OUTER HARBOR SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2201, 27 May 1908, Page 2

OUTER HARBOR SCHEME.

AN ALTERED POSITION. MB. A. F., MATTHEWS’ VIEWS. Tho election of a member of tho Gisborno Harbor Board do M iho vacancy caused by Mr. AV. _D. Lysnar’s election to the office of Mayor of Gisborne will take place to-morrow. As tho question of providing an outer harbor is prominent in the election, a ■“Times” reporter yesterday asked Mr. A. Fordo Matthews, who is a* member of the Cook County Council, to express his views upon: the positiou as it stands at present. “After a perusal oi Mr. Mareliant s report as it was published,” said My. Matt-hows, “I advocated the construction of an outer harbor, subject to tho opinion of other experts being obtained. These experts should, t think, have an opportunity offered them to study the winds and seas during three months of winter, say Juno, July, and August, so as to allow them to closely observe the effect of the wind and seas upon the proposed site. After having done this, they should bo asked to state whether Mr. Merchant's design would eliminate any possibility of the rango of tlio harbor against its accommodation of tho largest sea-going vessels, or whether there would bo any chance of similar disadvantages to those existing at Napier, where, it is well known, rough weather often prevents even the Union Steam Ship Companys boats from taking advantage of the wharfuig accommodation. In other words, if we cannot be assured of a harbor that will offer absolute safe mooring during the heaviest seas and gales, it would bo a waste of money to build a harbor at all, as we already have a fine weather anchorage. “Another phase of the question to bo considered is that of finance, and during the fast few months the position lias changed considerably, for tliere is a possibility 0 f a difficulty in raising the loan. First of all there is a general tightness in the money market, and there is a serious fall in the value of wool, and sheep are at a low price. These will all tend to stay the hands of settlers in affecting improvements, and as all our source of wealth is the land, this consequently decreases the demand for surplus sheep, and causes a falling-off in the consumption of produce and the employment of labor. It seems to me that although tho financial crisis in America has been a factor in the decline in the price of wool, tho increased supply of cotton has not been • without its effect upon the wool sales, for it is a well-known commerical fact that when the cotton is high or low in price tho value of wool fluctuates in sympathy. Opinions have been expressed that we can afford to he indifferent—rias regards finance for tho outor harbor —as to what prices aro obtainable for our staple products, as an increased revenue is expected from the Harbor Board’s endowment lands at Tauwhareparae, and any deficiency could be made up by increasing the harbor dues to the shipping companies. If the low price of wool continues for any length of time, it is doubtful if the endowment lands will yield the £10,500 per year as they are expected to do, and the shipping companies would be certain to resist any coercion. They could simply say, ‘we will make our ports of call, and you can ship your produce there.’ The East Coast settlers are already sending their wool to Napier to be shipped owing to the increased anchorage charges. “Then there is the question of suitable stone for the breakwater,” continued Mr. Matthews. “AA’itli other members of the County Council I visited the Wailiirere quarry last week, and from what I saw there I am of the opinion that the AVaihirere stone could only be used for the core of the breakwater, a 6 it is too easily disintegrated to offer any resistance to tlio action of the waves. The stone is of sedimentary formation, and is not very durable, for at the quarry where spawls have been exposed to the weather for twelve months, there is ample evidence that it cannot resist wind, 'and rain, and it will not stand against the waves. Knowing this, I think;a facing of more durable material might he found necessary.

“The ratepayers of the district — and there are a large number of ratepayers who consider an outer harbor essential —should make certain that when that harbor is constructed it will be a safe refuge for the largest steamers visiting the port in the worst of weather. It might, therefore, be a good tiling to again approach [Messrs Coode, Son, and Matthews and request them to send Sir William matthews to report from actual observations upon the possibility of constructing an outer harbor that will serve Gisborne for all time. Seeing that an expenditure of .nearly lialf-a-mil-lion of money is involved, a fee of £IO,OOO to such a marine engineer would be an insignificant amount for an assurance of the practicability or impracticability, whichever it might be, of constructing an outer i harbor which we all so much desire.”