The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, September 6, 1888. “THE DEVIL TO PAY.”

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 192, 6 September 1888, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Thursday, September 6, 1888. “THE DEVIL TO PAY.”

Be just aud fear not • Let all the ends thou aim’st at bs thy country’s, Thy God's, and truth’s.

Mr Graham wired last week to the Chairman of the Harbor Board that the Gisborne Harbor Amendment Act was all right when properly understood. It, when Mr Graham penned that telegram, he intended to infer that by a certain strained construction of the Act it would be possible to coerce Messrs Ormond and Whitmore into paying more rates than they were entitled to do, then we have no hesitation in saying he totally misunderstands the temper of his constituents. All that Gisborne requires is fair play and justice, and although we have bitterly opposed Messrs O mond and Whitmore for their action with regard to our harbor, yet we draw the line at extorting from them what it was never intended they should pay. We are indeed surprised at our contemporary in its evidently inspired article, advocating a tiling which savors of dishonesty and double dealing. The suffering of Parliamentary interference in this matter has been a huge blunder, but one that a little foresight, tact, and common sense on the part of our member might have easily averted. The fate of the Harbors Act, 1878, Amendment Bill proves that the feeling of the House was against such interference. However, the die is cast and the obnoxious Act is before usj The provisions of the Act, shortly stated, are that the Board is to be allowed .to spend £40,000 more on the works if a majority in number and value of the ratepayers on the roll consent. Tne poll is to be taken within the special district, which comprises the Borough Of Gisborne and Cook County (with the exception of Tologa and Waiapu ridings). For the purpose of paying the sinking fund and interest on the / 40,000, a special rate is to be levied within the special district. Besides this the special district will also have to pay, in common with the remainder of the harbor district, the sinking fund and interest on the balance of the £200,000 loan. The Board’s revenue (if any) is to be taken into consideration in striking the rates, and the whole of the district will get the benefit of this. After deducting the £4o,ooo,and the £65,000 already spent, the balance of the loan (and the £40,000 as well, if the rate, payers do not consent to expend it) is to be handed to the Public Trustee, who is authorised to invest it and apply the proceeds in paying interest and sinking fund. Lastly, nothing in the Act is to prejudice any creditor of the Board, It ' will be seen’ the works are virtually Stopped, subject to the ratepayers eonseating to their continuance, and that eve.n in the event of such consent being obtained, the only duty left to the Board in connection with the construction of the works will be to administer the £40,000. This is Parliamentary interference with a vengeance! With reference to the rating, the only difference made is to increase the rate payable by the special district which further expenditure would entail. Although the Act: is a bitter pill to swallow,, and is certainly a wonderful result of the simple instructions given to Mr Graham

to have certain technical errors rectified and the doubt as to the extent of rating power cleared up. But, no doubt, before long Mr Graham will attempt to explain how it happens to be all right. Our contemporary wofully fails in the attempt to prove that when they cannot get honey, Epsom’s salts is an equally palatable substitute. The former certainly has its uses, and in place can be used with great advantage. We only hope that the district will come out triumphantly after its doctoring, and if we make the best use of the lessons that we have been taught, it surely cannot fail to do so. But at the same time it reflects little credit on the district when one of our prints makes the statement that “there will be few qualms of conscience in paying Ormond and Whitmore back in their own coin.” Interpreted in the light of the former statements made by the same journal, that means the ratepayers are capable of stooping to a very low level for the sake of evading their rates : if Ormond and Whitmore have, as stated, been guiity of shuffling, we hope the day may be far distant when the ratepayers will follow the same bad example. It is an insult on the district to suggest such a thing.

fit was not until after the above was in type that we were aware there was to be a special meeting of the Board last night, but undoubtedly the best course was taken. Mr Graham’s “ explanation ” certainly did not show that the Act is all right when it is “ understood.”]