The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1909. TO-DAY’S POLL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2420, 8 February 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8,1909. TO-DAY’S POLL.

The election of four members for the Harbor Board which takes place to-day is so important that we make no apology for again drawing attention to its special significance. As we have already stated, the issue may very easily decide the question of whether or not Gisborne is to have an Outer Harbor commenced during the present decade. The conservative element is sufficiently represented on. the Board at the present time. To increase it by the election of such a gentleman as Mr. AV. D. S. Alaedon.ald, who is apparently entirely opposed to giving the ratepayers an opportunity of saying whether or not they want a Harbor would certainly have the effect of shelving the matter for many years to come. To our mind this would be manifestly wrong. No Board has a right to keep the issue from going before the ratepayers under existing circumstances, and the members have a clear duty before them to send it to a poll at as early a date as possible. AY lien the Outer Harbor Bill was before Parliament tlio largely-signed petition which was quickly compiled asking the legislatorsin Wellington to pass it that session was a clear indication of the people’s wisilies. This is not a question of the wisdom or folly of embarking upon an Outer Harbor scheme; it is of the; right of the ratepayers to vote directly on the matter.

j For the Borough election we have .Messrs. Rees -anil Harris stating that if elected they will support tlio placing of tlio issue before the ratepayers immediately. Messrs. Townley and Whinray, however, have so- iar opposed this step, and they now say that they' desire to obtain further particulars before doing so. For the County representation, Messrs. Hepburn and Adair favor putting the Alarchant scheme before the people, whilst Messrs.- Kells and Alacdonald firmly oppose that course. So far the issues as between the candidates appear to lie so clearly cut as to give littlo difficulty, and on general principles we should favor the candidature of the four gentlemen who are prepared to give- the people an opportunity to exercise their undoubted privileges. Unfortunately the position is complicated by the fact that these four are virtually the nominees of Air. AV. D. Lysnar. If they should all be elected the result would be to give that gentleman. a majority oirthe Board, and as already pointed out such an issue would be disastrous. A body which has in the past conducted its proceedings with some degree of decorum would be transformed into a veritable bear garden, as lias been the case with the Borough Council since Air. Lysnar has been in control as Alayor. Not only that- but it would be extremely undesirable to entrust Mr. Lysnar, who in such an event would be elected Chairman, to place the Harbor scheme before the ratepayers, and still more deplorable if he should be in control whilst a work involving the expenditure of nearly half a million of money was in progress. The lamentable manner in which the recent borough loan proposals were submitted to the people, as well as the absurdity of the ■€200,000 loan scheme which he vainly endeavored to force through the Cook County Council, are instances which readily occur in regard to Air. Lysar’s financial eccentricities. For this rea.oli we think it preferable that men like Alessrs. Townley and AVhinray should lie re-elected and entrusted with the work of preparing the issue for the ratepayers than that they should be rejected in favor of men who are likely to support Air. Lysnar iu rushing the proposals forward in a crude and misleading fashion. Alessrs Townley and AVhinray assure us definitely that they favor an Outer Harbor,'but desire to be more thoroughly convinced of the soundness of Air. Alarchant’s scheme before putting it before the ratepayers. Both are entirely honorable men, and in face of that statement they cannot much longer delay obtaining the information still desired -and taking the issue to tlio poll. For the County representation, however, the position is differ-" out. Alessrs. Kells and Alacdonald would ordinarily be considered eminently desirable as members, but their manifestoes seem to leave no doubt that they will not let the present scheme or schemes go to the poll. They are to be commended for their frankness, but it seems scarcely likely that their policy will meet with the approval of the electors. Alessrs. Hepburn and Adair, however, are pledged just as definitely to support the Alarchant scheme. The whole position is obviously a difficult one) and we should be glad to see a result in which the Townley and the Lysnar elements were returned in equal strength. This would in all probability bring about a position as -a result of which the Alarchant scheme,, accompanied by an accurate and cautious statement embracing all necessary facts, would be placed before tlio ratepayers within a reasonable space of time.