The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, March 14, 1889. HARBOR WORKS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 273, 14 March 1889, Page 2

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

Thursday, March 14, 1889. HARBOR WORKS.

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

An additional interest has been given to the proceedings of the Harbor Board, by a notice of motion from Mr Bennett, having for its object the construction of the remaining portion of the breakwater by contract. The motion will come on for discussion at the next fortnightly meeting of the Board. The question is one On which there is certain to be great difference of opinion—many arguments can be adduced on either side, but the question, so far as the ratepayers are concerned, can really only be judged by supposition as to what would or would not be the case under certain circumstances.

At this stage of the work we believe it would be a very unwise course to adopt the contract system on the scale proposed by Mr Bennett. The question was argued threadbare when the works were first commenced, and eventually it was decided that it would be advisable to carry out the works under the present system as being for many reasons preferable to contracting. We do not say that the best course was then adopted—in fact we hold the reverse view—but if the principle of having the whole work contracted for was then rejected there is ten times more reason why there should be consistency at the present time. The works have just gone to that length when all the arguments against contracting apply with greater force, and when those arguments in favor of contracting which held good in the first instance have lost their weight. It is too late in the day to think of such a thing. The Board would have more necessity than ever to retain the services of a highlypaid Engineer and at least a diver’s services would be necessary, while in every way the supervision would have to be much more scrutinising than it is now, when there is no temptation to “ slum ” the work. On the other hand, a contractor would also be under the management expenses apart from actual productive work ; he would be desirous of making all the profit he could—and unfortunately in this respect a strictly honest contractor would be at a great disadvantage ;—an ordinary contractor would not, or ought not, to be able to obtain material on the same terms as the Board, because an individual’s credit would not be so good. There are many other points which may at the present stage of the work be introduced against any deviation from the existing method, but there is no necessity to do Al Mr Bennett’s motion really means nothing, in its present shape, beyond providing a large amount of additional work for the Engineer; but the object is plain, for Mr Bennett is not the man to move in the matter so far as he has done unless he intended to do something more than provoke discussion and give the Engineer or anybody else unnecessary work. However, matters have gone too far now to have such a radical change made at this period of the work. All minor works are being let by contract, the work is proceeding well and is giving every satisfaction to those best able to judge, and why at this late period seek to make an alteration which all reason tells us ought not to be anything like as satisfactory as the present one ? We hope that the motion will not be carried.