BRIDGE COMMISSION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 759, 4 September 1929, Page 10

BRIDGE COMMISSION

PERSONNEL DISAPPROVED BY HARBOUR BOARD EXPERT OPINION WANTED Dissatisfied with the personnel o£ the Harbour Bridge Commission as juoposed by the Bridge Association, the Harbour Board resolved yesterday to press for the inclusion of experts. The board-in-committee reported that the chairman, Mr. M. H. Wynyard, had fully discussed the matter with the engineer-in-chief of the Public Works Department. The chairman recommended that strong representations be made to Cabinet and to the Auckland members of Parliament to ensure that the personnel of the commission complied with the hoard’s resolutions, and that the board be consulted as to the personnel before any commission was appointed. SUGGESTED PERSONNEL The committee presented the following recommendations:—(l) That the chairman’s report be approved. (2) That the board disapproves of the commission suggested by the Bridge Association as not possessing the necessary q .animations for determining such a vital harbour question, and is definitely of the opinion that the commission should include: (a) An independent engineer, such as the chief engineer of the Public Works Department; (b) a nautical expert, such as the harbourmaster at Sydney; and (c) a harbour engineer of standing. (3) That the matter be left in the hands of the chairman to take immediate action.” While on a recent visit to Wellington Mr. E. Aldridge reported he had interviewed Sir Joseph Ward and had given him the chairman’s memorandum and the resolutions quoted in the committee’s report. Sir Joseph had told him that he would be glad to meet the chairman if the latter came to Wellington, and had also stated that the personnel of the commission had not yet been considered, but every consideration would he given to the board’s wishes in the matter.