THE EVENING MAIL, THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 237, 25 January 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL,

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1877.

"Word* ar» things and a drop of ink falling npnr» » thought nuvy protluua that which- thousunus think."

As 110 reply haa been made by otir contemporary to the leader in the Tlt/mtu Htratd oc tha 23rd, on the Oamaru Harbour Bc.vrd, vre take leave to make a few remarks nptu the subject. Althotrj f » we question the *iadornof thu policy pursued by our coti i.empurary in boasting of Oamarus snotr. anfut start in protection for suippiu,', or in hinting to ita leas successful neighbor—Ttmartt—that it would be aa well ft>r it to> hand ttvur the £100,.000 a. 1 ' ita command to aid in making Oamaru an excellent shipping port, »tdf P we think the mode of reply adopted by the Timcfnt ffevutd is far from creditable. When an adversary, instead *,f replying, descends to abuse, it at oneu apparent that his cause ia hopeless. In thtu instance, to anyone who knows the facta of the case, it ia quite evident that anger and jealously have got the better of the writer. It ia alt very well, in a sneering manner, to endeavor to hide the fact that Oamaru has, through the enterprise of some of ita millers, attained almost the highest position for New Zealand-made flour, and that the article produced here commands better prices than that made at other ports of New Zealand. Oamaru mn afford to pass over with silent contempt the remark that the Timant Htratd ha# hitherto taken very little notice of Oamaru, regarding it as a particularly insignificant place, whether considered socially, economically, or politically.' T "We certainly shall not reply in the tie truoque style, btit simply express a hope that otir Timaru neighbora will endeavor to place before us so brilliant an example in those respects that we shall, for selfpreservation, be indnced to follow or outatrip them. It is news to ua "that the administration of the Harbour Board has not been so satisfactory that we should like to truat them with the expenditure of more public money than ia absolutely necessary ;' r but it strikes ua rather forcibly that thia ia where the shoe ptnehea—in other words, it haa been too xatiafactmy for the jealoua feelings of the Timaru Meratd* Whilat not wiahing for a moment to disparage the valuable assistance and efforts of some of the first members of the Oamaru Barbour Board, it ia only fair to their auccesaora that they should be accredited with having so energetically carried on, not only the works at the Breakwater proper, but at the same time provided for th«> requirements of the port. We feel equally certain that the Board would court the fullest inquiry as to the gross insinuations made against it as to jobbery, 4 C . As regards the charge made against the purchase of the plant from the Boating Company, the following paragraph in the report furnished to members of the House of Assembly, with which, there ia no doubt, the editor of the Timaru Ihrald must have been fully acquainted, is a sufficient reply:—" Negotiations were en•red into for the purchase of auch of the Company's boats as would enable the Board to do the whole of the landing and shipping. Valuators were appointed on either side, the plant was taken over at their valuation, and on the* 16th November, 1875, the work of the Harbor was wholly undertaken by the Board. The profits of this department fcav§ yielded,

during the five months and a li&lf, £2,236 • lis. 3d., as shown by the Profit and Loss Account attached. An income was thus created which may be estimated at £5,000 per annum, which, together with the rents accruing from leases, will enable the Board to pay interest and sinking fund on the amon~t of present borrowing powers." When it is seen that the speculation, if so it can be called, proved such an advantageous one to the Board as to have actually recouped the expenditure in a few months, we think even the Timnni IUnM itself will have to admit that it was a " smart" transaction, with quite another interpretation to what it would kindlj lead its readers to suppose, and that great credit is due to the Board for its astuteness and care, both in protecting the interests of the Board and providing for the shipping requirements of the port. As to the editors doubt whether it would not have caused the rejection of the Oa*naru Harbor Board Bill last year if all the facts had been made known to the Legislature," it is oF little moment when it is known that copies of the report from which the above extract is rcade were freely circulated amongst the members of both Houses of Parliament ; and further, it is open to question whether this, amongst other facts, did not assist in the vrry pas rin? of the Bill, as it clearly proved to any mind that the Board wns altv* to its own interests to provifle wars and means for corprfn? int»rp9t on flip Irsrcr* sum it desired to fw-iri-ntr. A® thf» r'immprr r| Mi*n^ of nfw tr T -:vf. it as well t T, af onr Tint 1,-11 fri-vul s'-nnM bo mi'U' ?<•- nmvnWt wtft't f r f-W t*-at t T 'c sMppinjr rp'i r trr n rTi nht of Oiniir»t flrwt'i'h' I nioro facility than co-dd hp fotmd t*"» Breakwater, and t T ie Board, whilst not forg of the paraTTt»»iirt imp»>rtanci of the Breakwater proper. a??f> saw tf e n>c r ?sity I for providing f'>r tt'O increasing trade of I t T ie port, as well as looking upnn the constnicttonasanadditional sonrcs of revenue. The editor of the llcmhl seems so little alive to the real facts of the case that one can hardly understand how he should have presumed to lay himself op»>n to criticism. For instance, he says "Vigorous efforts were undo for the purpose of comptdiny the jetl'j," and that the money so obtained C'jtdd only " legally be devoted to the extension of IhcjcUij. Now, as there happens to be no jetty, these remarks are rather harmless ; but we may jnst a3 well inform the editor of the Timarn Ihra'tl that the money and endowment were granted, as per word of the Ordinance, for " the construction of a dock, or for any other purpose connected with the improvement or management of the said port of Oamaro." It will therefore be evident that the money has been carefully expended for the purposes for which it was granted, and has been judiciously supplemented by the careful administration of the present Board ; and also that provision has been further made for the expected requirements of Oamaru as a slapping port. We can only hope that, if, in the wisdom of our Legislature, aided by the light thrown upon the subject by the Ttmarn Herald, a change should be made in the constitution of the Board—such a change will be made as will tend to the advancement of Oamaru »' politically, socially, and morally," and in particular, for increased improvement in the Oamaro Harbor works.