The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1882. THE MEMBER FOR THE DISTRICT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1044, 16 December 1882, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1882. THE MEMBER FOR THE DISTRICT.

We do not approve of Mr Postlethwaite's opposition to the proposed Harbor Board Loan, and have no intention of standing up as a champion for liim. On the contrary, we regret rery much that he should take up such an attitude against a proposal that is calculated to do much good to the district. But, at the same time, we think that he ought to be allowed to entertain his own opinions, and to give expression to them, just as freely as if he upheld the popular side of the" question. He was brought to account for his actions at Thursday's meeting of the Harbor Board, and his conduct wis cemmented upon rather severely. We should not find any fault with that either, as Mr Postiethwaite is very well able to defend himself, only that matters were imported into the discussion which were altogether foreign to the question at issue. Mr Moociy is reported to have said that he would be very sorry to think the ratepayers would be led by a small-minded man like the member for tbe district —a man who left his post in Wellington in the middle of the session to attend a Boad Board meeting at Geraldine —for his whole words showed narrow-minded sentiments. Now, wo submit that Mr Postlethwaite's Parliamentary conduct had nothing to do with his opinion on the loan. The two questions are altogether different. Mr Postiethwaite might be a first-rale parliamentary representative, and a very bad member of the Board, or vice versa, and the time will come when he will have to answer for his conduct in discharging the duties of both offices. At present he is before the public as a member of the Harbor Board, and we think that his conduct in that cilice is all that is open for discussion. A day will come when the electors will have au opportunity of giving their opinions as regards his parliamentary conduct, and it will be quite legitimate to do so then. There is a time for everything, and we submit that the present is not the time to discuss whether Mr Postiethwaite had the right to absent himself from Parliament to attend a meeting of the Road Board or not. So far as we can remember Mr Postiethwaite came home to Geraldine when the House adjourned, and all the members caran to Chrislcuurch to see the Exhibition. If Mr Postiethwaite will have no more heinoun political sins to atone for than this. Ave feel confident that he will very readily obtain absolution from them. He will no doubt address the electors at no distant date, and we think that is the time to discuss his political conduct. The present question has nothing to do with it. It was also said ho ought to have resigned his seat on the Board becauge

he disagreed with the loan proposal. We never heard of such a thing before. If such a mode was adopted by every member of the Board when they disagreed with others there would be nothing but elections all the year round. As we have stated we disagree with Mr Postlethwaite, but at the same time we think he ought to be treated fairly. He has a right to express his opinions, and he has done nothing more than exercise that right.

THE HARBOR BOARD LOAN. On next Tuesday the ratepayers resident in the Harbor District of Timaru will be called upon to give their votes for or against the proposal to raise £IOO,OOO to finish the Harbor Works, Although we have on two or three oc- ! casions already pointed out how desirable it was that the lean should be floated, we feel inclined to urge still further on our readers the advantages which would accrue from it. It is admitted on all sides that to..stop the works at prosent would bring about stagnation, and that we would have the commercial depression of a few years ago back again. We ask our readers to consider the question from that point of view. Is it desirable thac we should again see the same uncertainty in commercial circles, the same number ot bankruptcies and failures, the same pressure brought to bear on debtors to pay their liabilities, and the same amount of distrust as to the financial stability of business people in general ? We think that there is not one man in the district who would desire to see such a state of things brought about, and consequently we have great hopes that there is not the slightest danger of the proposal not being carried. There can be no doubt but that the effect of the loan proposal being vetoed would be a fearful depression, not alone in Timaru, but in all parts of South Canterbury, and that it would lead to most disastrous results ; while, on the other hand, if the loan is raised it will infuse more energy and vigor into the people, and stimulate them to greater activity in establishing industries, for the want of which the district is sufferiug so sadly. The amount of the loan which would be put in circulation in Timaru is like a drop of rain in the ocean compared"with the indirect benefits which would'aqcTua to the district from the confident and self-reliant spirit which would be awakened by the belief that in a few years they would have a Harbor from which they could trade direct with all parts of the world. For instance, there is a proposal on foot at present to establish refrigerating works at the Washdyke. If the Harbor works are stopped we firmly believe that that movement will be knocked on the head, and, perhaps, not heard of for the next ten years again. Would not this be a great disaster to the district 1 There are other industries also mooted, and if the proposal is vetoed it is our opinion that the public spirit of the people will receive such a crushing shock that they will not have the energy to go in for any of them. There is at present a sort of spirit awakening in the public mind which asserts that substantial prosperity can accrue from the establishment of local industries only. Would it not be disastrous to destroy that sprit now—and destroyed it will be if the loan is not floated, and our hopes of establishing industries, which would give employment to the rising generation, will be ruined for many a day. And to avert all this what have we to do ? Merely to give our sanction to the loan. We have already shown that under any circumstance it would not be necessary to levy a rate for the next four or five years. There is an ab- ! solute certainty of that, and it appears to us that there is very little danger of u Viilo being ever necessary. Would it not be wiser, therefore, to ward off tha evil day as long as possible—for an evil day it will be if the Harbor Works are stopped—than to rush headlong into iaimediateruin? Thero is a certainty of immunity from rates for four years, and we think that common sense ought to dictate to every one that it would be better to run the risk of a rate being levied than to lower the price of his present possessions by bringing about a commercial crisis, and destroying the spirit of enterprise which is gaining a hold of the public mind. And the great risk people are called upon to run is the risk of being rated 3d in the £ ! The late Mr Julius Mendelson said that if the dabt of the Board had beeijjj»i quarter of a million the rate could j nf be more than 3d in the £, because mow would not be necessary. Mr JoUm Talbot pointed out that tbere would M a gain of 2d per bushel to every faliw

in the district in having a good harbor in Timaru, and that the man who produced 5000 bushels of grain would in this way gain £4O a year, while if he were rated at 3d in the £it would only amount to £3 per annum. Thus the farmer would gain £37. We think that Mr Talbot is a gentleman whose word ought to carry some weight with it. lie cannot be said to be more interested than any other iarmcr in the district, and he surely ought to be credited with sufficient ability to make the calculation. It is therefore obvious that the advantage is in favor of the loan in the future, as well as at present, and we trust that the people will be unanimous in voting tor it „ Let no man think that it will get on without himself; but rather remember that the question will not be decided by a bare majority, and that a necessity exists for obtaining all the votes that can possibly be got in favor of it. Theie must be one-fourth more in favor of it than against it, that is if 1000 votes are recorded against the proposal it is necessary to have 1250 for it, or else it will not be carried. This fact shows that those who are in favor ot it should not go to sleep on that day, but should rather work energetically, and it they do, they never did a more useful day's work to themselves, and the district in all their lives.