THE Poverty Bay Independent. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, December 17, 1885.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 87, 17 December 1885, Page 2

THE Poverty Bay Independent. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, December 17, 1885.

We must confess with others to having experienced some surprise at the violent outcry of indignation against the lawyers which has succeeded the rabid howl against the bankrupts. Having due regard to the source from which the njatter emanated we felt pretty confident tHht some private and personal motive laid inithe back ground. Of course all knew tlfet conscientous convictions or public grounds were utterly out of the question. Accordingly, when we saw Sampson and sally Brass being smoked by the vilfeneously mischievous Quilp, and inoralised to by the cantingUriahHeape,

five were sharply on the queue vine for (the cause. At the same time we were [scarcely prepared for such a bare-faced proof as that brought to light by the appearance of the caseßrassey v. Muir, which came before the Resident Magistrates Court two days afterwards. Here, then, was the sequel to this long tirade against a “rascally bill of costs,” which had been incurred by the transference of certain interests in that highly imoral sheet. But the pith of the amusciment comes in when we refer to the freport of the meeting of the shareholders in the South Pacific Oil < 'om.®any, held on Saturday last, and which Appeared in our last issue. Here we we that a man has teen sitting and 'toting on the Board of Directors when he never held one farthing share in the Company. Whatever may be said against the Gisborne lawyers, it is certain that it would be difficult to find one who would lend himself to such an act of turpitude, or who would commit such a rascally act of “ illegal brigandage.” For a long time past the prospects of our *• oil industry " has been hampered and well nigh ruined through the thim-ble-rigging of a clique of arrant rogues and schemers whose machinations and dodgery has had lhe effect of damning every honest local industry which has ever been started in the district. There is little hope for the success of any honest commercial undertaking, or local enterprise, until this species of commercial vermin are weeded out and disposed of. And yet these individuals are ready to prate morality to onr lawyers!

We hope to see a good attendance at the meeting called for to-night, as the importance of the subject claims the attention of all those who are in any way interested or d sirous of developing the resources and capabilities of the district. In considering this subject it should be remembered that we are on the eve of commencing a large and expensive undertaking in the shape of a harbor, which will entail a heavy and almost unsupportable burden upon the ratepayers and property holders, unless we create a corresponding increase in our productions and exports. The means proposed by Mr Rees are certainly practical and easy of attainment. We have the land, and the cattle and sheep can be produced in almost any quantity to meet the demand. All we want is some organised and unanimous action whereby to utilise the great pastoral resources with which nature has so bountifully endowed this favored district. Already the most difficult part of the scheme has been accomplished in the successful establishing of several stores in Auckland. The remainder of the proposed plan is easy of attainment. Even if Bennett’s plan of preserving lhe meat should be considered unpracticable, it would be no difficult matter to put a freezing apparatus on board a small steamer, and charter her for the conveyance of meat ro the market. The killing or the stock here would notalone be a saving of freight, but it would give employment to scores of men. Fat melting, soap making, tanning, glue making, &c., could be carried on in connection with it, and a splendid and highly remunerative field for trade would be opened up. All alike must participate in the general benefits of such a movement, and we trust that local prejudice will not intrude to prevent the most earnest consideration of'

thisjmatter by all who can in any way | assist in bringing it to a successful issue.