Bay of Plenty Times MONDAY, MARCH 9TH, 1914 AN UNEVIABLE POSITION.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLII, Issue 6085, 9 March 1914, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Times MONDAY, MARCH 9TH, 1914 AN UNEVIABLE POSITION.

The position in which J. Hume has heen placed hy his appointment to the Harbour Hoard is not one in which many would care to find themselves. It will h_ as apparent to Mr Hume as to many of our readers from the brief discussion at the County Council meeting when the appointment was being made, that there is a strc. lg feeling abroad thar his appointment was specific for a purpose. Naturally Mr Hume hotly j repudiates the suggestion, hut he will no doubt by this time be inclined to admit: that there was strong ground for the suspicion that it was not- so much his services that were .oughtas his vote. We have previouslydrawn attention to the gnuit anxiety existiug ou the part of some of the members of the Harbour Board to ; impose an export tax of 'OA per 1»)0 superficial feet on timber. Tlie Board is sharply divided ou the question, with the exception that CoJonel Ward has not dotinitely expressed his views on the subject, beyond making it clear that ho does not favour the pa.sing of such a by-law until the que.cion iias been exhaustively gone into, aud the fullest information obtained as to the position in other ports. When therefor. Iwe find Mr Hume appointed—conI stitutionally we'adniit—solely by the representatives on the County Council from those districts wdiose representatives on the Board favour the export duty on timber, it is obvious that his plain duty was to resist che attempt made to force the matter through immediately he had taken his seat. It is extremely gratifying to find that Mr Hume rose to the occasion and made it clear that any matter upon which he is to leeord hi. vote must be fully and thoroughly discussed. Having taken this stand it'is now reasonable to expect that Mr Hume will take his part in seeing that when a Committee is appointed to inquire into any matter and report to the Board it will do so. and that such resolutions wilt not Im 1 treated with contempt. No faults can be found with any member of the Board for holding tho view tha* timber exported from Tauranga shouid suiter an imposition of od per 100 superficial feet, but surely there is' something weak in the arguments of those who support it when they souk to burke inquiry—without which tiw.ro can be no .intelligent working of the harbour futauees—and force the niatterJj willy-nilly. Mv Hume will add immeasurably to his probity as a, pul.licjman of he m-wc. in the direction if postponing a filial decision om this important question not only until the Committee appointed by the Board have made the inquiries expected of them, and have a. comprehensive, report to submit, but until he can come to the Board

as the .ileet of the people in the district bo represents, and not as the chosen of a few members of the County Council, who will theni have ,uo more- to do with his election than the Prince of Hyderabad. Mr Hume

is' in an unenviable position, from wd'nich wc hope to sec him extricate hin.self with credit.