HARBOR AFFAIRS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 209, 16 October 1888, Page 2

HARBOR AFFAIRS.

The members of the Harbor Board are taking a wise course in directly conferring with the ratepayers on the Harbor question. The Board is of course the representative body, but when circumstances over which it can have no control are continually occurring the wishes of the ratepayers are entitled to consideration. There doesnot seem to be any prospect of doing much good by the meetings, but the future has to be very seriously considered. In the face of Mr Bell’s opinion we think it only right that the ratepayers should be asked to meet and consider the altered position. It is all very well to talk of expediency ” —the price that has been paid for the.expediency in the .first instance has been too heavy for anyone to wish repeated. The ratepayers sj>;!.l now have an excellent opportunity of giylflg expression to their views, and passing any which they may think fit—those wl)/j pay the rates are the persons who will be fh e most seriously affected, and they haye the decision in their own hands. It would have been more sensible to have held these meetings in the first place instead of the Board acting with such precipitation. Whatever e’se the ratepayers may decide, we would strotisly advise them to be cautious to have their resolutions couched in moderare language. The ratepayers of Waitara have lately made themselves look very foolish through passing certain bombastic resolutions at a public meeting, and instead of gaining sympathy in a deserving case they have come in for much abuse and ridicule.