North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1909. THE DREDGE PROGRESS.

North Otago Times, 22 May 1909, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1909. THE DREDGE PROGRESS.

He must be an old and wary bird that preens his feathers on the breakwater, lest in his anxiety to reach far lie should not topple over into deep water. That, in our opinion, is the accident that has happened to oiu correspondent '' Ratepayer," whose letter appeared in yesterday's issue. ]Je has reached too far and "fallen •in." Our correspondent quotes the following paragraph! from Mr Blair Mason's report in justification of the action of the Board, or a majority of the Board, in suspending dredging operation in the harbor: "It is manifest to increase the deep water area, and to maintain the harbor depths generally, the dredge Progress, used as a hopper dredge, and under the former system of working, is not equal to its performance in a reasonable time, or in an efficient and economical manner." Therefore in tho opinion of our correspondent the Harbor Board are entitled to the thanks of the ratepayers for closing down thn Progress and declining to waste money in continuing work with sfich an expensive toy. It wag not) because th e Progress was unequal to her work that slid was) closed down. The Board, as a matter of fact, ran out of the necessary emollient to financial ills, and were perforce compelled to close down. Since the Board have inherited a sufficiency of funds to have started the Progress off again, the fact that she was not started could,not have saved the ratepayers a penny";.'[or if the proposal of the majority: of the. Board could have been carried out within a month of an order being given, the dredging of the harbor woulcTliave cost infinitely more with a new dredge than with the old one. This is so patently easy of demonstration that a few words mil suflicb for the purpose. The interest, sinking fund, depreciation, etc., in conneoibn vitii a now dredge -would total, a littlo, over £3OOO a year —this does not include dredging—whilo the whole cost of running tho Progress (including dredging, interest, sinking fund, depreciation, etc.) is slightly less than £3001). It does not require a student of the multiplication table to demonstrate on which side of the account the saving stands, The large dredge would do the work quicker, but inasmuch as tho interest, sinking fund, depreciation, etc., in connection with her total in the aggregate more than tho dredging and everything else in connietion wi'.h the Progress there could be no saving, but a loss, Putting aside 'the question of greater speed, the lioard, bad it purchased a new dredge, wmild have been losing at the rate _o( possibly £3IOO a year. To put it briefly tho Progress can be worked all tho year round at tho cost of tho interest, depreciation, etc,, of a £33,000 dredge and the necessary dredging, and thus the dredge Progress would cost no moro working than the big dredge idle. If Mr Blair Mason's report is the peg on which tho exponents of the big dredging scheme hang on to for salvation it is one' that will not bear the weight We, however, agree with the extract our correspondent has mado from Mr B'lair Mason's report that tlife dredge Progress, "under the former system of working " is not equal to the performance of the work in a reasonable time. That was solf-evidents. A dredge that required at the outside an hour to fill her Jioppors, and threo hours to empty them gave unmistakable! evidence of something being mateiially wrong with her machinery or adaptation for tho work. The hoppers, as wo all know, required alterations be-! ing made to them of an inexpensive character to meet tho difference between easily worked silt and stiff clay. Mr' Morrison recommended certain alterations and repairs to tho dredge at a cost of about £'sooo, and it was over these tho embattled forces of M: Rose on tho one hand and Mr Milligan on tho other fought so strenuously, with tho result that tho big dredge project was defeated by the narrowest of margins, and by tho appearance of Mr Pat?rson's scheme on the boards ■ the ratepayers will be saved a liability of £35,000. For the stand Mr- Roso mado in tho interests'of economy and consequently of the ratepayers he is, wo belieu l , to be compelled to accept dismissal from his scat on the Board at the hands of the Government.Whether Mr Hose was right or wrong -and he was right-it has been admitted 'thai every man is entitled to tho expression of his viows. It is by. these divergences in opinions that the public obtain enlightenment, and for a good deal of 'enlightenment on Harbor Board matters tho public are indebted to'Mr Kose, who fought an uphill ; battle against heavy odds, and by his'action assisted to save the ratepayers a heavy financial burden. We mny not agree with all Mr Rose says or with his method of saying it, but if, because of his independent speech lie is no longer to be nominated by the Government to his seat, then the Government are as small-minded as the persons who seek to work the oraclo, The palladium of. British liberties ! .whero is it if we are not to hav e free speech ? We hope, fir the sake ,of everyone, that there .is no truth: in these rumors.

; COOPERATIVE INSANITY Hjstory tells \ K wlmt a mob of horses arid cattle will do when seized' with panic; and w6.know,thai that which affects.the unreasoning dumb' animal sometimes affects' reasoning man. 'He is occasionally' seized with a panic, "and ' rashes ■ off ; without

thought and regardless of the.ulti; mate consequences. IVc hove on ovi-' denco df this in tho Palis strike. Tho I J atis post and telcginph officials woic " caljtd out,' 1 but like fc>liakedpeaic's Epirits from the vas'ty deep they expressed a decided disinclination to obey the command. Only, a.mcro handful responded to tho coll for heroes, and the projected strike fell Hoi;and, fizzled out.- Now the'general confederation of labor of Paris, asperated because the strike did no' t-venl'uate, lias resolved on a strike on its own account. It has no grievance/ -lit least the cable tloos not state any -it is merely striking for pure cufscdness, If it has a grievance it if rigaihst'members of it? own fraternity who would not obey tho Confedornlion's injunction to dislocate tho wholu business of tho country because the man who was head of the Paris post and -telegraph systems was not as popular as he might have been. This latest Paris strike is an evidence of man's helplessness when he dispossesses himself of his reasoning powers anil transfers them to the slump orator, who bundles them up for explosive mischief. Admitting that there is a good deal of dissatisfaction •in the public services of Paris, we have further to admit that those immediately affected do not consider thai dissatisfaction sufficiently grave to induce n general strike, but the Confederation of Labor, -with which body the post and telegraph officials are evidently'affiliated, have decided on a strike as a method of showing their contempt for the postal officials who would not strike for themselves. It is to bo a sort of vicarious strike in which the body affected look on and the body that is not affected undertake to scourge themselves with hunger and want on behalf of a principle, that > vanishes as soon as it is viewed dispassionately. It will be the most peculiar' strike in the history of these, evidences of modern insanity.