THE Poverty Bay Independent. Published every Saturday morning. Saturday, May 16, 1885.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 11, 16 May 1885, Page 2

THE Poverty Bay Independent. Published every Saturday morning. Saturday, May 16, 1885.

The last meeting of the Harbor Board was again virtually barren of any real progressive step, and the public are beginning to manifest some anxiety as to when the Board’s deliberations are likely to assume a more combined and practical direction. The resolution agreeing to ask Government to send Mr. Blackett here—fought and haggled over as though it were pregnant with the most vital results —cannot be looked upon as likely to produce any definite effect, and may be viewed as a “ calling spirits from the vasty deep.” If—note the important “ if ” —Mr. Blackett is permitted to come here, he may certainly give a decisive opinion—even upon the available data which we are now able to lay before him —as to whether there really is any practical or solid grounds for believing that the communication with the Breakwater can be constructed on the town side of the river ; and if so, what would be the approximate additional cost or, as the case may be, saving. But that is about all; and there is not the slightest probability that he could, considering the limited time at his disposal, go one step further. If we intend to profit by previous experience in connection with like matters, we should be most carefu] not to court too many engineering opinions; but rather to carefully select the most competent man, and then to rely solely upon him for the carrying out of the work. It must be borne in mind that engineers, like doctors, differ; and that if a third one be called in he is sure to differ from the previous two — and so on ad infinitum. With respect to the Banking tenders for negotiating the loan, the one received from the Union Bank is undoubtedly of such an exorbitant nature as to preclude the slightest possibility of the Board's entertaining such terms, and there is little doubt but what some satisfactory arrangements will be come to with the Bank of New Zealand for floating the loan on reasonable and fair terms. Looking at harbor matters from the stand point we have now arrived at, there is little room to congratulate oursslves upon the progress made during the past six weeks, and we can only hope that a future like period of time will be more productive both of unani-

mity of purpose and progress towards the attainment of an object which all have declared to be their primary aim.