The Evening Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1871.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 441, 9 June 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1871.

Everyone one in ths city should feel an interest in tho new Harbour Board. So much is dependent on its action for the improvement of the harbour, that its movements will bo carefully scanned, and will necessarily give rise to a good deal of criticism. There are few but will desire that the utmost efficiency should characterise the administration of the trust, and to this end there must of course be a competent staff. Bat we think it will be admitted that the Board is going rather fast in this direction ; or, perhaps, from the extent of the official force, we are* to prepare ourselves for seeing enterprises of unexpected magnitude engaging the attention of the Board. A secretary at £300, a clerk at £150, and an assistant at £50 a year, seem to indicate that the Board purpose setting up an establishment on a somewhat pretentious scale ; and though, by no means thinking that insufficiency in clerical assistance should be permitted to impair the efficiency of the Board's operations, we think that the revenue at the disposal of the Board might be administered by less costly machinery. Of course if there is any indHdua] for whom a position is to be obtained, and if it is necessary to fix his salary and the assistance required to enable him to properly uphold the dignity of the position and the honor of the Harbour Board, we would not say a word against the arrangement. But we do plead guilty to a curiosity as to the nature of the extensive duties that will require such a staff". We presume the committee that made the recommendation, and the Board in adopting it, know these duties to be of a very extensive kind, but we think that' the general feeling will be that the officialism of the new institution should have been fixed on a more economical scale, at least until the initiation of the important works contemplated should have necessitated such a staff.