WAITARA HARBOR ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 290, 30 April 1913, Page 8

WAITARA HARBOR ELECTION.

3 . ? (Pubished by arrangement.) !' To the Editor. k , Sir, —A very keen fight is anticipated at to-day's election. On the one side 9 we have the members of the present a, Board, who haye for th? past two years a carried out their duties faithfully and jr efficiently, and on the other there are new candidates. Whilst fully admit- . ting the right of the new candidates to become contestants for the positions, the fact that peculiar . conditions attach to the business of the . port that can be better carried on by i the more disinterested candidates. Older 0 members of the district will fully apprea ciate what this means, and will no doubt in their own interests advise the news comers of the necessity of being care--5 ful. From all appearances of the genr eral trend of conversation over the mats ter of nomination of the new aspirants j shows that this part has been evolved 5 from one direction only. It is unfortunate 3 that such a position arises, but there it is. As reputable members of the com- . munity no word can be said in their dist favor. This sudden desire for of- > fiec, added to the fact that another of the same party has or is to be nominated for the Board by the Government, makes the case appear in an J even worse light, for which some elected 1 and a nominative member the "head" would have a very plastic Boaru to folj low his wishes or dictates. It is rather remarkable that the name of the nomj inee has already been made public beL fore any. notice from those who make the appointment has been sent to the Board, and this in itself look ominous and savors of something not quite "above . board." Why this mad rush for office? [ What is the purpose and object? I . close my left optic and smile. No; 1 j am afraid that there is more in this tnan i meets the eye, and hope that those who ■ have a vote to exercise will do so wisely i and judiciously by keeping those at pre- [ sent in power in, for these men have satisfactorily carried out their onerous 1 duties from purely impersonal motives, ; and have nothing but the best welfare . of the port and district at heart. Their services are not for gain, either direct or indirect. Some fallacious reasons have been advanced why the new men should lie supported, but on dissection tliey remain what they were at the beginning, fallacious arguments. Those interested in the good of the port will readily admit that the present Board has spent its revenue wisely and to the best , advantage. They are responsible for , the better wharf and shed accommodation, and if the river is not always as navigable as we should hope the blame , cannot be placed on the Board's shoul- | ders, for it is only a small recurrence of an annual trouble. If the Board could • finance the purchase of a suction dredge I for the removal of the accumulated silt 1 they would be as keen to do so their ■ I opponent, but when they have not the money how is it to be accomplished? These men have the welfare of the district at heart quite as much if not more than those opposed to them. However, | the people can be trusted to conserve their own right, and this can be best t done by seeing that the present office ( holders are returned again to-niorroiv.— I am, etc., ELECTOR.