THE HARBOR BILL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 169, 14 July 1888, Page 3

THE HARBOR BILL.

THE BILL READ A SECOND TIME. STRONGLY OPPOSED. Wellington, Thursday. The second reading of the Gisborne Harbor Bill was moved this afternoon by Mr Graham, who said that Mr Higginson’s report was favorable to the breakwater scheme. He maintained that the Harbor Board had not exceeded the limit of £65,000, prescribed by the Act. Mr Ormond pointed out that according to Mr Higginson’s report the expenditure of an additional £lO,OOO would only enable a vessel of the size of the Australia to go alongside the wharf. Manifestly such a harbor would not prove of the slightest benefit to the settlers in outlying districts who would be oppressively rated in consequence of the harbor works. He asked the House to say that the money already in hand should be invested in such a way as to make the burden as light as possible. Evidence had been given before a select committee of the Legislative Council, which showed that in regard to their former loan the Gisborne Harbor Board had, to put it mildly, been guilty of want of prudence

The Hon. Mr Fisher admitted that the report made by Mr Higginson was very condemnatory of the harbor scheme, but to leave the harbor works as they were would be leaving a monument of folly ; whereas the additional expenditure asked for might make the work a useful one. The East Coast was a fertile district but was quite isolated, inasmuch as it had in no way benefited from the large public expenditure which had been going on in other districts. The second reading of the Bill was assented to on the understanding that it would be referred to a committee, whose duty it shall be to take evidence regarding the operations of the harbor works at Gisborne. Last night. Judging by the discussion which took place yesterday afternoon there does not seem to be a probability of the Bill which the Gisborne Harbor Board is promoting, being got through the House.