MORE BLUNDERING.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 204, 4 October 1888, Page 2

MORE BLUNDERING.

In aicteon days from this morning the vote of the ratepayers will be taken as to whetber the harbor works shall be allowed to proceed under the altered conditions; in eleven days from the peasant date, meetings are to ba held in all the different centres of the special district. Wall, we confess we are quite at a loss to account for all this unseemly haste—why the poll should be rushed on the settlers at such short notice, and why it has been decided that the meetings shall ell be held on the one night, The whole thing it io tali on the rate-

payers like a thunderclap, and we suppose a calm is expected as the certain result of a storm. Reflection does not make our vision anyway clear in the matter, and our powers of perspicacity can in no way explain the cause for this unreasonable haste. Some may consider it the master stroke of a political campaigner, but political feeling in the sense in which it is generally understood should not be imported into the question at issue—it is much too serious a matter for us to allow the decision to be affected by any party feeling other than that inseparable from the main question. And if this precipitancy is considered a master stroke, we can assure Mr Sievwright or whoever else may have prompted it that it will have a most damaging effect against the side which they are themselves advocating. It does not require a deep knowledge of human nature to convince one that sensible men are always open to be convinced on any question, but they will not submit to being bullied into it, and this extraordinary way of doing things appears to be an ill-considered attempt to force the ratepayers into taking a certain line of action.

Or can it be that those whom we have always regarded as the strongest supporters of the continuation of the work are in reality its most stealthy opponents ? Whether intentionally or from want of foresight Mr Graham’s actions have made him the wet blanket of the harbor scheme, and whether intentionally or from want of foresight his allies now threaten to do more harm to the successful carrying of the poll than the most determined opponents can expect to accomplish. There might possibly be many reasons adduced for holding the poll on such short notice, though we cannot see how even that can be justified; but it is monstrous to suppose that the ratepayers of the County will submit to this scheme for holding all the meetings on the one night. An exception is made of Whataupoko, at which place the meeting is to be held an hour and a half earlier. Why this exception ? If it is to allow the North Gisborne settlers to attend the subsequent meeting in town we quite agree that that is perfectly fair ; therefore, it may more reasonably be asked, why are not the country settlers allowed the privilege of hearing the expressions of opinion that are given in other parts of the district? The question is one of serious import to the whole district, and a vote recorded or not recorded in the Arai

will have as much weight as a vote treated likewise in the Whataupoko. With regard to the time of the Whataupoko meeting we must also make objection. Six in the evening is a

very inconvenient period for that class whose day’s labors are not concluded until twilight sets in, and it does not require a student of anatomy to tell us that a hungry man can only be reasoned with in the one way. Six o’clock may suit the Chairman of the Harbor Board, whose connection with an independent profession possibly renders timeless an object to him than it is to the industrial classes, but the latter are entitled to consideration.

The arrangement of these meetings is a most absurd one, and we warn those who are responsible for it that their action in this matter will be the means of fostering a great amount of opposition from those who might otherwise give good support to the proposal. Unless an alteration is made the upshot will probably be that many of the ratepayers will take the matter in their own hands and convene meetings independent altogether of the regulations adopted by the Chairman of the Harbor Board.

The most suggestive part of the advertisement convening the meeting are the words “ at the hour and place mentioned hereunder, at which hour and place a member or other person appointed by myself will preside." At what places, may we pertinently ask, are Messrs Matthewson and Dickson to preside? It is perfectly reasonable for the Chairman of the Board to depute a member of the Board or other person selected to explain the position, but we shall not be at all surprised if eome of the country settlers resent the proposal to appoint Chairmen to preside over them. All sides, we know, will have every deference accorded them, but it is pretty certain they will quietly protest against Mr Sievwright’s high-handed proposal by electing their own Chairman and ignoring the Board’s nominee.

Still, after all that has been said, we again ask, why are these vigorous steps being taken to have a poll, when we do not yet know the effect of Mr Bell’s opinion ? It would be far more sensible for the Board to allow the Act (o remain a dead letter for the time being. The anomalous position in which the Board has placed itself after asking for the opinion, and then practically ignoring it, should be evident to a fouith-class schoolboy. Another difficulty also presents ittelf to our mind. How ore the values to be ascertained as each person records his vote, without of course infringing on the secresy of the ballot. [Since the above was written we find there has been a slight alteration in the date of the poll, but the alteration as it is only makes things worse instead of better.)