The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2035, 21 March 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 1907.

Evidently tho pooplo of Gisborno are beginning to bestir tliomsolvcs in- tho interests of an outor harbor, and leol that the time.has 'coino when apathy and procrastination must givo place to prompt action on tho matter. A strong committee has boon privately formed to watch over tho proceedings and to ensure if possible that no timo will bo wasted in arranging the preliminaries for placing tho complete scheme before the ratepayers in time to got the necessary legislation through the Houses of Parliament during the coming session. With this object in view, and with,, an eye to the approaching Mayoral election, a deputation from the Committee has waited upon His Worship tho Mayor, Mr. Townley, to ascertain from him Ills definite views, and to satisfy tho Committee as to what attitude ho will take if re-elected as a member of tlio Harbor Board. To got this information tho deputation formulated and submitted two questions. Tho first was whether Mr. Townley would pledge himself to use every endeavour to get an Enabling Bill placed before tlio public before the opening of the next session so that this Bill shall be placed before Parliament during tho coming session, and to this very plain and reasonable question Mr. Townley has given a lengthy and indirect reply which does not amount to a definite answer. However that answer is not his final one, and as liis reply indicated that he is, and has always been in favor of an outer harbor, recognising as he is acknowledged to havo done, that this large district must depend upon sea carriage for its import and export trade, he should have no difficulty in satisfying the deputation that he will fully accede to its wishes. His present objections arc that tho time is too short, and that Mr. Wilson’s report should be in the hands of the Board before any further steps arc taken; but an affirmative and unequivocal reply is not precluded by tho first objection, because Mr. Townley is not asked to do more than to “uso every endeavour” to get the Bill through the House which will enable the ratepayers to say definitely and effectively whether they will endorse the scheme or not. And as to his second objection, that nothing more should be done until Mr. Wilson’s rojiort is received, it seems unreasonable that Mr. Wilson’s report will materially alter Mr. Merchant's plans, but even if it does, the plans submitted can be altered at short notice before tlio passing of the Act, whereas if the preliminary steps are delayed pending the receipt of Mr. Wilson's report, it is clear that tile coming session will bo missed and nothing done for another year. This is not what tho ratepayers desire, and Mr. Townley, we feel sure will be tho last person to oppose their wishes. The second question Mr. Townley might also have answered with an emphatic “Yes,’l for, like the first question, it stipulates only for bis “every endeavour,” which, of course, implies a free will to make the endeavour. He has acknowledged bis possession of the will; but he holds back on the endeavour because the time is too short. Possibly he. may find it so—no doubt ho will—but the circumstances that will make it so, if they occur, will not destroy his pledge if he gives it, or afford him an excuse for notl giving it. If ho is in sympathy with the movement, and it may be gathered from bis remarks that he is, he need have no hesitation in replying that he will “use every endeavour” to do what is asked of liim within an hour if it is possible. It would be only a promise to do liis best, and no enthusiast in a cause need hesitate to give that. We believe with Mr. Townley that a period of one month from the date of receiving Mr. Wilson’s report to the submitting of the scheme to the ratepayers, as stipulated for in tho second question, is far too short—it is, in fact, impossible to do anything of the kind. If tlio Board succeeds in getting a Bill through the House in that time it will have done all that can fairly be expected of it, and more, for the session will probably last' three months, and there can bo no reasonable expectaton that tlio Bill wll get through before the last stages of the session, seeing that the Marine Bepartment lias first to deal with it, and then the Local Bills Committee before it comes before the House for discussion oil its second reading. Even a month may elapse between tlie socoud and third readings according to the condition of the Order Paper, and then it lias not the force of law until it runs the gauntlet in the Upper House, and if Mr. Townley got behind the Machinery of Parliament witli powerful dynamo ho could scarcely accelerate its normal speed. Then the ratepayers would require at least a month to considei and digest the pros and cons of the scheme, so that it will be a considerable time yet before the polling day arrives. But tire only point for consideration at* this stage is the amount of energy to be put into the work of getting that polling day fixed for the earliest possible date and having all necessary preliminaries attended to without unnecessary loss of time. This Mr. Townley or anyone else need not hesitate to assist in, for the verdict of the ratepayers will settle the whole question in one act.