Unkonown.
Efate of the prophet "m ms own try" is depicted m the pages of j Writ, and a contemporary tersely and wittily accounted for that proverbial fate by remarking that the reason is simply that it is precisely m his own country that there is the greatest chance of his being found out to be what he usually is — a humbug. This is peculiarly true of political prophets, whom the event newly always confounds, for is it not notorious that not that which is predicted — not that which is expected, but tbat which is unexpected ] is the thing most likely to happen . Indeed, political prophecies generally show a very similar tendency to curses, which are said, like chickens, "to come home to roost," m that they have a disagreeable trick of turning up at all sorts of inconvenient times m all the ugliness of i trafulfilment to the confusion and dis- < credit of their author. This has been the uncomfortable experience of bir ( Harry Atkinson m connection with the New Plymouth harbor rate, as Mr Felix M'Guire, who contested the seat with him at last general election is by no means blow to point out. In a leading article, under his signature, contributed to the " Wanganui Herald" that . gentleman writes : — " In 1878, the Parliament generalized the land fund, namely, made it part of the funds of the colony, but the grant to the New Plymouth Harbor Board was again confirmed by a special clause m the Act. In 1879 the Harbor Board borrowed £200,000 at 6 per cent, the full amount it had authority to borrow, and the Vtotk proceeded. In 1881, Mr Wright's Committee recommended the stoppage of the work. It was notorious then, if at no other time, that mismanagement and waste were frittering away thß loan. Mr Wright's Committee recommended that the Government should stop the work, taking over all assets and liabilities, relieving the settlers of the rate, which the committee assured the House would be upon the people m a few years. «... Mr Wright's Committee, m the report, said the rate would be upon the property holders m eight years . Mr George Hutchison, M.h.R. for Waitotara, who was a candidate for Egmont m 1881, told the electors that the rate would be upon them m nine years at the farthest, but Bir Harry at the same time told us that we could not possibly have a rate for 24 years. Writing to the Patea Mail' m 1881, Sir Harry said that he had * convinced the House that the figures and calculations of Wright's Committee were quite unreliable.' Mr Hutchison, he said, ( advanced nothing but his own unsupported opinion.' In the same letter, he said — ' I went very carefully into the question of the probability, of a rate being required, and satisfied myself that no rate would be struck for 24 years from the present lime.' He further said that he could not be expected to support the * recommendation of Mr Wright's Committee, thereby throwing 60 or SO men out of employment (at New Plymouth) for the sake of relieving some of his constituents of a possible rate of say 3d m them £ in 24 years from now.' This letter was apparently written with great care, and considering the reputation of the writer, and the standing he had as a Minister of the Crown, writing with all the authority of a member of the Cabinet, it is not very surprising that the property holders m the Harbor Bating District gave more weight to his figures than he deserved. Besides writing to the papers, Sir Harry stumped the district, freely abusing Mr Wright, his committee, also Mr Hutchison ; at the same time challenging electors who dared to question or doubt his figures or statement, to come on the platform and have it out. In this way he went through the district continually reiterating that there would be no rate struck for at least 24 years, that it would not exceed 3d, and that it would only last for four years, as by the operation of the sinking fund the debt would be extinguished m 30 years. We all feel proportionately grateful to Sir Harry when we look at our rate notices It is now only six years since Sir Harry used the memorable words that there would be no rate for 24 years ; then only a 3d rate lasting for four years Since then many have paid their first and second instalment of a rate, not the modest rate of 3d m them £ in 24 years, as bir Harry said might possibly be required, but the full matured rate of Is 3d m the £. It is only a few weeks ago that one of the oldest and most esteemed settlers, Mr Thomas Bayly, had his goods seized and sold by virtue of a distress warrant issued by the New Plymouth Harbor Board, because he refused to submit to this unjust and obnoxious imposition. The treatment Mr Bayly received bears a strong resemblance to that received by John Hampden under Charles I. m 1037. This is the history of the rate we are groaning under. It is a history of misplaced confidence. It is instructive, inasmuch as it shows how much suffering may be caused by one man's insatiable thirst for office." Mr McGuire goes on to speak of the harbor rate "now known as the * Atkinson blight,' " as "more destructive than the Hessian fly," and as " Bir Barry's monument of political humbug," and to express the hope that it will soon be removed from the Provincial District and " taken over by the colony." As to this last we fancy that there will be no little objection on the part of the colony, and that the taking over will be by no means an easy matter to effect. That is a matter upon which Parliament will no doubt have a good deal to say a few weeks hence, meantime there is an obvious moral to this little story of an obnoxious rate, and that is that it is a dangerous thing to venture to play the role of the prophet without a prophet's inspiration .
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18880405.2.28
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1807, 5 April 1888, Page 4
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1,027Unkonown. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1807, 5 April 1888, Page 4
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