The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, January 24, 1889. NEW BLOOD WANTED.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 251, 24 January 1889, Page 2

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

Thursday, January 24, 1889. NEW BLOOD WANTED.

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

Recent circumstances have provet that, an infusion of new blood is sadl; wanted on that most important of loca bodies, the Harbor Board. Where sucl a large amount of money has to regu larly pass through the hands of a loca body it is necessary that only the mos shrewd and experienced men obtainabli should be entrusted with its control On a point of principle the Board ha: acted in a most objectionable way it regard to the cement contract, and th) result has proved vEry unsatisfactory in every respect. Those who tenderec in the first instance are naturally highly indignant at the unjust treatment they have received, and much more so a the undue favoritism that has beer shown to Messrs McEwan and Co We do not wish to impute any imprope: motives, and we feel assured that what ever has been done for which the Boarc is deserving of blame is the result o an erroneous impression that such s large saving was being made that i would be better not to adhere toe closely to principle. We go no furthei than to say that the transaction was t very unbusinesslike one, and is certair to react greatly to the disadvantage ol the Board ; but those who were a part) to the blunder must bear the blame, and the ratepayers will very shortl) have the power in their own hands There ought to be many good men willing to come forward to contest foi the honor of a seat on the Board, and we hope that the ratepayers will have a representative selection to choose from. In these times of universal complain! it is more than can be expected thal hard pressed ratepayers can without a murmur endure the needless expenditure of hundreds of pounds. As we have shown, such will be the result of the engagement recently entered into for the supply of cement by Messrs McEwan and Co. The Secretary (Mr Bourke) at the right moment warned the members of the Board that they were taking a wrong interpretation of ths tender from Messrs McEwan and Co. In the glaring effects of the second mistake we are inclined to overlook the first one, which induced members to pay no regard to the principle, or of the hardship inflicted on those who had tendered in accordance with the advertisements; but can any ratepayer excuse the Board — the majority, we should say—for finally accepting a tender which will be the cause of their losing hundreds of pounds? We do not take them—the ratepayers —for fools, and others will perhaps find it to their advantage not to do so. How anyone can attempt to justify the acceptance of McEwan and

Co.’s tender is quite incomprehensible to us. Mr Johnston put the matter in a rather amusing light when he asked the Board to pay the expense he had been put to in the way of cablegrams ; but a little consideration will show that Mr Johnston was quite justified in making the request on behalf of the Company he represented, in face of the favorable treatment that was accorded to the rival Company. Clearly it is time this blundering were put a stop to, and we ask the ratepayers to seriously consider the position. It is high time there was a little of what Mr Chambers calls “ chopping and changing,” and the opportunity is now at hand. On Monday next the nominations will take place of candidates for the seats to be vacated by the elective members of the Board, and the - ratepayers will have that chance which may not occur again for two years. Further than this need not be said: we at any rate credit the ratepayers individually and collectively .with having sufficient sense to see that things are at present not exactly as they ought to be.