The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5,1909. THE HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2418, 5 February 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1909. THE HARBOR BOARD ELECTIONS.

. It is somewhat unfortunate that the efforts that are. (being made to stir up "interest in the Harbor Board elections, which take place on Monday next, are not meeting with greater success than has been evidenced at the meetings held to date. The importance of the position cannot ho over-estimated, and it is to. be sincerely hoped the ratepayers will realise its seriousness before the polling-day has passed. Under certain circumstances the result of the. poll may definitely decide the question of Harbor or No Harbor. Mr. W. D. Lysnar, that man of extraordinary energy, upbounded pertinacity and marvellous impracticability, unable to have his views carried into practice with the Board as now constituted, has seized the present .opportunity to endeavor to place his own nominees on the Board' and SO' secure a majority. Now, for the gentleman in question to obtain a •working', majority on any public body (would be, in our opinion, a public calamity, for there is nothing more certain than that his wild-cat schemes and blundering methods would (land the community in disaster. We arc entirely in sympathy with his claim that a scheme or schemes for' an outer harbor should be . promptly placed before the ratepayers, hut wo should shudder at the mere possibility of Mr. W. 1 D. Lysnar, as chairman of the

Harbor Board, being entrusted with the chief control of a. work 'involving the expenditure of nearly half a.million. of money. Of course, it docs not follow that tlio gentlemen who would cast their votes with Mr. Lysnar for submitting tho matter to tho ratepayers would blindly follow his lead in all the extraordinary gyrations which are typical of his public doings, but the risk is too great to run.

For tlio Borough representation, .Messrs Rees and Harris stand on the same platform as Mr. Lysnar. The former gentleman lias far 100 much ability and character to permit himself to become a mere automaton for the irrepressible iLysiiar. His powers of imagination, ready perception and vigor of oxpressidn would in many respects make him an excellent member, but it must be borne in mind that his strongest characteristics are those of a visionary who sees things as lie would wish them to be, rather than as they really are. On tho Board, .as at present constituted, lie would be a decided acquisition, but as a member of a Lysnar majority he could not be relied 'upon to provide the check against recklessness that the interests of the. community would demand. Mr. Harris has been a useful member, but with Air. Hepburn, who is seeking re-elec-tion as a County representative, uppears to lie magnetised by the charm of Mr. Lysnar’s eloquence, and the pair vote so consistently with that gentleman as to suggest that they do not preserve that independence, which is necessary in such an important capacity. Mr. T. Adair is a gentleman who is deservedly . popular in the community as a keen business man with the interests of the district at heart. To our mind, however, it is exceedingly unfortunate that he should attempt to enter .public 3ife as a member of tiie Lysnar faction, , ■■■!', under any other circumstances, he ,\<mld deserve, and would 'in at! probability receive, a good deal of support. On the other side are. Messrs Town ley and AVhinray, standing for

the Borough, and Messrs Kells and MacDonald for tho County. The first two are at present on the Board representing what may he described as tiie .conservative element, and the latter will almost certainly be found hi sympathy with their views. Incur opinion Mr. Townley and the majority of the Board have been entirely wrong in their attitude of refusing to place the harbor proposals before the ratepayers. If they have not obtained all the information necessary to come to a decision, then they should have done so, for there lias been ample time. At tho same time it is better that- the submission of the proposals should bo delayed and afterwards put forward by a conservative body than that they should be rushed upon tho people in an illconsidered and confusing form, as was tiie ease with tho recent borough loan proposals.

As already stated this election may easily decide the issue of Harbor or no Harbor. If the Lysnar element should iprove completely successful we should have the Merchant scheme placed before the ratepayers almost before the ink Avas dry on the election results, together with, all sorts of misleading statements concerning the future revenue of the Board and the impossibility of any rate being needed to pay for the work. On the other hand the return of the other .four might bo taken as a. mandate from the people that a harbor Avas not wanted, and the Board might relegate the AA-hoile matter to the background for years to come. At this juncture it Avould clear the air someAvhat if the ToAvnley Ifaction would give a direct intimation as to their Avdltinguess to submit the. harbor issue to the ratepayers at an early date.

Messrs (Rees, Harris, Adair, and Hepburn, and ii-ith them Mr. Lysnar, are to be complimented upon , the straightforward manner in Avhich they have stated the platform upon Avhien they are standing as candidates. Me have nothing to say against either of the four candidates individually, but as a combination selected 1 to support Mr. Lysnar on the Board they Avould ■be distinctly undesirable. It remains for their opponents to shoA\ r that they are equally alive to the great responsibilities of the situation, and, taking the public into their confidence, give ti lull statement of their beliefs and the reasons for thorn.