next meeting of the board that the services, of the engineer be dispensed with, and that he be given three 'months' leave of absence on full pay. The speaker catechised the engineer at feme lengthy eliciting the information that {Mr. Marshall Smith' desired the • board'to decide finally whether it dosired him to carry on with full authority, or whether it desired him to give tap his appointment. Dr. Collins declared that crass stupidity on the part of some member or members of the board had brought about a situation in which an executive officer had felt it necfessary to submit a report-, asking the board to desist from activities which were embarrassing his discipline and authority, and there was no more dangerous man than he who tried to make mischief. He (the speaker) had had to put himself in a position in which he would be criticised as an enemy of the engineer, * when his object was purely to establish the engineer's position.

MR. C. F. M. .SMITH'S REPORT

Dr. Collins then moved the adoption of a report submitted by the engineer, in which Mr. C. F. Marshall Smith protested against, the consulting engineer being called in by tin; board during bis absence on furlough, and also against other activities mentioned by Dr. Collins. Mr. CI. Smith seconded the motion for the adoption of the report, and expressed doubt as to whether a report was necessary from the consulting engineer during the resident engineers holiday. He felt,'said Mr. Smith, that the chairman had taken a little too much on his shoulders in securing this report from Mr. Reynolds, as everything was going smoothly, and nothinghad occurred that had not been foreseen. The matter need never have come up like this, but now it bad come up, it. would have to be dealt with. It was not right that any member of the board should go and speak to a contractor or workman without consulting the engineer. The board had previously decided that Mr. .Smith was to be paramount in control of the work, and that Mr. Reynolds was only to be called in when required for consultation. A lot had been made, continued the speaker, of the leakage through the training wall, but there was no room for more than ono engineer on the job, as far as construction, went. If in Air. Marshall .Smith's opinion the time was not opportune for sealing (bo leaks in the wail, it was his responsibility. Had members attended to their own "duties, they would not have had to deal with the report and with the prospect of dealing with a notice of motion to dispense with the services of the engineer. It was not necessary, said Mr. Smith, to have such a motion at all, for if the consulting engineer was interfering with the resident engineer, they could very well decide to terminate his engagement, instead of Mr. Smith's. INVITATION TO MR. REYNOLDS. Mr. A. C. Steele emphasised the fact that the consulting engineer had been invited to make the report. The chairman thought that it was bis own activities that should bo discussed, not Mr. .Reynolds'. Mr. 0. Smith concluded with a. remark that .Mr. Marshall Smith retained the confidence of the majority of the board and that it was very unpleasant to have to deal with such a matter. If the chairman was to blame, he should take a lesson on the virtues of co-opera-tion with the engineer. Air. J. Tombleson, chairman of the board, moved, as an amendment to Dr. Collins' motion, "That the engineer's remarks were quite unwarranted, and insulting to members of the board." He then went on to discuss the recommendations of Mr. Reynolds, to the effect that the training wall should be made watertight on the town side, and also that the resident engineer was allowing the sea wall to be built from the sea end instead of the town end.

Referring to Mr. Marshall Smith's report,' Mr. Tombleson said he could not allow such an observation on the part of the engineer to pass without notice. If the board adopted Mr. Marshall Smith's report he would have no recourse but to ask the board to accept his own resignation. Mr. A. C. Steele: That is a threat? The chairman declared that he had no other course open. A TACTFUL SUGGESTION. A suggestion that a delicate position might bo solved if the engineer would agree to withdraw the remarks contained in his report, was made by Mr. T. Corson. Mr. A. Wade expressed gratification in the fact that he was not one of those members referred to by the engineer. He had always been scrupulously fair (o the engineer, and had never thought of going beyond him to meet employees or contractors of the board. He did not think the chairman should be criticised for getting the report of the consulting engineer, nor could Mr. Reynolds be criticised for submitting his requested report. That report was full of good advice, Mr. Wade considered. Personally lie had held that the engineer hail been mistaken in his appointments of foremen; he had indeed held that they should have been recommended by Ihe engineer to appoint an experienced working overseer. Mr. Wade criticised various portions of the harbor work carried out under Mr. Marshall Smith's supervision, as indications of how experience could have helped the board. 'J he (hairmaii was quite entitled, said Mr. Wade, to go about the works and keep a, close v.atch on them, and he was to be commended for securing the report from Mr. Reynolds. The engineer had been most indiscreet in his remarks concerning the board members.

"1 cannot vote for the adoption of the report of Mr. Marshall Smith, for that would indicate that I was one of the 'Nosey Parkers,' " stated Mr. T. Corson, He held that the engineer's comments had been indiscreet, and the speaker felt certain that on consideration Mr. .Marshall .Smith would decide to withdraw them, as suggested by Mr. Nicol. The speaker, sympathised with the chairman in'his anxiety to see Ihe works go on on the best lines. MR. T. TODD'S VIEWS

Air. T. 'Todd held that the chairman had -been fully justified in securing the report from Mr. Reynolds. The loss of depth in the basin bad been discovered only by a chance direction on the part, of the chairman to the harbormaster. It was not by the action of any member of the engineer's staff, ami the disclosures of the soundings were so disquieting that the calling in of the consulting engineer had been fully justified. Air. Todd held that there had been a complete lack of speed, and there was no sign of improvement, Air. Butler's contract was holding up the whole of Iho board's programme, yet the engineer had been unable to secure tiny better progress. In regard to the diversion wall, the engineer had been asked by the board two months ago to have something done to expedite work on that job. Vet a week ago the engineer had told the works committee that nothing was being done. The board had had recommendations from Mr. F. W. Furkct, the cngineer-in-chief of the Public Works Department, and also from H.i own 'consulting engineer, yet they could not l get their engineer to take action. | Mr. Todd stated that he did not propose to restrict his visits to the harbor works to those occasions on which he could be accompanied by the engineer. fie asked the engineer if he accused him personally of giving directions to workmen on the harbor' I NO NAAIFS MENTIONED The engineer stated that he preferred to mention no names. It A'ould only create ill-feeling. ( Air. Todd: Then you throw mud, mil let it slick where it will ? Mr. Marshall Smith: It's a case of lie cap fitting.

Mr. Todd: Well, Ihe cap seems to fit no one at present. He concluded by indicating that he would not restrict his visits to the harbor works, or his interest in the details,

Mi;. T. Quirk thought the chairman had been ;i little over-zealous in securing the report from the consulting engineer. The report was a valuable one, and Mr. Reynolds was not to be blamed for having made the report. The services ftf. the resident engineer had been quite satisfactory to the speaker, and ho fully realised that it was not always possible to procure progress as swift as one might dosire, but that was because one job had to wait on another. Mr. Quirk expressed the hope, that the whole matte,' would be cleared up and that things would go along smoothly

KXI'RKSSJOXM SOT INSULTING

Thai the engineer had taken offence uiniecossnrilv, was the view of Mr. 0. 11. Williams, who held, on the other hand, that the chairman's words were too drastic. ile had called Mi-. Smith's remarks "insulting," hut the speaker, as one of those at whom the expressions were aimed, did not feel insulted. Ile merely thought they were uncalled for.

Mr. Williams expressed the view that the chairman had. been quite justified in obtaining a report from the consulting engineer in an emergency which he held was serious enough to warrant that action. He emphasised for the benefit of the engineer that the members of the board were well entitled to fake a keen interest in the work, as they and their children and their children's children must stay in the place and help to pay for the work. Asked by the chairman whether he wished to take the opportunity of withdrawing his report, the resident engineer stated that he had submitted, the report for the purpose of having the matter cleared up. He had bad no intention of causing trouble or ill-feeling, but a combination- of circumstances had placed him in a false position, and he bad taken this method of bringing the matter into the open. He apologised for anything that, seemed a personal stricture on any member of the board but intimated that he wished his report to stand. ASSERTIONS TOO SWEEPING Mr. A. C. Steele held that the chairman had been quite justified in procuring the consulting engineer's report, and that the engineer had been decidedly wrong in making the sweeping-as-sertions which he had included in the report. Those assertions placed every member of the board under a cloud, and should not have been made. Mr. Todd moved as an amendment to the. adoption of the report that the engineer be asked to prove his assertion that ''instructions had even been given to workmen or contractors without my knowledge or authority," or else withdraw the assertion. Mr. Steele, seconded this amendment. Dr. Collins, replying on his own motion, stated that he was undecided whether to proceed with the motion of which he had given notice. lie asked Mr. Marshall Smith whether, in view of what had transpired during the debate, he wished the notice of motion to stand. Mr. Smith intimated that he wished (lie matter to drop, and he agreed to withdraw the paragraph in his report, to which exception had been taken. • Dr. Collins then asked the chairman to put the motion for the adoption of the engineer's sp'ecial report, with the exception of the paragraph in question. Mr. Todd stated that the withdrawal o? the paragraph removed the necessity of his amendment, which he accordingly withdrew.

Dr. Collins', motion was carried unanimously, the vote concluding a debate which had been lengthy and at times acrimonious.