THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 3836, 19 April 1899, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

JFheirrieS Warden. The spirit of the Times shall teach me spaed.— las J«h. At* 1?.

Wewsesdat, April 19. 1899.

Tjie local topic of the hour just now is the unfortunate position in which the Borough Council finds itself placed financially, with regard to the Town Wharf repairs. This position is certainly not a pleasant or enviable one but the decision arrived at, almost unanimously, on Monday night, at the special meeting to consider the matter, is certainly a wise one, probably the wisest under the circumstances. It is, in effect,

that which most cool-headed

people arrive at when surrounded by difficulties and pitfalls ; viz, to stand perfectly still for awhile and take time to thoroughly study their circumstances and judge which is the best way out of their dilemma. It is useless now to go far into the

history of the matter and to seek to apportion the blame of the present impasse accurately where it belongs, but this we must say, and say with deliberation, that there are those ouUide the Council now, who have been most active in stirring up agitation against the thoroughness with which the Council has sought to have the work done, who are nevertheless largely and primarily responsible for forcing on the whole job, before the time was ripe. In these columns, three years ago, we strongly opposed the undertaking of costly and extensive additions to the outer end of the Town Wharf while the shore end was allowed to go to decay. A craze to spend money, however, seemed to seize certain of the Council, due partly to an unreasoning fear of some of the proposed 'Government legislation forthe consolidation of local bodies. Zeal was allowed to far outrun discretion and costly and quite unnecessarily extensive accommodation: was ordered to be provided for; the glamour of having the conveniences of large shipping centres, was allowed to blind the eyes of ordinarily level-headed men to the applicability of the adage that the strength of a chain must be judged by^that of its weakesi link. As is lib often the case, when feelings other than cool, unbiassed judgment usurp the helm, the work was begun at the wrong end and, unfortunately, the burden of extricating thi Council from tlie false position intc which it has been led, falls largelj on innocent shoulders while som< of those, who were most eager foi the reckless plunge, stand by anc criticise the painful floundering! of the drowning body. As we explained in a leading article, before the last bill of extras for unavoidable repairs, £264, was voted, th< spending power of the Council i* strictly limited by law under very heavy personal and coUectivt penalties. The exact ascertaining of this limit it a matter of verj considerable difficulty, but that il has already beenmore than reached few who have looked into the finances, can doubt. Had the Council now full assurance that it was backed by a strong and generous public opinion that in making 1 a thoroughly sound and perfect job it was doing its best for the ratepayers and doing it in strict accord with the ordinary rules governing similar undertaking?, public and private, everywhere, few, if any, of the Councillors would, we believe, have hesitated to go ahead with the work, in spite of the fact that they knew they were breaking the letter of the law and exposing themselves to heavy fines and the iability of all the money spent, In excess of the legal limit, being recovered from themselves personally, In place of this generous assurance of sympathy the Councillors have found themselves opposed in a narrow-minded spirit ana a clamour has been raised to cause them to depart from the ordinary rules aud practice relating to contracts, for reasons best known probably to the authors of the agitation themselves, but which the general public can, at any rate, amuse itself by surmising. The Council has there-

fore prudently caUed a bait and, as it were, 'formed square.' A position of ' masterly inactivity ' has been taken up and the pause thus allowed will five all parties breathing time and an opportun ity for Ciilm reflection. Doubtless some delay will ensue before the public is able to enter into the full enjoyment of its new, ex ten-

led wharf area, ample sheds and c ivereti ' way. The Oouucillorß

«re Sony, hut they are not takiug any personal risks just now. That a way out of th« present difficult}' will he found we do not hesitate to say. and that it will be carried out in its own good time. Meanwhile the existing contract will be finished in a few weeks and for \* firther, as vet unascertained, i period the wharf will be closed to traffic. There is here a fine theme for, a homily, whj«h, however, we. trili iu-t inflict upun our readers, b«yond saying Ithat1 that Buchj ocourr»uc«B a^ the pr. oeut should the nenessi y for those who • n*er the Council giviog their keenest interest and the whole of their business intelligence and experience to public lan^tera and a liberal allowance of their time. This, ia place of the fat too

common perfunctory attendance one night in the month at the Council Chambers, scrambling through the business without any preparation or comprehension of the issues involved and a grudging expenditure of every five minutes of the one solitary monthly meeting after the first hour. The ratepayers have themselves largely to blame, their apathy as to who goes into the Council and their total indifference as to their views on any and every public matter, naturally begets and fosters indifference in tbeir representatives. If the ratepayers took a keen interest in their own affaire and declined to elect Councillors would not explain their views on a public platform or by a printed address before election, and if they afterwards attended the Council meetings and heard how tbeir chosen representatives comported themselves a far higher-- standard of- -civic, administration than has obtained in the past, would be reached.

The well-known Auckland furnishing houss of T. aud H. Cooke has a new advertisement in this issue specially referring to small suites of fumitum. Their handsome priced and illustrated catalogue will be forwarded to auyone, od application, and will enable them to seiect any class of furniture required without the expense and trouble of a journey to Auckland. 'There is to be a large gathering of Natives at Whareroa, Hori Ngatai'a settlement, on Saturday, when the large wliare-putU 'Rauru* will be re-opened. The ceremony will consist of speeches by a number of chiefs, a banquet, etc. The wbare has cost a good deal of both labour and money to repair and is named after one; of Hori Ngatai's famous ancestors. •- Once more we have to remind bur readers of th» Trinity Church Garden Fete and Concert which are to come off, after two postponements and weather permitting, to-morrow afternoon and evening. We hope this third attempt may be crowned with success.

Messrs Richard Arthur and Co. report the following prices at last week's sales :— Water melons, 3/- to 6/- doz ; lemons, 3d to sd ; cape gooseberries, 3d to 3£dlb; butter, Bdto9fd; eggs, 1/3 to 1/6; bacon, 7d to 7£d ; pigs, young, 6/- to 10/- ; roosters, 1/11 to 2/6; ducks, 1/3 to 2/- ; turkey roosters, 6/- to 7/- ; hens, 3/3 to 3/8; geese, 2/- to 2/6: honeyed to 3£d. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Go. Ltd. report : — We bad a good catalogue to submit at our usual sale on Tuesday, when prices for bides were a shade easier, but for skin rates ruled firm. Hides :— We sold stout ox from od to s§d ; medium, 4^d to 4fd ; light, 3Jd to 4d ; cow, 3f dto 31d ; picked to 4£d ; calf, 3d to 3£d ; kip, 3£d to 3fd. Sheepskins :— Salted, 1/3 to 2/5 ; dry, 1/- to 3/- each. Tails :— 1/8 per dozen. Tallow, 13/3 to 16/6 per cwfc Maize : — Good sized shipments were again received this week and the current rate is 2/7 on wharf with a weakening tendency. Oats : — No alteration from last week's quotation of 1/9 on wharf. Chaff is still selling at £2 per ton at rail. The Eight Hours 43rd annual celebration in Melbourne is likely to be a great success on this occasion. The Committee is giving away £2,250 iv prizes, this large sum will be sure to attract a large amount of public interest, £1,650 will be distributed in Art Union prizes, the first of which is £1,000, and there are 126 othsrs. The winner of the first prize may take as an alternative 12 months trip round the world, j first-class, all expenses paid and £600 in cash, or 8 months for (2) two persons. Tickets are one smiling each, they may be had by direct application to Mr Theo. W. Heide, 237 Collins Street, Melbourne. The last days for the sale of them are now announced. Applications must reach Melbourne not later than the 28th inst. The proceeds are in aid of the hospitals and public charities.

The followinghav© been nominated as candidates for the Tauranga School Committee for the ensuin year:— J. C. Adams, R. J. Allely, C. A. Clarke, W. Clarkson, J. Dale, D. Hall, Chas. Jordan, P. Munro and R. Seddon. The meeting of householders will be held in the Tbeatee Royal at 7.30 p.m. on Monday next and the ballot for the Committee will be proceeded with immediately after the other business of the meeting has been finished. The Football Club intend to hold a plain and fancy dress ball at the Theatre Royal on Thursday week, the 27th inst., and a Committee of ladies has been appointed to assist in the necessary arrangements. The prices of tickets are advertised elsewhere. The Acclimatisation Society will hold its annual meeting at the Hon. Secretary's office, First Avenue, on Monday next, at 4 p.m. Holders of last year's, shooting licenses are Invited te attend. Ratepayers, residential occupants or freeholders who wish to be placed on the new Burgess List now being compiled should apply to the Town Clerk for form?, fill them in at ones and return them to him. We are glad to hear that Mr Herbert Clarke, of Te Wairoa, who has been dangerously ill with bronchitis and pleurisy is somewhat better to-day and the critical point is believed to have been passed. *An extraordinary affair is reported as having happened at the Bowling Club's T<awn last night For some time past men have been employed levelling up awl top-dressing it and last evening it was left in perfect order and *U jtfady to be re-sown. This inorniug it was found to have been sown, apparently by a skilled hand, but with » nice mixture of cow-grass and dock seed^ / ■ . . ■ r • . 'It is reported, on what appears to be reliable authority (^aya the Tiuoaru Herald), that a Frebbleton resident, who has been deaf since he was fire years of age, and who was seated in one of the onrriuges affected by the Rakaia railway collision, has rPßainwl hrn hearing in consequence of the shock, j

A deer which ferociously attacked a nttive woman at Tokaanu has be n shot by the natives, who burnt evarv pHrtiole of it, owing to the blood of theinjured wom*n rendering it tapu. Some European residents vv.shed to preserve the antlers, but they were also specially tapu, after doing snob damage, being bejsmaared with lioman blood.