The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, September 13, 1888. THE HARBOR CRISIS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 195, 13 September 1888, Page 2

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

Thursday, September 13, 1888. THE HARBOR CRISIS.

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

Yesterday we published an extra containing the opinion of the Harbor Board’s solicitor, as to the meaning and effect of the new Harbor Bill. It is a long and elaborate review of the Bill, and it would be impossible in a newspaper article to discuss it thoroughly. But the impression it leaves on us is that the Board ought to take a poll of ratepayers to decide whether the work shall be continued or not; at least, to the extent of £40,000 further. During the expenditure of that sum, it may be found possible and desirable to expend the whole sum remaining, and our opinion is that for less than the /’40,000 we shall obtain such a work as will encourage us to continue. It is evident that the Tologa and Waiapu ridings are excluded from any further liability to be rated, and we do not know that under all the circumstances it is unfair that it should be so, though we think the actual unsuitable. It is clear that the means of ingress and egress for the northwestern portion of those ridings must be through Gisborne harbor, and therefore such portions of those ridings should have remained in the Harbor district. That can and may be remedied next session.

The effect of the Act which we like least is by the vesting of the unspent surplus of the loan in the Public Trustee, who would probably invest It in Government securities, and not in this district. Could not the Sinking Fund Commissioners have invested it here as they did the /'s 5,000 ? It would have been of great benefit to us, and it seems only fair that the ratepayers who give the security and find the interest, should have the slight advantage of the expenditure amongst themselves. Whether, if the result of the poll be in favor of the further expenditure of / 40,000, that sum should be spent in continuance of the present plan, or on a deflection from the present line, is a matter to be considered. If we are to make for a spot in the sea at or near the site approved by Sir John Coode for the harbor itself, now is the time to do it. We should be strongly in favor of deflecting the present line to the southward, and we are also in favor of introducing a few chains of openway before laying any more blocks. But it may' be said that it is unnecessary, and that if it be hereafter found indispensable, then a few chains of blocks can be lifted and the open way inserted. .Looking at the matter by the light of past events, and present depression, we are inclined to think that we have burdened ourselves for a work of very doubtful value. If we cease we have a costly plant and a useless work on our hands ; if we go on, we may not be able to complete the work sufficiently to make it of any real use. But of two evils choose the least, and we therefore say go on, and be guided by the future. There is some suggestion of asking for tenders to carry on the work to a certain depth, giving the contractor the use of the plant and the blocks, etc. That has at least this recommendation, that it would show us definitely what we should get for a certain sum.

TO-DAY’S MUNICIPAL ELECTION. 1 The ratepayers need hardly again be reminded of the municipal election which takes place to-day, and we hope that the fact that municipal matters are working smoothly will not induce any ratepayer to ignore his responsibility. Everyone that is able should take tbe trouble of reading his or her vote, and we take it for granted that before doing so the merits of the different candidates will be well weighed and the choice made accordingly. We notice with regret the attitude that has been taken up by our contemporary, of simply ignoring the election. It is the reverse of creditable that a journal professing to represent the public interest should remain silent on a question of this kind, simply, it may be assumed, because it is afraid of offending any of the candidates. That course is certainly not very complimentary to the candidates, because any man who aspires to a public position should be able to stand fair criticism, and if ha cannot do so then he is not fit for that position and the sooner he knows it the better for himself. However, our contemporary knows its own business best, and the ratepayers are quite competent to judge how well they are served. There are five candidates before the electors. Of these we discard two as not being quite of the calibre of which Borough Councillors should be, and there remain but three, namely, Messrs Townley, Coleman and Harding, Of Mr Townley it is hardly necessary to say anything—he is so well known, well tried, and so popular that we consider his return certain. Though Mr Coleman has not yet performed as a Borough Councillor, his other acts have shown him to be well fitted for ths honor and well above the average of local candidates. Of Mr Harding we know something in the past and that is that he made a very good Councillor; the only thing against him is that he was so unlucky as to be taken by the hand by a paper which coupled him with the two candidates rejected by us; but this must not coum against him, for it was done without his knowledge or consent, and we feel sure he will be returned as one of the three to-day. Our tip is therefore—Townley, Coleman, and Harding, as being the three best men.