The Globe. FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1879. THE BOGUS TELEGRAM.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1628, 9 May 1879, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1879. THE BOGUS TELEGRAM.

The “ Lyttelton Times,” the “'Wellington Chronicle,” and the other journals who have been subjected to such ridicule for publishing the canard respecting Sir J. Yogel’s retirement from the post of Agent-General, wore naturally, at the time of the hoax, extremely wild. They tore out their journalistic hair by handfuls, and lifted up their voices and wept, and used strong language, and generally showed that the castigation they had received had made their backs uncommonly sore. The manager of the Press Association in Wellington, on finding that the telegram in question did not appear in the ordinary issue of the “ Sydney Evening News ” immediately trumped up a story that the signature of the Association’s agent in Sydney had been forged, and all the journals connected with the Association immediately seized on their manager’s idea in their eagerness to wriggle out of their ridiculous fix, and wrote whole acres to relievo their feelings. To show the public what are the real facts of the case, we publish below a telegram from the “ Sydney Evening News” office, which explains how our Association friends were trapped. An “ extraordinary ” was published, which the thieves found to be even more extraordinary than they had bargained for. The Australian public did not suffer at all by the ruse, as the news did not go forth to them, but the wily cable burglars fell ignominiously. SYDNEY, May 7. The New Zealand papers have been received relative to the cable thieving. All here were extremely amused. The Vogel cable was not printed in the “Evening News,” owing to its being false, but was issued by me as an extraordinary. A hundred slips were printed and issued at the time the cable thieves reached our offices. I am glad it succeeded. The statement about the forgery is transparent. Slips were posted with full details. You can publish this with my name attached. Haynbs. Our Tiraaru friends have been much exercised in mind during the last few years in reference to securing means of improving that which, by a pleasurable figure of speech, they have long habituated themselves to call their harbor. At last, shortly after the dismemberment of Provincialism they managed to give their visionary hopes a kind of tangible shape, by procuring the expenditure by the Colonial Government of the £IOO,OOO voted for the purpose of a breakwater at the “ port ” of Timaru. Struggles without number, certainly, had had to be gone through before the first marine sod of that great public work —in the shape of a cubic block of concrete —was turned into the sea. Engineers of all shades and of various professional standings were systematically sounded as to what scheme would best suit the requirements of Timaru, bearing in mind the amount of funds likely to be spent upon the undertaking. Finally a Royal Commission, extracted from the Government by pressure from the local representatives in the Generally Assembly, was appointed to enquire into and report upon various engineering schemes proposed by professional colebrites, among whom Sir John Goode stood foremost. The result of the labours of the Commission was the recommendation of a kind of compromise between the scheme of the groat English engineer and some of his local compeers. The Ministry approved the Commissioners’ recommendation, and forthwith paid over to the Timaru people—through the trusty agency of a newly formed Harbour Board—the monies which had beeon set apart by the Legislature for a breakwater. There were great rejoicings there and then in South Canterbury, and the fatted calf was at once led to the slaughter. Hats were thrown in the air and property promiscuously went up. This period of festivity, however, does not seem to have been of long duration. Block after block of concrete was slowly cast into the mighty deep of the Pacific ocean, and to the great joy of the popular mind, they were discovered to successfully resist the greatest efforts of its turbulent surges. The Harbour Board sat at short and regular intervals, and while attending to their multifarious duties in a more or less desultory way. its members appear to have done much to allay public impatience, generally much exercised during the grain season when greater difficulties exist in shipping produce in the roadstead. Yet things went ou in a pretty oven way, until in an evil moment of thoughtlessness a zealous member of the Board throw into the arena of their discussion a most tempting bone of contention. A proposal was first made, that in view of accelerating the shipping facilities of Tiraaru, a steamboat of some kind be procured “for the purpose of towing cargo boats to and fro, and generally assisting the work of the port.” Some considerable discussion ensued, when the novel idea proving contagious, a majority of the Board wore got to supsupport it. The tumbling surf of Timaru is but too well known, and so is the exposed nature of its beach when, not uafrequently "'surf cargo boats, built expressly for being safely running up and down the beach, cannot oven |bo used. Notwithstanding this knowledge, which to them was a personal one, those members of the Harbor Board absolutely carried a resolution to the effect that, inasmuch as the Lyttelton Customs steam launch was of no use there, the Government bo requested to make a present of it to the Timaru harbor authorities. We need scarcely state that when this preposterous demand reached Wellington, the enthusiastic aspirations of the Board wore very quickly nipped in the bud, the Commissioner of Customs curtly replying that the Lyttelton Customs launch was needed at that port. But the matter was not permitted to rest there. Unable to secure the services of a steamboat, the build of which is such that if over beached through a heaving surf its bones would quickly bo strewn in all directions, tho Timaru Board took a much higher fiight, of —much against the solemn warning and some of its “ oldest inhabitants” —they determined to procure, regardless of

cost, a steam-tug for towing purposes at Timaru. Vainly did certain members of tbe Board appeal to the common-souse of the remainder. Two of tbe opposing members are old seamen, and they made no secret of their conviction that the proposal was one of egregious childishness which could only eventuate in practically casting money into the sea. A majority carried the resolution, and from the result of the Board’s last meeting it would appear as if it is likely to be at once acted upon. Another and far more formidable obstacle has, however,been also raised against the proposal of the Board, and it is whether they are legally competent to spend moneys placed in their hands for the specific purpose of “making” a harbour, upon certain adjuncts towards assisting the shipping facilities of the port. The question is, of course, a moot one, and liable to dry legal arguments. We perceive those who voted against the introduction of this veritable “ tug of war” have taken legal opinions on the subject, and that the merits of the controversy will be submitted at once to the Government, And the question is one which may be interesting in other localities than that presided over by the Timaru Board. As wo read it, the context of the Act specifies clearly that harbour funds, whether subsidised by the Crown, or derived from the levying of local taxes and duos, are solely to bo expended for and upon the construction, Maintenance, and repair of harbour works within each port over which Boards have jurisdiction. What elasticity of interpretation should be permitted to bo placed upon these words will, however, bo hoard in a few days; so far, at least, as the opinion of the present law officers of the Government are concerned. Borough Councils and municipalities of all sorts do but too often overstep the marginal restrictions which legally confine their acts. And the traditional coach-and-four is driven through the enactments in force to regulate their proceedings, either by themselves when so disposed, or by the public when moving the Law Courts against them. Of course it much depends upon the sagacity and acumen of him who drives the legal vehicle in question.