BAY OF ISLANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8508, 7 March 1891, Page 5

BAY OF ISLANDS

ECCENTRICITIES OF GOVERNMENT

RETRENCHMENT.

HARBOURMASTER AND ASSISTANT

TO BE DISPENSED WITH. Very great astonishment has been caused in Auckland by the eccentric measures of retrenchment undertaken by the Government at the Bay of Islands. Recently the Auckland Chamber of Commerce endeavoured to induce the Government to improve the Russell signal service, for the benefit of the merchants and consignees in Auckland, and Mr. Shera. M.H.R. tor Auckland City, has been moving in the same direction. The answer of the Government to the reasonable representations of the Chamber and of the city's commercial representative is, we learn, to give Captain Best, the efficient harbourmaster at Russell, and his assistant, notice that their services will be dispensed with at the end of this month. The whole procedure is simply outrageous, impolitic, and unjust, and the commercial community of Auckland will have forfeited its self-respect if it does not make its voice heard before a lamentable state of affairs supervenes. Among the reasons which may be given for the retention of the Customs and Harbourmaster at Russell is the salutary check upon smuggling, which once reinstated will cost the country ten times the salary of Captain Best and his assistant. It is an urgent necessity that there should be a man stationed on the look-out at Russell fla,gstaffiill, in order to report vessels and steamers bound inwards for Auckland, and cannot be dispensed with. As a good illustrative instance it may be mentioned the case of the s.s. Richmond disabled some time back. She was reported from Russell and assistance sent from Auckland to her relief. Another most important work requires to be seen to, the supervision of the oyster traffic. In all likelihood when the Harbourmaster and his assistants are dispersed the rock oysters will be exported or removed under the guise of mud oysters, and so the oyster beds ruined, .since the Government abolished the harbour service at Tauranga the buoys get adrift and tend to mislead vessels entering that port, and the same state of things will supervene if the Government carry out their proposed scheme of retrenchment at the Bay of Islands. Whatsver is to be done in the way of protest should be done quickly.