THE OUTER HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2326, 20 October 1908, Page 3

THE OUTER HARBOR.

RIVAL SCHEMES DISCUSSED.

REPORTS REFERRED TO FINANCE COMMITTEE. - -

The Gisborne Harbor Board yesterday sat to discuss the various reports upon the construction of an, outer harbor. .

The following letter was- received from Mr. Leslie Reynolds: "On perusing Mi\ Alarchant’s dot-' ter to the Board, dated September 12, in which. ho replies to my report, and offers, a defence of his own scheme, I cannot help taking note of somo of the statements contained therein, which I think it my duty to refer to. In the first place Mr. Marehant states that for, roughly speaking, £331,000, he can give your district a'harbor Avhich Avill be sufficient for 100 years to come, given necessary extensions of Avharfago ,etc., as the expansion of trade requires them. Looking at Mr.- Alarchant’s plan' in conjunction- Avith his report, one is immediately struck by the extent of harbor area Avhich has a depth of only 24ft. True, Mr. Marchant’s scheme has an area of 77 acres of depth from 24ft up 44ft, hut of this, the greater part lias a depth well within the mean of these depths, and this depth, according to Air. Alarchant, is amply sufficient for 100 years to come, which assertion 1 tiling caiinot be taken . seriously, when one reflects on the full-loaded draughts required by the boats at presont trading to the colony, which are as follows: 30ft to 31ft White Star Line, 30ft Tyser Line, and 27ft New Zealand Shipping Company. Furthermore, recent advances in ship building point to the fact that in a few years’ time these draughts Avill be materially increased. Again, in the depth allowed by Air. Alarchant, no account is taken of s-cond or Avavo undulation;, Avhich in rough -weather will naturally decrease the navigable depth of the harbor. Some 20 odd years ago, my late chief, Sir John Goode, outlined a harbor for Gisborne to suit the then existing conditions,but neither he nor anyone else foresaw the mammoth proportions of the present ships, and your Board should not look forward to the prospect .of Mr. Marchant’s harbor as suitable for 100 years as his letter maintains, but consider what draught' vessels may demand within-the next 10 or 20 years. In regard t<> Air. Alarcihant’s deduction as to the cost of the Avork as estimated by him, I can only say that if he s'lioavs methods and means of carrying out the work at his estimate he will have achieved the greatest feat in marine engineering works iii this Dominion. This country has already had isevere lessons through under-estimating of the cost of harbor Avorks. It is neither to your district’s interests nor to my own to take a pessimistic, view of matters, but I prefer to again advise you in terms of my report, that unless your Board is prepared to undertake such work at the present juncture, tlio question of constructing an outer harbor on tho basis of any report should be deferred until such time as the settlement of the district will admit of such Avorks being undertaken, bearing in mind that in the construction 1 of an outer harbor for Gisborne, no half measures will satisfy the legitimate demands Avhich your Board and the public may expect. In alii. due deference to Mr. Alarchant’s opinion -I shall be pleased if this letter appears before the ratepayers o-f Gisborne prior to the undertaking of any outer harbor scheme.” Air. Lysnar asked if the Overseer had inspected the Waihirero quarry. The Overseer said ho had, but bad noc prepared a report. He believed the quarry would supply suitable stone for the outer harbor, and that tile quarry could be worked cheaply. Mr. Whinray suggested that a cube of Waihirero stone should he obtained so that it could be weighed and tested a-s to hardness and density. Mr. Clark: We should have the quarry opened and some of the rock blasted out.

■Mr. Harris: All the reports are favorable to the subtle.

Mr. Lysnar: If Mr, AVhinray’s suggestion is adopted it can do no harm.

Mr. Clark: Was not -the Overseer instructed to put- a blast into the rock ? The Chairman : The Board does not own the quarry and has no authority to blast rock there. The question is which report are we going to consider ? Are we going to discuss the finances of the Board? We have had a lot of figures put before us. Mr. Lysnar: How can wo consider the finance before we decide upon a scheme ? • Mr. Matthewson: To put something before the meeting I move that Mr. "Merchant's scheme be approved of. His scheme will supply harbor accommodation sufficient for 100 years to come. Air. Marchant’s plans have been approved of by eminent engineers, and his scheme will give enough harbor room for Gisborne for many generations to come. I believe we can get a complete outer harbor for £350,000, and at the same time we can assure the ratepayers that no additional burden will be placed -upon them. Mr. Leslie Reynolds’ scheme is far too expensive for the district to hear. Lor those reasons Mr. Marchnnt’s scheme should be selected.

Air. Hepburn seconded the motion. Mr. Reynolds’ scheme -was too expensive, he said, and ho did hot think the ratepayers would ever adopt the proposal. : _ •Air. Lysnar: I thought some of the members that are ..against an outer ilnrbor would say something. Captain Tucker : AVe are waiting to hear what you have to say. Air. Lysngr: AVell, I will wait until other members have.spoken. Mr, Clark: Air. Marchant’s harbor is only a commercial harbor, and would only be used in good weather. Can the people afford to pay the price for a good weather harbor ? ‘ Air. Hepburn: Once a vessel gets inside a breakwater it is fairly safe. The Chairman : Vessels can get inside the breakwater at Napier, and are often glad to get out again. Air. Clark : The Board- should go in for a harbor that will be useful, at all times.

Mr. Lysnar: A harbor that will be still more costly ' than a' commercial harbor. I am very pleased that Mr. Clark’s only objection is that the harbor should be one of refuge. Miv Clark : You are, twisting my words. ’ * V;--' '

Air. Lysnar (continuing): •. I think tb"e prudence of getting a harbor is recognised/ - Mr. ' Reynold?’ scheme would cost £200,000 more than, Air,

Marchant’s, and would only proA'ide 5 feet more of Avater. The depth of the Wellington harbor was only 31 feet, Avlu'lo Air. Alarchant’s scheme gaA'e a depth of over 40 feet, and would serve for many years to come. I think that if a harbor of refuge is needed :ib is a false charity. What Gisborne needs is a commercial harbor. The depth is satisfactory, and the cost is. Letter than the depth. Any one voting-for the proposal need not have any loar that avo would borroAv the total .amount in one year on the local money market. The loan can be raised on the London market in yearly instalments. I think this question has hung fire long enough, and if members liaAm not made up their minds on the question the position is hopeless. The Board should go for the economical scheme -is being sufficient for many years to come. The overseer’s report showed that file metal for the Avork could be obtained at a- price' well Avitliin Air. Alarchant’s estimate, and tho harbor could be built Avithout any extra rates. I chink Air. Alarchant’s scheme should be placed before the ratepayers. We are not tied to the Waihirere stone. There is a big quarry on Air. Clark's property, and 1 am quite sure that Air. Clark, Avith his usual philanthropy, will not stand in the Avay of good stone being obtained. Captain Tucker: What is the hurry for the noli?

Alik Lysnar: The /election of the Board takes place in February, and I want to redeem my election promises. The poll can be taken on the day of the Board’s election.

Air. SicA'Avright: AVhat docs the motion that Air. Alarchant’s scheme bo approved' mean ? , Air. Lysnar: That it be placed before the ratepayers. The Chairman: Oh, No! No! Air. SeiA'wright: I am not prepared to approve of such an expense being placed upon the district at the present, and, further, tho harbor will not be efficient if it- is not a harbor of refuge. Captain Tuclccr thought tho Board should not be hasty in taking up any position by adopting any one plan. Mr. Leslie Reynold’s report showed that .the doubt Avas greater than eA'cr as to Avhether the harbor Avoukl be a success. Further, tho harbor recommended AA'as only a commercial harbor, and not a harbor of refuge. The GoA'ernment had given the Board the TauAvhareparao endowment under the impression that the reA’cnue Avould be used to maintain a harbor of refuge. It Avas A'ery doubtful if the larger ocean-going steamers Avould use the outer harbor, and the small steamers ivould still use the fiver.

Air. Lysnar: AYe will charge the steamers Ausiting the port Avhether they use the harbor or not.

Captain Tucker (continuing): Wliat is the district going to get for the expenditure? Will the avool _or butter become more A r aluable, or the land more fertile? I don’t think they Avil 1. Then, without a harbor of refuge, a vessel would still hai’e to cast off from the. harbor in rough weather, and it i'cry seldom happens that A-essels have to pass the port Avithout an outer harbor. The Board should be guided by the experience in the past, and should look closely into the merits of both Air. Alarchant’s and Air. Reynolds’ schemes.

Air. Harris supported the motion, and said the outer harbor had been Avanted for years, as the prosperity of the district depended upon the shipping facilities. Every member of the Board has pledged his A\ r ord to the outer harbor. Captain Tucker: Not me.

The Chairman: I am not pledged. Air. Lysnar: Did you not gh’c your pledge at your election, Air. Chairman? The Chairman : Never!

Air. Harris: -I- cannot see Avliy the scheme should_be dropped. Why not let the scheme be put before the ratepayers once and for all.

Air. Whinray said lie felt some hesitation in adopting either plan. lie had stated he was in favor of an outer harbor, but he wanted to see the ground clear before lie voted for any scheme. The cost of upkeep to the Board would be considerable, and the question was whether the increase of trade would warrant the expense. The Chairman moved an amendment that the report be referred to the Finance Committee, .to show the position the Board-'wcmld lie in if the report were adopted. Alik Alarcliant’s letter showed that the harbor was hot one of refuge, hut was only for commercial nurposcs. To pass a resolution adopting the scheme in the face of that- statement, would place the Board in an. absurd position. The trade of the port was less than Napier and Tima in, and it was absurd to say steamers could be charged the same rates at Gisborne as at- other ports. “AVe have a. bill for £272 for Air. Leslie Reynolds’ report, and it has never been considered. Can money he thrown away like this? AVe have not the information we require, and we have not done justice to Mr. Reynolds. I am not going to vote under,any throat of being turned out of the Board. lam going to do what I think best for the district and the people. Mr. Reynolds’ site is far more sheltered than Air. Alarchant’s, and that fact will have to l be considered.” Air. Siovwright seconded the' amendment/ Air Lysnar : The report lias already been referred to the Finance Committee. This is only playing' Avith the thing. It is only delaying this "important question. The Chairman: Not so important as you think. A good deal of cross-table discussion took place as Air. Lysnar Avas speaking, and the Chairman called for order. Air. Lysnar: For Avhat reason is the report to be referred back? The Chairman : Because your figures are Avrong, as I have already told you. - / Air. Lysnar: AVhy. should av© delay the position? The Chairman: To loioav Avhere avc are, and I challenge you, that if you say your figures are correct, to refer them to the Board’s auditor and shoAv they are not incorrect. Mr. Lysnar: I can add 2 and 2 together jat any rate. That is all that is necessary to shoAv the truth-of the figures. , Air. Matthewson : No harbor in. the world is safe at all times. Wellington. has only a commercial harbor, and it is time some proposal Avas placed before the ratepayers. I am confident that Air. Reynolds’ scheme w'ould bo rejected aiul Mr. Alarfihant’a adopted, - . . ;

) The amendment* was carried, Alessrs Clark, Tucker, SievAvriglvt, Wliinray and tho Chairman A'oting- for it, and Alessrs Lysnar, Hepburn, Harris, and Alattheivson for the motion. Tb'6 Chairman- said the report Avould be ready by Alonday next.