The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1906. A WAR OF EXPERTS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2328, 22 October 1908, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1906. A WAR OF EXPERTS.

There are many indications that Gisborne is suffering just now from an epidemic of experts. There are many projects which have been mooted for a considerable period which, if carried into effect, would undoubtedly givo the town and district a tremendous impetus. 'Our, chief needs are easily named. They aro an outer harbor, good roads, and a drainage system. In'the aggregate they represent a largo ..outlay of money how much it js impossible to say, for, despite all the information that has been gathered, and despite all the estimates obtained, no ono can give even an approximate forecast of the cost. Not until the hills como in will the ratepayers begin to realise hoW ■much tbey must pay for the advantages secured by the projects referred to. But even allowing for a very heavy annual expenditure it is probable the community would bo prepared to make the plunge and take the risk of what the subsequent bill might total, if it had reasonable assurance thaUtho' money was being expended in the best possible manner, and would really achieve successful ■results. It is just here that the export .gets his finger in the pie, and in lending the aid of .bis valuable ad-

vice, “for a consideration” of course, he succeeds in confusing the issue in such a way that the average citizen is thoroughly mystified. Thus on the harbor, project we had the opinion of Mr Marcliant, which was to the effect that" an efficient harbor could be obtained for an expenditure of. £350,000. This sounded very promising until another “expert” opinion arrived. That of Messrs Goode, Son and Matthews said, in effect, that Mr Merchant's was a very good scheme, though it could be improved if the site were shifted a trifle, but that it could never bo constructed foi the money. In other words, the Now Zealand engineer was, according to the English experts, a matter of £60,000 out in his estimates. Next came the invitation to Mr Leslie Reynolds, whose dictum is that the £.300,000 proposed to be spent upon Mr Marchant’s scheme would hi? to all intents and purposes wasted, and if the good folks of Gisborne want a harbor that is really to be a harbor and will not be out of date before it is completed, they must accept a plan suggested by himself and be prepared to pay £570,000. The 'latest phase relates to recriminations of a polite but forcible character between 'Messrs Marchant and Reynolds, and meanwhile the average man in the street wears a puzzled look when anyone asks his opinion upon har-bor-matters. It may be confidently asserted that by obtaining the assistance (?) of another couple of experts the vexed question of an outer harbor will be effectually settled for the next fifty years. It is much the same with drainage proposals ail'd last Monday night’s meeting of the Borough Council appears to have been devoted to a~ discussion as to which of two. engineers, Messrs Mestayer and Jickell, could be relied upon with greater confidence. The latest suggestion, to employ another expert to report upon the reports of these two experts, seems just as likely to add fresh complications, as it is to give enlightenment. Then again on the inner harbor question wo have Mr Leslie Reynolds' advocating the flushing of the channel by means of a dam system, and on tho other hand i wo have Mr -Napier Bell’s opinion that such a scheme would be forei doomed to failure. What wonder if I the ratepayers exclaim in dis'gust: j “A plague on both your houses, we’ll ! have no more of your experts,” but unfortunately they are powerless to adopt this course, that is if they desire to carry any of the works into effect. They are at of the gentlemen with the numerous initials succeeding their names, and sooner or later will have to accept the advice of one export in defiance, of the solemn warnings of the others. When that fatal step is taken we can only hopo results will prove the wisdom or luck of their selection.