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Evening Star, Issue 4284, 18 November 1876, Page 2

It is high time we had a fresh Harbor Board, for it is evident that a party has been formed the 'members of whichS are determined to have matters carried out in their own way, and to remove every officer who differs from them in opinion. The vaccilation of the Board has been manifest ever since a change was made in their constitution. A plan was marked out in theia early days, which, if carried into execution energetically, will give all necessary accom modation to the trade of Dunedin, with the certainty of adding ground necessary for the increased requirements fur wharfage, warehouses, and manufacturing establishments, thus providing a constant revenue for further harbor improvement. The Engineer, in the public interest, is desirous of carrying this plan out,' and in our opinion it is the only one that should be entertained. It may suit the interests of certain mercantile firms to hav« a patchwork channel, the sides of which will be continually tumbling into, and requiring to be again lifted out of the water; thus rendering it needful to maintain a dredge at work to keep the channel open, and eventually spending more money than a properly-constructed channel would cost. For some reason almost inexplicable, if it is not personal feeling, this does not suit a clique, some of whom say they entertain doubts of their ability to judge—doubts in which we oordially agree—and one tyro in engineering had the astounding assurance to criticise the Engineer's plans, as if he himself had the slightest claim from ability to be in a position, for which every speech he makes pronounces his unfitness. The Board meet on Monday, apparently with the idea of forestalling -the new Board, and fixing upon some plan which shall bind their successors to follow. They have already inflicted expense enough upon, the City in their endeavors to prove their Engineer unworthy of confidence. The work is not a difficult one to decide upon—it is not beyond the capacity of a schoolboy to understand. We have no doubt if the Board chose to take the matter out of the Engineer's hands he would carry out their commands, supposing they remain in office; but when they ask his advice, they must not be allowed to bounce him because his opinion differs from theirs. The fact that it does so, should command their respect, if not their confidence. He wants to do the work properly —the Board ask bis assent to a slip-shod channel that will fill up as fast as it is formed. The Board want vessels up to Dunedin in twelvemonths. The saving to the merchants by this plan would be the railway charges from Port Chalmers, mainly on imported goods, for a year or two. This would be a mere fraotion per cent, on cost, and would not amount to anything like the expense of keeping the channel open during that time ,* for it is doubtful whether many captains of ships would consent to rlßk their yessels in a narrow and incomplete channel. On the opposite side of the account are waste of material capable of utilisation in reclama tion, and the cost of doing the work an indefinite number of times, besides loss of time in completing the main work. Very little mercantile skill is needed to determine on which side the balance would be. It might be questionable gain to a firm or two, but it would, be immense loss to the public We recommend fthe Board, for the sake of its own reputations, to wait the result of the election at hand, for the public cannot be satisfied with the doings of men so evidently biased as some of its members are.