CORRESPONDENCE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2191, 21 September 1907, Page 1

CORRESPONDENCE

THE HARBOR BILL. [To the Editor.] Sir, —Now that the committee appointed at the public meeting has issued the petition appearing in your columns, it is sincerely to be hoped that all the residents in this district will sign it. It cannot be too clearly understood that the petition pledges nobody to vote for the harbor itself —it merely asks the Parliament of this Dominion to give the people here the power to say whether they wish to have a harbor or not.

The open and avowed antagonists of the Bill were successful in their efforts to induce the Local Bills Committee in the House of Representatives to bring up an adverse report. Since that time, but after the public meeting held in Gisborne, a secret intrigue has been carried on with the object of bringing pressure to bear upon the lion. James Carroll to delay the passing of the Bill. Our astute opponents arc fully aware of the advantages of delay. If the Bill ho thrown over till next session, not only do we lose a year in the possibility of obtaining a harbor, but the Bill will have to bo reintroduced, all the cost and expense will have to bo repeated, and the House in its last session, its oxpiring existence, will he more likely than at present to deal with the Bill summarily and make it one of the slaughtered innocents.

The present position of the Gisborne harbor is a public scandal. It is a disgrace to this community. The same influences which diverted and misapplied the first loan over twenty years ago are at work now to defeat tlio wishes of the great majority of the residents of Poverty Bay. As 1 did in 1885 advocate the building of ail outer harbor so I do now, and through vour columns I call upon every man and woman resident) in this community to sign the Harbor Bill petition.—l am, etc., ML L. REES. Gisborne, Sept. 20.