The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4261, 23 October 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1876.

It is only fair to Mr Turnbull to suppose that he meant his resolution passed at the meeting of the Harbor Board on Thursday to be regarded as a joke ; for, if serious, a more absurd proposition never was discussed in a deliberative assembly. On this ground we think Mr Fish's notice of motion, although calculated to vindicate the claim of Dunedin to the exercise of common sense, is all but needless. It has been complained of for some time that the Harbor Board is too political in its character, and there seems to be some truth in the charge. We hope Mr Turnbull's proposition may be regarded as the last ludicrous exhibition of the Provincial spirit a sort of burlesque on the exercise of the franchise, in proposing to carry it beyond even the liberty ot the ballot. Possibly the proposal may have escaped the notice of our readers ; it is therefore as well to state that it assumes to consider that all electors in Otago are interested in the improvement of Dunedin Harbor, and on that account shall be entitled to vote for members of the Harbor Board. This is wide enough and wild enough, taking into consideration the nature and local character of the duties the Board has to perform; but it pales in extravagance of folly before the proposal to give to electors the power of voting by proxy—a privilege beyond that given to electors for Municipal Councillors or Members of Parliament or any elective body, excepting a few clubs and joint-stock companies, where immediate pecuniary interest renders such power advisable. It will be observed, however, that this extraordinary proposttionjhas a covert meaning. It deals with the matter as a Provincial affair, thus endeavoring to'perpetuate the idea that Provincialism is not dead. But why confine the voting to the limits of the Province ? Dunedin Harbor is not limited in its usefulness to the Provincial boundaries. If the power of voting is to be extended to the " whole population of the Proviace" because of its importance to that area, it is equally necessary to extend it to the population of the Colony; for, from the northernmost point of the North Island to the extreme south, the improvement of Dunedin Harbor is beneficial. The absurdity of the resolution is thus made plain. It is true that a part cannot be improved without beneficially affecting the whole ; but then comes like question : which part should be operated upon? Ask Oamaru, Moeraki, Molyneux Mouth, or the Bluff, and each will answer—-" Spend the money on our harbor, and it will supersede Dunedin." The fact is the proposition is a departure from the basis of British representative institutions, which require taxation as the basis of representation. Bearing this in mind, it is plain that election for the Harbor Board is a purely local matter; for although there is no direct taxation upon the residents of Dunedin and Port Chalmers for the purpose, the Harbor endowment is a substitute for it. This is illustrated by the contention between the Board and the Municipality as to the right to certain harbor reserves. Had the Municipality acquired them, the argument is that City rates would have been lessened. We think that more likely to result from harbor improvement causing a general rise in the value of property ; but it is undeniable that, had there been no harbor endowment, the Province would not have submitted to taxation for. harbor improvement, and therefore can have no right to vote upon it. We may add that, for a special work like that which is now 'in progress, special knowledge is required; and, theoretically, the appointment of well known men, conversant with the subject, is preferable to electing members who may have much zeal but very little competency. We are bound to s?y that the nominee system has not been successful—-a result attributable to party bias rather than want of ability on the part of the Board, and as Mr Reynolds's Bill provides for electing the Board by various bodies deeply interested in the matter, we have hopes that judicious selections may be made.