The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-04-29 00:00:00

THE HARBOUR I 11PROVEMENTB.

The Tows CLERK reed the rep,rt of the Harbour
Committee with relerenoe te the above subject, which
stated that they bad bad before them the names of six
eminent engineers who hag bees en =mended to the
Council es con.ulting ens' in connection with the
proposed 'chows of harbour improvement The
names of Mr. Jame. Abernethy and Mr. Betret .12 bad
been ee:ected. Ho (the Town Check) had written to
these gentlemen making enquiries es to their fee., eta
(A copy of this loiter wee read.) He also reed the
replies from the.. genii. men, both rtating that the
fee would not mead 100 guinea., which would be
merged in the general charge If the respective
engineers were engaged to carry out the work. They
also det `lied the ehrihus works they had carried oat
In various parte of Eogland and abroad.
The MATOR said the. question was the most serious
they had been called up oi to meet for many a day,
and he hopol they would make an good a choice ae
possible. 1 hey had two names before them now—
Mr. Abernethy and Mr. Breret .n. Mr. Abernethy
wail gentleman engsged principdly in the north of
England. These two gentlemen were at the top of
their profession and it would be gratifying to either
of them to be iialled in to perfect that port. Mr.
Abernethy was a man thoroughly conversant with his
work, and he could my the same of Mr. Brereton.
Of the two, perhata. Mr. &Groton had had more
extensive engagements on the south omit ; Mr.
Abernethy had had more experience in the north of
England. He hoped whoever they chose would be
the bwit man for their purpose. It was • critical time
for the welfare of Weymouth, and if they chose the
wrong man it would be • mistake that than who came
after would be uttable to remedy. The Mayor then
read letters from eacti of these gentlemin, deacribion
the many great engineering works each had been
engaged in during the last 40 years.
Mr. BROWN eaid there wee no doubt that this woe •
most serious matter, and be thought they should con.
eider on the merits ol these {WO gentlemen. B .th
were toadied t do what they reqoired, but they must
not I.a.k at it in this way. As they came before them
now they required 100 goineas ; herefore the charge
for either would be the • ono. Mr. Abe;nwhy sio
higher in hie profession than Mr. Brereton. He
believed that the man who it rid highest in hie pro-
fession was best suited for them, and he had not the
least doubt that Mr. Abernwhy bad bad greater
experience in these matters than Mr. Bearskin, and
therefore he proposed •resolution,thatildr. Abernethy
be engaged.
Alderman TH,ql•ll said as far as his knowledge
and opinion led him to determine in LIAO ca.e, Mr.
Brenton stood higher as regard. the reel ,Petneute of
the Council, having bowl engaged in w cbs Aguilar to
these required, and on the same coast. Mr. Aber-
nethy bed been engsged.in such woks that he was
afraid be would be WO (111,0011Vd for them. Neither
of thaw present could h.ve any partiality in this
matter; the choice they had to make was that which
would be best Lir the t .wn, and his opinion would
webb 1,. favour of Mr. Beer. t in. . . . .

Mr. NANOLS c inaideral that a moot important
point In (hi. matter, anil one which ghoul I not be
overlooked, was that they etiould know whether tee
gentleman elected wool I have sufficient time to attend
to the wcrk. lie thooght the gel:women who had the
greatest amount of time should b the one selected.
These things fell upon certain lines, and they would
get an explicit report from either gentlemen. He
would say he,. the opinion of both these gentlemen,
but if they left it to his own ju •gment he should thy
the man who had the greatest amount of leisure time
was the one they should appoint.
Mr. Grialian was of opinion that they ought to take
Into c moideration the experee. Ile th••ht the
great Ab-rnethy would be too expensive for them.
Mr. WOMMID hoped that in a msater of this kind
they would be unanimous. lie thought that in a
matter of such vital Importance there should be a
certain am, tint of unanimity iu the Council. For
himself. be felt perfectly inc impotent to any anything
as to the abilities of either of these gentlemen, and he
thought Vans were very fee round that Board who
were c impatient to decide as in their capabilities es
saitlaeere. It was a mat dificult thing to decide.
Mr. %Vali was of Opinion that Nil% Brgreton would
work more aoreeahly with the Great Western,
Mr. lisOrie agked, eupp 'ging they called in Mr.
Abernetty, and he male • scheme id which they did
not approve, could they fall back upon any tither
man?
_ _

Mi. CURTI/ : Cart4inly.
Mr. ?WOOLS said in matters of this kind it seemed
to him they eh mi I have called in • c nisi:dung
engineer t.l give them his prrsonsi experience ci this
or that man. .

Mr. liiroMAN : He would rec =mend him own friend.
Tbe ?daunt arid they were all placed in a trying
position, but they ehould use their judgment to the
beet of their ability for the interests of the town.
They had two gentlemen before them, and they ha I to
form an opinion from the works laid before them. It
appeared to bun thet Mr. Brer•ton MN a gentleman
who bad been enraged rxteoeieely ,tn the south c rut
--engaged in works of this kind. Tbst being s, he
thought Mr, 13reretoo was the urwt suit sble f r thew,
and also the gentleman who would give them the must
time and would work pleasantly with those who would
be their greatest customers—the Great Western. As
far as Mr. Abernetty was concerned, he was sogagei
in very large works in the north of England, and it
reesained foe ibors to dirddis whether it will bo Mr.
Brereton or Mr. Abernetty.
Mr. Loma. expressed himself strongly In favour of
Mr. Abernetty. He a insidered it very probable that
Mr. Brenton would lean t 'wards the Great %Virden).
Mr. Namur maid be should ask the C runoil t give
him • week to make enquiries as to which gentleman
was the most suitable. . .

Alderman Tumult sail they were bound to make
the selection that day.
Mr. RungNs said he had not thought it was worth
their while to have an engineer until they knew whet
the Great Western Company required. (Rear, hear.)
lie wee very touch in Grout id heving those gentle-
men down and asking what their requirements were,
ea it was to them they were i Aebted for the preeeht
gleam of prosperity lu the harbour. What they bad
to do was to deepen the harbour, and t e ascertain what
the Great Western Railway Company required, and
how the money was to be obtained to carry out the
work, and thou he thought they would he able to pro-
ceed with WADS satisfaction. Hs would give his vote
to Mr. Bret,to.i of the two, becaue of his special
knowledge of the locality.
Mr. It. ATMS was in favour of lir. Brereton for •
&Willer reason.

MT. 15ginti;.expreveed his opinion that they ought
to have the very boot mon, and, therefore, hi* prefer-
ono* lay with Mr. Aboraetty. Triey should take the
largest possible view ~f the question. There was no
resole why they should not carry out the whole of
the 'chem. prepared, whether it was by Mr. Abernetty
or Mr. Brenton ; but take it op in section., giving
the Great Western what they asked first. its urged
the appointment of Mr. Abernetty, and pointed out
there would be no difference as regards expanse. Let
them have the beet man they could.
Me. NANOLS, taking up the last Irwin 01 Me.
Dennis, asked what they had got 12.4.. re them to lead
them to • conclusion as to which was the bait mao.
It warn admitted by Mr. Dennis that Mr. Abernetty
was a tip-top man. They only knew that by report;
and they would afterwards find that Mr. Brenton
might hare been the boat for them.
Alderman Elan said there had been one or two ar-
sumptiona made thot morning for which no very clear
grounds had been given. He hoped they would decide
that morning on which of th ,se two they would select.
It had been summed that one of the.* two gontlent.n
was better than the other. It was a difficult thing to
say which was best; but what they bed to satisfy
themselves was that they were both competent men.
He held that both were thoroughly comp,tent. Tory
were both .4 40 years' experimce in all pert.. of the
world, and it was a dificalt thing to say which MO
best, or which had ha I more experience. The one had
more experience on the south coast, and the other on the
north. The first wi rk the engineer wool I have t
would la •to meet in c.n.sultsti n the engine-a.. of the
Great Wettern C .mpaity, and they cool I thou under-
stand from them what they wanted. He hoped they
would not delay this matter, 11. he c moldered they
were In a position to choose that morning. .

_
Alderman TllOll4B propo•ed led an amendment to
Mr. Brown's proposition "That Mir. Breretoo be
app Intel engineer for the herb Improvement."
IoP. Ammar oecondtal.
Toe B orul then .11/1 led; for the amendment (9)—
The Mayor, Alterman Eliot Anil Thome., lbutoclllore
Ayleabury. Grsbant. Arles. Webb, 'habeas, and
Beaman; for the propootion (7)—C moaners Donnie,
Curtie, Lansing, l.o• •P, H ionsell, Brown, cat Snook.
Mr. Welsiord snit Mr. Naiigle ili I not vote.
The Mena .aid h. thought they bad done a very
fair day's work. He shoul I have been phoned if they
had airmen Mr. Aberaetty, hut he wog very plasmid
they had chosen Mr. Breri-t in, on ac,nnt of his
',pedal be of this part of the coast.
A di-cusaion thea ensued as to when Mr. Brenton
alum! I c ,tne, and whether he eboul.l meet the C .unc/1
before he in-it the Great We-tern engineers. It was
eventually decided to rt comet Mr. Brereton tocm.
at once sod first m-et the o,lllllCil.

THI sHINGLE ON THB BANDS.

The Mason fr 11,4 'tic, that at the next meeting hit
should place a notict oo the agenda paper with refer.
once t the removal of the shingle on the sands, many
people Isdne of opiniou it c old be utdieed for repair-
ing the roa In.