GISBORNE PILOT STATION, &c.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1139, 5 September 1882, Page 2

GISBORNE PILOT STATION, &c.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I was pleased to see that your “ Somnolent Reporter ” has dropped upon a subject which sadly requires the attention of the Government authorities, viz., the Pilot Station. What your sleeping.reporter states he saw in his vision is a matter consisting of indisputable facts. Those two cottages at the Pilot Station were built by Captain Chrisp (as a private speculation) on the piece of ground allotted to the Government for the Station. Of course the two pilot men were supposed to live in them, and the rent was fixed at a sum to suit the gallant Captain (who was at the time Harbour Master of this port), viz., 30s. per month each; and the two-roomed shanties are neither wind nor water-proof. The landlord knew his rent was perfectly secure, as the men’s cheques from the Government came through him, and he cashed them and paid the men, less the amount of rents due to himself. I believe the Captain has often been spoken to with regard to the amount of rent charged, considering the state of the so-called cottages, and also asked to do certain slight repairs ; but paying for repairs was not the Captain’s way of making the most of a small outlay, so the men had to go to the expense of repairing at their own cost. Your reporter correctly states that the last cheques which came to the pilot men were handed to them by the present Harbour Master (Captain Andrews), to cash themselves, which was something new to them; however, I suppose their landlord will be down upon them for his pound of flesh. While upon this topic I should be glad to draw your attention to the neglected state of our Harbour in general. The Signal Station is a disgrace to the Government, as there is not a rope fit even to run up a set of signals ; several of the stays of the mast have carried away the ropes being thoroughly perished and and there are none forthcomihg from the Government to replace them; though I understand requisition after requisition has been forwarded to the Government for articles required, which in all would cost but a small amount, but the Government appear to treat the said requisitions with contempt. Then we have the leading beacons, which partly consist of a manuka stick with a kerosene tin stuck upon the top of it; there is not even a lamp to be placed on them in case of a vessel requiring to come in or go out , any time during the night, and I am inform-

ed that when the lightermen have to come in after dark they have to provide lamps and place them upon the so-called beacons themselves ; this, Sir, I consider is a standing disgrace to the Government. The men are poorly paid, in fact their pay is £7 10s per month, out of which they pay £1 10s for rent, so that the harbor expenses are very small, and surely the Government can well afford to lay out a small amount, which is so greatly needed, for the benefit of the harbor generally? Then we have the wharves; I was pleased to see Capt. Skinner’s letter in last Friday’s Herald,” and I notice that notwithstanding the facts mentioned by Captain Skinner the Borough Council wish the Government to hxnd them over the foreshore ; so far they have shewn a great want of ability to manage tl. e portion of the foreshore which they already possess, and surely it would evince anything but wisdom to hand them over any more of it. Trusting that these subjects will be taken up by some more able pen than mine, I am, etc., A Sailors’ Friend.