The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning. Saturday, September 1, 1888. A WRETCHED BUNGLE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 190, 1 September 1888, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning.

Saturday, September 1, 1888. A WRETCHED BUNGLE.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

If it is impossible for our member to do the district he represents any good, it has been proved to be quite possible to do it a great deal of harm. While giving Mr Graham credit for the best intentions, the fact seems plain that he has allowed himself to become a pliant tool in the hands of a few crafty politicians, whom it would be superfluous to name. We feared what the result would be, and in good time raised the note of warning, but contemptible trickery has gained the day, and once more have the just claims of the district been sacrificed at the pleasure of selfish politicians. What Mr Graham means by telling us the Bill is all right when interpreted proparly, is beyond our comprehension —if it does not arise from thoughtlessness, then all we can set it down to is unapproachable impertinence. When we have the complete Bill to hand, it may put a different face on things, but at present ive can see nothing in the new Act of which Mr Graham may feel proud. The whole tiring seems to be a wretched bungle from beginning to end, and the ratepayers will have reason to know it sooner or later. All our old subjects of local contention vanish in the face of this last monstrous injustice that has been inflicted on the district. The want of unity amongst ourselves has been taken advantage of by Sir George Whitmore and Mr Ormond, who are more inclined to consider their personal interests than those of this or any other district, As a member of the Harbor Board said the other evening, it is a great anomaly that if a member of a focal body voted a few pounds in his .own interest he would be liable to a 'heavy fine, and yet these politicians, paid from the public exchequer, can openly vote hundreds of pounds io their own interest without even their motives being questioned. Under the proposed restrictions we cannot see how any reasonable person will vote for the continuation of the harbor. To do so would simply be

further playing into the hands of the Whitmore-Ormond clique. Poverty Bay would have been far better off today if such men had never set foot in the place: it was greatly through the aid of Whitmore’s political influence that the district rushed in for these harbor works, and that same influence is now a curse which is of no advantage to the harbor, but has a damnable effect on the whole district. However, the game seems to be up; we are inclined to pity instead of blame Mr Graham

for the part he played in the affair. What is now most important is the consideration of our present position. We take it that it means simply that the ratepayers will be asked to vote as to whether the works will be proceeded with or not —if the works are to be continued, it can only be done under

greatly altered conditions, which mean that Whitmore and Ormond have severed a great portion of the district from its liability. Provision appears to have been made for increased rating power, and if that is not sufficient to meet the interest and sinking fund, the special district will have to bear its responsibility. The Act seems to have been one of the most cunningly devised that could well be imagined. Care has been taken that while Ormond and Whitmore can shuffle off as much responsibility as possible on to the shoulders of taxpayers less able to bear it, they have been very guarded in their efforts to evade anything that might be termed a breach of faith with the bondholders. And they seem to have succeeded admirably—the admiration of course being their own.

Had matters been left just as they were, the ratepayers would have had a very strong case in their favor, in the fact that Parliament had stopped the works. Now it means that the ratepayers must take upon themselves to do so, the conditions offered them being such as to make this course the only reasonable one. How it is all going to end is more than we can foresee, though from the present aspect of affairs it would appear folly to go to the expense of taking a poll at all.