The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1907.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2009, 19 February 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1907.

The report of Mr. Merchant, C.E., or. the practicability of the outer harbor scheme is one that presents no undue coloring of the scheme for or against. It is a plain, practical, and apparently unbiassed treatment oi tile subject in a way that is not culy satisfying, in its detail but convincing in its entirety, and if any errors of computation have Been made as to the actual cost they' have evidently been made on tile side of caution, for the engineer lias allowed liimself a margin of £30,000 beyond wliat a. more sanguine estimate would liavo made them. As to the engineering difficulties the report speaks lightly, and, wo think, justifiably so, for moro reasons than one. In the first place the site sole:,ted enjoy's the peculiar advantage over other places where similar experiments have been tiied of having a foundation of bare 1 apa rock instead of a thick bed of drifting shingle as at Oamaru, Tim■xiu, and Napier, and of loose drift sand as at New Plymouth. This gives the inestimable advantage of a solid foundation, and minimises the possibility ol subsidence during rr after construction to quite a negligible point, and leaves us to contend with tlio one and only difficulty that can possibly present itself, viz., the wave action in times of storm. But even this is not nearly so great as lias boon experienced at all the places mentioned where tlio works have been subjected to the buffeting of tlie waves from quite one-third cf the points of the compass, while bore we have to contend with one point only, and that of rarely serious proportions. Experience of those other places too has taught sonic wholesome and valuable lessons which wo are now recommended to profit by, for in each of those places the straightsided concrete wall lias been adopted except at the outer readies of the Tjmaru work where, in the open sea and without any protection from adjacent shore, tlie rubble sloping groyne lias not only proved its cheapness of construction over the monolith, but lias also established its almost perfect durability in tlie roughest seas. “Whereas ill every instance the concrete monolith lias suffered damage to a very considerable and expensive extent, tlie rubble structure, owing to its wider base and comparatively non-resisting slope, lias withstood the action of the waves without serious damage. In fact, no damage at ail lias been sustained at Tiniaru except at tlie unfinished portions in course of construction, and these only to a very far less degree than might liavo been except with a foundation of drifting shingle. Mr. Mareliant is therefore more than justified in jf commending the rubble construction <m. the score of cheapness and greater durability. Then as to the one difficulty with which we have to contend, it may' safely be said that, in comparison with Timaru where the- experiment lias been more than a pronounced success, for the one day of prevailing heavy weather that is experienced here tlioy have ten there, for the reason that we are confined to one direction from which heavy seas come while they have several, and yet they -have triumphed. At present wo do' not propose to enter into the financial aspect of tlie question because that one will afford ample scope for separate and special treatment at a future time, and we have not yet arrived at the point that is most opportune to discuss jt. That can best be done when the Har-

bor Board Ims formulated its proposals on the basis of tho engineer’s report and placed thorn before tho ratepayers for discussion. Meantime) tho fairest thing to do is to preserve an opon mind on the question ponding tho fullest information obtainable; hut while this information is being collated the Board need not stand still or hesitate to adopt"- the report and sot the legislative machinery moving with a view, to placing tho definite question bolero the ratepayers for final decision. The recent poll of the ratepayers is almost mandatory in this direction, and the elective members of the Board can certainly not disregard it, nor do wo think they have any desire to do so; but there are unfortunately upon tho Boai;d three members who may -1 they choose flout tho mandate of the ratepayers because they are nominees of the Government. What mend right the Government has to claim tiie privilege of nominating even one member, seeing that the colony does not contribute a penny, town ids the upkeep or construction of the ha"Lor, we fail to see. Indeed the Government instead, of assisting the harbor (inner or outerl has commandeered the Bonid’s funds and leit the Board to “paddle its own canoe” under a most undemocratic constitution, so that one of the first necessary steps is to have that constitution altered by making all the members elective by the ratepayers, or practically so, for wc see no reason to regard tlie seats bold by the Mayor and Chairman of the County Council as other than elective ones. The only thing that can justify nomination by the Government is the payment by the Treasury of some adequate sum towards the progress. of tho work, and- .-that has never been granted unless we consider that there should be threo members appointed to look after tho Government’s interests in the reserves, which is a very extreme and somewhat ludicrous view of tho matter. We would tliere- , fore suggest that the Board in putting through the necessary legislation to onablo a poll for the adoption of a loan to be taken, should also include in the Bill provision for the better constitution of the Board itself. If then those three members can gain election on tlieir piesent views there can be no objection ; but at present they have no moral right, whatever tlieir legal status may bo, to dictate to the ratepayers ono way or tho other what they shall do with their own property, for that is exactly what tho position amounts to. AVo find no fault with those gentlemen personally; but tlieir position on tlie Board is an anomalous one, ’ and we hope they will recognise that fact when it comes to opposing the. expressed mandate of the ra tepaye. s, for in that light alone can the recent poll be regarded