THE PATENT SLIP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 255, 21 July 1908, Page 6

THE PATENT SLIP.

At its next meeting, so it is understood, ilia Wellington Harbour' Board will have before it the question bf ratifying the agreement arranged between a snb-com-mittce of the Board and the Patent Slip Company respecting the terms upon which tho Board will acquire the Slip property. Tho terms of the agreement arc: not yet made public. The position at present is that an arrangement has been' come to on this important matter, and tho treaty, wants only tho last for-

nial rites of ratification. The public would like to know a little about the terms of this agreement. At the emergency meeting of the Board on Wednesday last Mb. Fletcher seemed to be upon the verge of disoussing the sub-commit-tee's report, but he postponed his comments as the result of his understanding f?om the Chairman that he might offer his criticism when the Board meets again. As no other member of the Board showed any inclination to talk about the matter, it may be assumed that the agreement will bo ratified, and that Mr. Fletcher's'criticisms, therefore, whatever they may be, will avail nothing. The public is entitled to some information upon an" agreement which' very deeply concerns them. Both the Board and the Company have made up their minds, and tin Board's interests,- which are the district's interests, cannot suffer from the publication of what the Board will be asked to ratify. The elective members oi the Board are not plenipotentiaries, but representatives, and they should seek the assistance of public opinion in guiding their course in this njattcr. It may turn out that the agreement is satisfactory in all respects, but the public should have an opportunity of examining and inspecting the agreement before it is too late -to do anything. The secrecy with' which the transaction t has been surrounded may have been necessary up to .u certain point, but has not that point now been reached when the whole matter should be given publicity?