An Interview.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 198, 20 September 1888, Page 3

An Interview.

THE BIGHT MAN IN THE WRONG PLACE. Ths name of Thompson has been so closely associated with Poverty Bay engineering enterprises that it certainly is a sufficient guarantee for the thorough fulfilment of the most gigantic scheme that may be launched into. Some Thompsons discard the letter p which connects the Tom with the son, but the retention of the good, honest name John condones any elision in the surname. Why, did not the three Johns get in for the Borough Council the other day, and would not the other one have got in if there had been room ? Dominie Sampson might have uttered his nsnal exclamation “ Prodigious 1” but he would straightway come under the definition of Mr Gannon’s favorite quotation from Solomon. It is when they descend to plain Jack that the trouble comes in ; but then we don’t have anything to do with plain Jacks, and must not digress. It was with a John, r and that John a great Jons Thompson—in short our reporter interviewed that gentleman of brilliant capacity, for who in the present harbor crisis should be more able to take the helm and guide us into a port of safety ? John Thompson, late 8.E., is the man, but the Board know it not. Now, some interviewers always introduce their sketch with a descripton of the inter viewed one’s person but we do not see why that should be taken into account : an intellectual forehead and well developed bumps are what we first look for and it they are there we are satisfied. It does not require a phrenologist to note that they are there in Mr John Thompson’s case. To proceed our reporter did not beat about the bush, but went straight for his mark, and Mr Thompson’s replies were emphatic enough to suit anyone—too emphatic, indeed, for the delicate euphonium of our reporter. Some people use h’s to give effect to their utterances —Mr T. employs adjectives. Well, Mr Thompson, what do you think of the Harbor now? Mr T: Haw 1 haw! Haven't they got themselves into a d trap now. They Hid a trap for me, and now they’ve got kicked into it themselves. Haw-aw-aw ! How is that; I don’t quite follow you ’ Well, they went to Parliament with that (adjectives in profusion) Bill, and now they’ve got nailed. Certainly—they admit that themselves I believe. Mr T: The Chairman seems to speak the most sense among the lot of them. You seem to have an idea how it was that the Board got placed in such a position. Do yon know the reason ? Mr T: Ha-ab ’ Don’t I ? If Graham had come to me I’d have told him how he could have got the Bill through, but he went and made a (blank) mess of it. How could you have enabled him to pull it ibrough ? Mr T: Ha-ah-ba I That’s it. The Governnent has got the whip hand of them—they ;now the whole (blank) game. Didn’t they end a letter to me to come and see them, to ee Higginson their engineer. That (blank lank) Townley said—l was just looking at Dur report. He says the Board engaged an ngineer to prepare plans—he didn’t say they rgaged an engineer to copy somebody else’s lans. you hold that he copied your plans, don’t DU? Mr T: I should think I do! But I told ligginson the whole thing from beginning to std. They sent for me to show him the plaiw. and I did, ha Iha I—the (blank) lot of them ’. When we had gone through them all he says,l'D it, Thompson, but they all belong k you—they’re all copied from yours 1 ha! ha! Didn’t they get supped up. jjny 4 0ll > t want t 0 take a poll —1 could t< them how to get round the ratepayers. How? MrT: H»| Hi they’d like to know.

All right when understood, eh ? Mr T: Yes—ha! ha I but did you ever see such a (blank) trap as they have got in ? Yes, there’s a fix now. What do you intend doing about your plans—after what Mr Higginson said you ought to have good grounds to go upon. Mr T : Oh, I’ll have to let things go on for a while—l can’t do anything just now. You’ll hang fire, as it were ? Mr T : That’s it; I’ll hang fire—that’s it. After a good hearty laugh Mr Thompson said— Mind you, I believe in the works going on —they ought not to be stopped where they are. That Bill was got through in a great hurry, wasn’t it; but the Government knows the whole thing—l told them all about it. You say you think the works ought to go on —do you believe there is any truth in the statement that a man said he would undertake to lay the remaining blocks for £5,000? Mr T: I quite believe it could be done. They ought to have got out as far as they have got now for £15,000. The whole work has been one of the most expensive ever taken in hand. It has been going on too slowly—there is too much of the Government stroke about it. After a good hearty laugh at the way the Board had fallen into the trap which they had laid for Mr Thompson, our reporter bid that gentlemen good-afternoon, with the parting injunction that we believed him to be a •* hard case,” and which sentiment he himself appeared to endorse. He was too hard a nut for the Board to crack.