The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1909. THE OUTER HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2397, 12 January 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1909. THE OUTER HARBOR.

The attitude of the Harbor Board in regard to the project of an outer harbor for this distric is;, very difficult to justify. A majority of the members appeal’ to be. hostile to the project, and they may have good grounds w their hostility, but unless they can produce something .more definite in the way of condemnation than has so far come out they are not justified in. declining to place the issue before tlie ratepayer. The Hon. Captain Tucker appeared to voice the views of other members, and he stated that it was premature to plaee a scheme before the ratepayers when the members were not sure of tho position themselves. To tliat we may well ask how long it is likely to take the Board to come to a decision. Mr. Marchant’s scheme lias been before that body for a couple of years and Mr. Reynolds’ for many months. The members have before them also the reports of their own officials as to the financial outlook, and it is not very clear that they will be any better equipped two years beuco to decide what is undoubtedly a. difficult problem. The Chairman’s amendment was to the effect that the question should not be submitted to the ratepayers until the Board had decided which scheme should he adopted. As Mr. Townley did not follow this up by indicating in any wav the further steps lie proposed should be taken to enable the Board to make up its mind, his resolution can only be taken as a means of evading the issue. So far as can be seen the Board has no intention of making any further move in the matter at the present time, and its attitude under tho circumstances is certainly open to adverse criticism. There is a good deal that can reasonably be urged for and against both schemes, but no logical reason has been given for withholding from the ratepayers the opportunity of exr pressing their opinions. It is perhaps unfortunate that the only really enthusiastic supporter of the outer harbor at present on the Board should be the gentleman whose advocacy invariably injures any cause lie espouses, but we should hope that the other members will not allow that fact to "weigh with them in their deliberations.