The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 19, 1903. HARBOR AFFAIRS.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 895, 19 May 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 19, 1903. HARBOR AFFAIRS.

The Harbor Board lias undertaken a bis order lor its next meeting. II is I,hen to go into subjects each of which should be. siiilicient for one meeting, if not, for several meetings. 'File most, urgent question is that of dealing with the Hoard's staff. The Engineer being about to quit (he service, it is necessary that, a decision he soon arrived at as t.o ttic course to lie pursued in the. future. if it is considered that an experienced foreman of works can he entrusted with the management of tile works, there need he jio great hurry in making an appointment, as there will lie a good local choice, hut if a properly qualified engineer is deemed necessary the I Board would naturally give time to gentlemen in other parts of (he colony to apply. And Here we should like to have a word or two as to the air of mystery the Hoard j.s inclined to throw over its dealings with public business. Long before the matter came out in public it was reported that Mr Xing had declared his intention of resigning. But as the proceedings had been in committee, the ratepayers, whose concern and right if. was to have this information imparted to them at the earliest moment .were not so informed. Then it was rumored that a committee of the whole Hoard was to go into the question, and after the meeting there was the usual gossip as to what, had transpired, the public, however, still being given no olHoial information as how matters stood. Then, over a month after Lite tirst. intimation, a special meeting was called. It was understood to be for tlie purpose of appointing a dredgemaster, but. that was soon shown to he only one portion of the business, and the Kngineer’s letter was read. Thereupon a discussion ensued that, might well have been spa red. ll was quite unnecessary at that stage, and in the Engineer's absence to criticise what work had been done. it does not inspire confidence in the mind of the ratepayers that. charges as to the carrying out of work should be reserved until the lasi moment. The letter was plain and to the point, and if at that stage the members of the Hoard were not prepared to speak well of the Engineer's work it would have been well to have said nothing ; for certainly members cannot absolve themselves of their own responsibility. It is to them and not to any particular otlicer that the ratepayers are entitled to look if there bus been

mismanagement. Il is certainly not. a popular policy to have the chief nice tings dealing with this matter in committee, and then to leave it to an open meeting tor members to seek to justify their own position. AH that if it. were deemed necessary should

have come before the resignalion was reecived.. We hope that the committee to tie held on Thursday next will nm he for ihe purpose of eondue ling the ratepayers' business in private. It is a most objectionable method of procedure, and the Harbor Board is an old offender in that respect. Dealing with the question a : to the staff, we I hiniV t hat the Board might at least for the time being manage with a foreman of works. The ex. tension of the groyne, of course, is a work that needs to be inspected by a competent engineer, but that conid easily he arranged without a permanent appointment being made. It no other engineer is available, it. is pro; liable that, arrangements muUl easily lie made for professional work to til in with the Waiknkopu harbor works. If a permanent appointment is decided on, however, it should be publicly announced, and not made as was the case m regard to tiic present engineer* .

Other uim-i; .i , con a- p.-mre the meeting are t hose o; lighterac.- and the whariare k'fiti, We would .agsest that the Board's elo.,esr attention he given to each one separately, and if the subject of lighurage j > to he .seriously tackled, that should be placed first on the list, and given all attention. If the Board embarks on a scheme of lighterage, the wharfage tal'll'l may possibly he made to tit it: wiiii it in some way. The opening of the subject of wharfage tana ii;ot the Ample matter that n lord:-, for it wii! be a dilliculi natter to a, ad.iust. tie- tariff as io pb'nse all—that indeed it an impossibility, and tile Board will not be doing .nisiice to the subject unless .sufficient time is set apart, for the e on'.’deration of alterations. In regard to lighterage, llie firsi sfep should he to approach the firm now doing the work, to ascertain if they are willing 1.0 dispose of their plant and coni ra< Is, and if so, a' what price ’ The liitaiteia! aspect of the question requires to be carefully gone into, and anything done should he on a thorough business hats:-,. The necessary data should he collected without, delay, and (hen held re the Board decides one way or I lie other, ir. should take the public iii'o ns confidence, and if necessary a meeting of ratepayers- should he called, so that an expression of public opinion may be obtained.