The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning. Saturday, May 31, 1890. THE HARBOR BOARD’S DIFFICULTY.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 461, 31 May 1890, Page 2

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

Saturday, May 31, 1890. THE HARBOR BOARD’S DIFFICULTY.

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

The Hawke’s Bay Herald takes up a very just attitude concerning the Gisborne Harbor Board’s difficulty. “ We,” says our contemporary, “ fail to see how the rights of the bondholders could be in any way prejudiced by the action the Board proposes to take. The ratepayers agreed to pay one per cent sinking-fund for money raised for Harbor purposes. Parliament has practically impounded half the money while insisting on payment on the whole loan. That means that the ratepayers have to pay two per cent, on the money which they have expended. At this they are naturally very sore, yet the local papers speak in very moderate terms of the matter.”

After dealing with the facts of the case the Herald concludes :—“All this is in striking contrast to the bluster of the Taranaki people, who have already had enormous assistance out of the public treasury towards the construction of their breakwater, but who now boldly threaten repudiation if the colony will not free them from their responsibilities. Though the Poverty Bay ratepayers feel the severe rate imposed, and though they know that payment is made for nothing at all, as the breakwater has proved a costly mistake, they do not shrink from the responsibility they voluntarily undertook. But they do protest warmly when they are saddled with conditions which did not exist when they consented to rate themselves to raise the loan. We cannot think that either Parliament or the bondholders would reject the request of the Board if the whole matter were put fairly before them.” It is impossible at present to discern what the ultimate result of the difficulty will be, but as it is one that has been forced on the district the Board has taken the only course open to it. There has been no bluster and bounce, but merely a repetition of facts which in themselves ought to be a sufficient appeal to any sensible person. Our Napier contemporary notes the fact that the Gisborne papers give no extended report of the meeting of the Board when the final decision was arrived at. The fact is that it was out of consideration for the general credit of the colony that care was taken not to make a great noise where it is only by the coolest judgment asatisfactory solution of the difficulty can be assured. The matter was put before Messrs Mitchelson and Richardson, and those gentlemen acknowledged that the Board made out a very good case for relief, but it seems now that the absence of bluster has been taken as an indication of weakness on the side of the Board, and some writers who will not take the trouble to study the question closely, still coolly pose as critics and shamelessly betray their ignorance. Our Napier contemporary has risen above such a low journalistic level, and sought to possess itself of the full facts before making comment. Unfortunately the present Government is one which appears to have no mind of its own beyond the desire to retain office,