THE OUTER HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2203, 29 May 1908, Page 2

THE OUTER HARBOR.

GISBORNE VERSUS TIMARU

A STATEMENT DENIED. At a recent meeting of tlio Gisborne Harbor Board a letter was received from Captain Evans, Marine Superintendent of tbe Shaw, Savill Company, stating that if tho construction of harbor works here was contingent on ocean steamers going to tho wharf, ho was afraid ho could not express a favorable opinion. ' . It has also tieen stated :n Gisborne that tho sarno Company lias decided that their steamers shall not in future visit Timaru. \ “Timaru Post” reporter recently called upon Mr. Archer, the Timaru representative of the tehaw, oavnl and Albion Company, for an authoritative pronouncement on tlio statement, and that gentleman said .hero . was absolutely no foundation for the statement. He exjil.iined that the harbor at Gisborne is formed by two walls running out from the foreshore, and into the enclosed spaco tho river discharges. The tides exercise a groat effect on the protected area, and tho Harbor Board now proposes to construct a wharf running out diagonally from one of these walls. A essels will bo moored there and cargo conveyed between shore and ship by means of barges, the towing of which between the two points taking probably kali-an-hour. At present, steamers of the Union Company’s fleet are moored within the walls,-but they drew only 15ft, while the draught of those of the Shaw, Savill and Albion lino ranges from 20 to 30ft.,. ■■ Air. Archer went on to say that Jio did not wish to set Gisborne against Timaru, by comparing their advantages or disadvantages, but lie could give an absolute denial to the statemeat that his company had decided not to send their steamers to Timaru. He thought the paragraph might refer only to, the White Star liners, but it did not- apply in their case either. These vessels were very expensive to move and consequently it was always the aim of the Company to fill them up at as few ports as possible, r Ibis would explain the comparative inf re-* quency oi visits by thes© ste-iroeis to Timaru, but he assured the reporter that whenever necessary they would be directed to call at that port. In reply to a question that a suggestion had been made that tjie cargoes offering did not warrant the vessels calling at Timaru, Mr. Archer said that was not so. His company regarded Timaru as third in the ranks of the exporting ports (not of tho importing ports), and was surpassed in the volume of its business by AA rellington and Lyttelton only-