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Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 108, 27 April 1881, Page 2

The Star. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1881.

TARANAKI HARBOR BOARD.

♦ For the information of a large number of our readers we have, in a recent issue, reprinted a full report of the proceedings at tha last meeting of the harbor board. It will be seen that there has been much mismanagement, and divided authority, which is sure to result in extra and unnecessary expense to those who have to pay the piper. Until such time as the Waimate and Ngaire districts have representation on the harbor board, to which they are fairly entitled, we shall be especially careful to place an abstract of the proceedings at each meeting before them, so that they may be in a position to check any irregularity and protest against it. Seeing that according to clause 15 of the New Plymouth Harbor Board Ordinance 1875 Amendment Act, the whole of the land lately sold is liable to be rated up to, but not exceeding, one shilling in the £, on the annual value of all landed property situated between the Mokau and Waingongoro rivers —under which rating £12,000 a year might have to be collected—it is evident that the matter deserves the attention of ratepayers. At the recent election in February last, the Waimate district could not be represented, because only those whose names appear on the valuation roll of a county council, road board, town or municipal board are qualified to vote. The Govern- j ment has power to nominate three other members in addition to those already elected, in accordance with the Provincial Ordinance, and their appointments have not y t been made. Reverting to the inquiry which is now going on in connection with the recent bungle about landing the harbor plant ex Adamant, it may be well to point out that the Engineer to the Board still asserts that he could have landed the plant at the rate of about 4s. per ton. He admits that he could not have done it so quickly as the Lighter Company, which according to Mr. Kelly's estimate, is being paid at the rate of 7s. Gd. per ton, or nearly double the estimated cost. The Harbor-master, on the other hand, is confident that he could have landed the plant at the rate of ss. per ton. It is, of course, impossible to say at this stage of the proceedings who is to blame for the bad management which has been exposed. When the Harbor-master complains that he " could not agree with Mr. Rees, because he always interfered with my work," it is high time that something was done to make the machinery work a little more smoothly. There has been a bungle and a dispute about the mooring of the Adamant, a bungle about the price of the landing, a bungle about the direction and superintendence of the whole business, not to mention a questionable amount of almost irresponsible authority exercised by a so-called executive committee. Under the circumstances, the report of the committee of inquiry will be looked forward to with considerable interest.