PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 19 July 1882, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answces thereto, are invited on Farming. Commerce, Politics, and matters of interest to the Patea district. Names of writers need not be Printed. RECONSTITUTING THE HARBOR BOARD. Referring to the action taken at the last meeting of the Harbor Board in addopting the Chairman’s report, which virtually stated that no steps would he taken by the Board towards reconstituting itself, it may not be amiss.to point out that there appears a necessity to do so apart from the question of getting one or two more desirable members on the Board. In the General Harbors Act of 1878, in the land schedule thereto, it is shown that the Board is comprised of seven members ; three to be elected by the ridings of the County of Patea. When the triennial election comes on in February rlext, it will be found that, owing to the separation of Hawera from Patea, there are only two ridings left in the County of Patea, which would cause either the number of members to be reduced to six, or another member must be elected in some manner. It appears to me that if an alteration takes place, it should be somewhat in this form ;—Three members to be elected by the ratepayers of the Borough of Patea, one by each of the two ridings of the Patea County, one by the Borough of Hawera, and one to be nominated by the Governor. I put this forth not with any hard and fast proposal for reconstitution of the Board, but with a view to invite those interested—and they should at least be every one in this borough, and many others farther removed from the port—to ventilate the question, and urge upon the Board to further consider it.—Yours, &c., ■ Progress, Patea, July 19.