Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Wednesday & Saturday SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 919, 19 February 1881, Page 3

Poverty Bay Standard.

Published Every Wednesday & Saturday SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1881.

“ We shall sell to no man Justice or Right; “ We shall deny to no man Justice or Right; “ We shall defer to no man Justice or Right."

After. the exhibition of the most audacious impudence —not to say insolence —of the Editor of the Herald, at the meeting of shareholders of the South Pacific Petroleum Company, on Wednesday evening last, we are not at all surprised at the remarks he made in the next issue of his journal. In the first place it was not a meeting of the company ; neither was it intended to be open to the public, nor for the conversation to be published. The simple fact being, that a largely increasing dissatisfaction, as to the stoppage of the works, and the great mystery that so perseveringly keeps the true state of affairs from being known, coupled with Mr. Fleming’s expected arrival in Gisborne, was considered by some to be a sufficient cause for action, with a view of making representations to the Directorate, and to ascertain if certain damaging statements were true or not. And surely a dozen, or twenty, or fifty gentlemen may meet in private and converse about their affairs, in which the public cannot, under any circumstances, have any say, without an impertinent assumption of right by members of the press to be present. Had it been intended that the proceedings were to be published, the public might have been admitted ; but to secure privacy, shareholders had to give evidence of their eligibility to participate in the meeting

bythe production -of their scrip. And the necessity for this step was apparent, for those who were most desirous of-discussion, and most anxious that nothing/should get abroad but what was Ascertained and indisputable fact, declined to speak unless under cover of confidence ; and had it not been that a resolution, affirming the privacy of the proceedings, was passed, much valuable information would have been withheld ; shareholders’ hands would have remained tied, and the alleged true position of affairs kept from them. As it is, there is now ample data on which to approach the Directors, and once and for all to take such action as will sheet home the cause of the triple failure in boring, and repeated cessations of work, to the proper person, or persons. Had, however, a report been furnished by the newspapers, and the same freedom of speech been indulged in, most damaging results must have accrued. Everything was essentially, and compulsorily one-sided; and, we regret to write that it is said that accusations of the most alarming, if not criminal, character were made, and endorsed with so fatal an unanimity, as to leave no doubt on our mind of the wisdom shewn in the exclusion of the reporters. Besides the impolicy of such a step as our contemporary advocates, there would have been an element of cowardice in it, and the meeting would have laid itself open to the utmost censure, in publishing ex parte statements, and allegations against the capacity and skill of persons not present to defend themselves ; statements and allegations by the way, not made by the shareholders in authority at a duly and legally constituted meeting of the company, but in their private capacity, for it must not be forgot that the local shareholders have no power to call such a meeting: and, on that ground alone, it is obvious that a publication of the matters brought before the meeting on Wednesday, would have been unjustifiable, and those publishing them would undoubtedly have rendered themselves liable to actions for libel.

The fact of the matter is, simply, that the Editor of the Herald— who is not a shareholder—in the face of a passport being required, surreptitiously obtained admittance to the room, and with unparalleled indecency maintained that he had a right to be present; and, seeing that forcible ejectment was imminent, sought for revenge by flaunting his contumely in the face of the meeting, remarking as he left the room that the shareholders might pass what resolutions they pleased ; but a report would be published, whether they liked it or not! Such audacity on the part of any newspaper man —we cannot regard Mr. Brown as a representative of the press —we engage to say was never known ; a feeling of disgust filled the minds of those present; and we are glad to see that the proprietor of the Herald has had the good sense to respect the wishes of the meeting ; or, as we have said, he would have found his injudicious Editor, a rather expensive article to keep long on hand. We have remarked this much in explanation that, when the real effect of publishing the proceedings became knowm, it was unanimously decided to exclude non-shareholders, and to arrest publicity. But, we think it can serve no good purpose to longer withhold from public print, the result of the meeting’s deliberations. Shareholders at a distance will, to a great extent, be guided by the course taken here ; therefore, with the Chairman’s consent we append the only resolution passed unanimously at the meeting. It is as follows :— Moved by Mr. H. E. Webb, “ That having heard various statements regarding the Working of the South Pacific Oil Company, this meeting is of opinion that the present unsatisfactory state of affairs is owing to the alleged incompetency of the management; and that such representations be made to the Directors as will obviate a continuance of the present loss and waste of time.” — Seconded by Mr. P. Bourke. Of course the shareholders were not sitting in judgment on any one.

Neither, as we Understand, did they express any condemnatory opinion. All that was done was to collect information which is to be laid before the Board of Directors, and on Mr. Flemming’s arrival to have its accuracy fully tested at a subsequent meeting called by himself. Where the faults lie it is difficult to say ; but that some one has blundered there is no doubt. Whether Wednesday night’s meeting be regarded as private, or public, is beside the real questions at issue. It is no secret that failure after failure has taken place at the works ; men have been discharged, and knocked off work, without apparent cause ; expenses incurred without result ; material kept in short supply ; tubing left in the ground, without driving, until it could be driven no further; Sittings of the Manager to Sydney, pay going on the while without work; work has been “ teased ” without profit; and local shareholders have been ignored to such an extent as to have surrounded the South Pacific Company’s doings with such an atmosphere of scandal as to demand outspoken statements from those able to give them. These were afforded at the meeting, and while they are but amplified narrations of what is alleged to have actually taken place, we still think it right that their details should not go to the public before the proper time, and that is after their investigation by a competent tribunal. We, therefore, trust that the time is at hand when these matters complained of will be put right, and that can only be done by caution and prudence being allied to firmness.

Wanganui, it appears, has the unenviable distinction of having within its borders, men who are open advocates of sedition, privy conspiracy, and rebellion ; but it is gratifying to learn that the Mayor of that Borough, Mr. W. H. Watt, has indignantly rejected overtures for sympathy with the movement on foot. According to our exchanges it seems that the Home Rule representatives, or supporters of Mr. Parnell, residing in Wanganui, when that agitator and his friends were on their trial, organised what they called a “ Wanganui Parnell Defence Fund,” but to the lasting credit of the settlers there, be it recorded that they, as a body, refused to subscribe to it. Amongst other refusals was that of the Mayor ; and this is what, in part, occurred : The Committee, headed by a Mr. O’Sullivan (Chairman), a Mr. O’Leary (Treasurer), and a Mr. Kearney (Secretary), wrote to Mr. Watt saying they desired his patronage because “ That while there “ might be differences of opinion in “ reference to Mr. Parnell’s actions, “ there could be none as to his honesty “ and sincerity; and, now that the “ Government were attempting to im- “ prison him and his colleagues, all “ who desired that they should have “justice done to them could con- “ sistendy support a movement to pro- “ vide funds to secure them a fair trial.” Mr. Watt did not see things exactly in the’ same light as these gentlemen, and he told them plainly “ that to “ contribute to such a fund would be “ an improper manifestation of sym- “ pathy, more likely to impede than to “ promote the cause of public justice,” therefore, he declined the distinguished honor of placing the Chief Magistrate of Wanganui in the questionable position of being a supporter of men who are in avowed hostility to Her Majesty’s Government at Home, urging his conviction that “ if they “ have been the instruments of such “ danger to the interests of the Empire, “ as may be inferred from the prose- “ cution, the welfare of the nation “ and the advantage of society demand “ their prompt Conviction and exem- “ plary punishment.” We trust that this most ill-advised course on the part of Mr. Parnell’s sympathisers, will be arrested, and that anything approaching to practical assistance being given to such men, whatever their “ convictions ” may be, will be stamped out; for the “honesty and sincerity,” ascribed to Mr. Parnell by Messrs. O’Sullivan <&. Co., is of a very doubtful character, except

such as have their rise in anarchy, confusion, and deliberate attempts, both civilly and politically, to thwart the Government in attempting to appease a suffering who are the victims of accumulated wrongs. It is remarkable that Mr. Watt’s firm attitude is coincident with that of a brother Magistrate at Home, who took occasion to publicly denounce Mr. Parnell as an imposter. The facts are thus reported in an exchange ; — The Dublin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph sends the following report of the proceedings of the Guardians of the Baltinglass Union, S. P. Denis, J.P., in the chair. Mr. Denis said :—Now that a branch of the Land League has been established at Baltinglass people will not pay anything. They don’t know how badly off they are until they are told.—l hoped Mr Parnell would come to Baltinglass in order that I might tell him to his face that he is an imposter. I think the secret of his not coming is he was afraid of exposure. lam the only magistrate who attends regularly Hacketstown Petty Sessions, and the greatest cases of hardship that have come before me occurred on Mr. Parnell’s property. Some years ago he tried to eject on a summons ; and only last week I had a man before me, looking for compensation for malicious injuries. That very man is one whom Mr. Parnell placed on a farm from which he ejected another man. Mr. Toole : Why is it that he has not been taken up in the papers for that ? The Chairman : There has been some notice taken of it, and only that I hoped he would attend some meeting near here, I would lay these facts before the public. I would rather go and tell him he is an imposter to his face, and ask him to contradict me if he could, than have a newspaper controversy. It is well known that the rental of one townland of which he is the owner is nearly three times the Poor-law valuation. I believe the tenants are not paying him, and he boasted to myself that he sold the County Carlow property, which was not able to pay the interest of the money that was raised to buy it, so well that he paid off the debt and had money left, with which he bought a property elsewhere. He forced the tenants to take out leases at an increased rent, and thereby made it pay so well.

It is a pity that the Borough Council allows the valuable hours of the present to slip by, without addressing itself to the question of permanent water supply for the town of Gisborne. It is over two months since the attention of the authorities was brought to this matter, and at that time, a great deal of earnest consideration appeared to be given to it. If we remember rightly instructions were given for the collection of further and more reliable data, as to the practicability and cost of laying water on from the hills at the back of the Ormond quarry; but whether they were rather understood than expressed ; or if the latter, so crude and imperfectly rendered as to make them practically useless, we cannot say. Certain it is, however, that nothing whatever has been done ; and some uncomplimentary remarks were indulged in by Councillors on Tuesday evening last, which, while the fault of delay may lie, in the first instance, at other doors than their own, they are certainly guilty in the second degree of unmindfulness of a most momentous duty. We cannot impress too strongly on the minds of our Councillors that no work in which they are. engaged will ever reach the importance of that of water supply. Evidences of it are witnessed daily by themselves. Weeks of rainless days have emptied the only receptacles nearly all of us depend on —our water tanks, well-water in the heart of the town being impregnated with poison, and the drought seems likely to continue. Of course it is obvious that nothing the Council can do, will immediately relieve our wants in this respect; but as this is the best time to ascertain the probability of the hill springs being able to supply the town, with a long-continued demand made upon them, the sooner a finality is given to bring about that result the better. Fortunately there is little or no sickness about; and Dr. Pollen affirms the gratifying fact that the public health of this district is better than he has known it for years. This should make us watchful.and prepared, rather than slothful and unprepared, for bad water, like taking; cold into the body, is the foundation of many of the serious ills that flesh is heir to—to say nothing of the absolute necessity for the diurnal use of pure water for ablutionary purposes.