The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3603, 29 January 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1883.

On the 7th of February, that is to say on Wednesday week, the term of office of the members of the Harbor Board will expire by effluxiou of time. The Board consists of twelve members, including- three' nominated by the Government and the Mayor of Napier. Thus there remain eight to be chosen. Of these eight three arc elected by the ratepayers of Napier, two by the County Council of Hawko's Bay, two by the County Coimeil of Waipawa, and one by the Council of the County of Wairoa. The existing Board is composed as follows : — Government nominees, Hon. J. N. Wilson, Messrs A. Wardrop and J. H. Vautier. The Waipawa representatives are Mr J. I). Ormond and Colonel Herrick. Mr M. R. Miller sits for Wairoa. The Hawke's Bay Council is represented by Messrs J. N. Williams and J. G.Kinross. The members for the town are Messre J. A. Smith, K. Lyndon, and Captain Gleadow. Dr. Spencer sits as the Mayor of the Borough. The three gentlemen appointed by the Government will in all probability be re-nominated. The Hon. Mr Wilson is v shrewd intelligent man, whose presence at any Board could scarcely fail to of service. If he lias not taken any very active or leading part while on the Harbor Boar l , he has at least created the impression that lie sits there as a sort of counsel on behalf of common sense, and that he would not see things go far wrong without raising his voice in protest. The sins of the Board have been for the past two years more of omission than of commission, and that is why perhaps, that so little has been heard of Mr Wilson. He may think us others do that if nothing is done no mistakes can occur. For this reason lie will probably be found a not too zealous supporter of a scheme for the construction of a really good harbor involving a big loan. As a Napier merchant Mr Wardrop has his interests centered in Napier, and, knowing as he does that the commerce of the port is dependent on the possession of a harbor, the Government made a good selection in nominating him to the Board. Mr J. 11. Vautier is one of the original members of the Board, having sat for three years as Mayor of the Borough, and, to fill a vacancy on the resignation by him of that office, was nominated by the Government. He is a thoroughly practical man. He has been an uncompromising opponent of the present works, and a staunch advocate of a permanent harbor. During his membership lie has usually had to stand alone, for the Board, having been loth to acknowledge the mistake of the existing works, has been prone to take offence at an independent opinion as to their inutilit} r . In this connection Mr Vautier has been a valuable member, and his persistent action has had much to do in keeping public attention drawn to the need of improvement. The Wairoa cannot do better than re-elect Mr M. R. Miller. The Kidnapper fad, with which his name was somehow mixed up, having exploded for want of depth of water within a mile out at sea of the proposed new port, he will probably devote his whole energies in support of a harbor at Napier. Of Messrs J. N. Williams and J. G. Kinross, the two representatives of the Hawke's Bay Council, we have nothing much to say. Their individual interests are so large, and they are so intimately bound up with the progress and prosperity of the commercial and pastoral enterprises of this provincial district, that it may almost be said that they have a prescriptive right to seats on the Harbor Board. It is impossible to s\ippose that they could act in any Avay that would prove, or that was in the least likely to prove, hurtful to the port. They will no doubt be returned to theßoard without the semblance of opposition. Not bo in the case of the Waipawa representatives—Mr Ormond and Colonel Herrick. Some of the councillors of that county are opposed to any further expenditure on the Napier harbor, and they, apparently, have carried their political hostility to Mr Ormond to such an extent as to have supported the Kidnapper .scheme because he has been working to secure a harbor for this port. Mr Ormond will undoubtedly be nominated, but his election is problematical. It is so problematical, indeed, that the ratepayers of this borough cannot afford to let his return hang on such a slender chance. Ho of all the members of the Board has done the most to advance harbor improvement. Without him it is highly probable that competitive designs would not have been called for. To determine with him is to at once proceed to action. Not a moment has been lost, and it is to the arrangements that he has made that we may hope, in the event of a. selection being made by the London judges of one out of the forty designs for a harbor being carried out. Would that Mr Ormoud was in the House to pilot the necessaiy Bill through Parliament. Considering, as we do, that Mr Ormond's presence on the Board is absolutely necessary to tho cuccess of the course of action now entered upon, Vβ repeat that

the ratepayers of Napier cannot afford to let his election rest at the hands of the County Council of Waipawa. It will be the duty they therefore owe to this port and borough to secure his return as one of their own representatives on the Harbor Board. In the event of Mr Ormond being elected by both the Waipawa Council and by the town, the ratepayers will have the opportunity of electing another member to support him. Of Colonel Herrick we have nothing- to saj\ He was probably nominated by the Waipawa Council for no other reason than that he had more leisure to attend to the business of the Board than any other councillor. Of the three members for Napier Mr J. A. Smith and Mr E. Lyndon have repeatedly brought themselves prominently before the public in urging the importance of a harbor worthy of the name for this port. We do not know that two better representatives could be chosen by the ratepayers, and we trust they will consent to be re-nominated to the seats they have hitherto occupied. When Captain Gleadow was elected to the Board there was very little interest taken in the proceedings of that body, and his election was, perhaps, due to the idea that his former connection with the mercantile marine rendered him peculiarly qualified to assist in the administration of a harbor. However useful a member he may have been, Captain Gleadow has not taken any distinctive position, as, from his intimate acquaintance with the port, we think he might have done. Had he stood out, for instance, against all opposition for the deepening of the Iron Pot, and tho construction of a quay between the Customs and cattle wharves, his services would now be held in grateful remembrance.