534 Transactions. 



The following extract from a letter written by the author 

 to the Secretary of the Marine Department on the 7th September, 



1901, shows the unsatisfactory position of those who were urging 

 this matter on the Government : " There is one important 

 detail which I desire again to bring under your notice. None 

 of those who interested themselves in this business have any 

 status whatever. We come and go at our own expense, we 

 advise as to work, plans, &c, but we have no authority to do 

 anything. If the Minister would form a Board, as suggested, 

 with as many Government nominees as is thought desirable, 

 we would know exactly where we stand ; at present we are 

 only so many private individuals who are consulted by courtesy 

 of the Minister and the Marine Department." 



The proposals submitted to the Minister were sent down 

 to the Public Works Department, Dunedin, and, after the site 

 had been carefully surveyed, the District Engineer reported to 

 Mr. Ay son that he found " that the works are entirely beyond 

 your means. To give effect to your proposals will cost between 

 £2,500 and £3,000." This was in October, 1901, and a little 

 later a detailed estimate was prepared by the District Engineer 

 giving the cost of construction at £3,000. This seemed to put 

 a stop to the whole scheme, but the author was so satisfied 

 that this was excessive that when Mr. Ayson came down to 

 Dunedin in January, 1902, he went over the details with him, 

 and got approximate estimates from outsiders showing that, 

 even on the plans submitted, the work could probably be done 

 for £1,500. Further, by reducing the scale of the work to be 

 undertaken, it was estimated that the cost of construction 

 might be brought down to £1,135. 



This view of the matter was pressed upon the Minister of 

 Marine, and practically accepted by him, as the following ex- 

 tract of a letter from the Department, dated the 13th March, 



1902, shows : " I have the honour, by direction of the Minister 

 of Marine, to state that there is no authority at present to ap- 

 point a Board of management with a legal standing, but it is 

 proposed to set up an honorary advisory Board for the purpose 

 of advising the Department upon any matters concerning the 

 hatchery, it being clearly understood that the cost of esta- 

 blishing the hatchery in working-order must not exceed £1,100, 

 and that the annual working-expenses must not exceed £250. 

 The Board will advise the Department as to the expenditure 

 of the above amounts, but will not incur expenditure until au- 

 thorised by the Department. It is proposed that the Board 

 shall consist of one member nominated by the Otago Institute, 

 one member nominated by the Otago Acclimatisation Society, 

 the Collector of Customs, the Chief Surveyor, and the District 



