THE OUTER HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2400, 15 January 1909, Page 5

THE OUTER HARBOR.

WAiIiIHERE STONE FOR THE BREAKWATER.

In vieAV of the renewed interest that is being displayed in the question of ail outer harbor, a small party

A’isited the Waihirere Vailley yesterday morning in order to see what steps would need -to he taken in the event of stone from the. Waihirere quarries being required for the breakwater. The party comprised .Messrs J. ToAvnley (chairman of the Harbor Board), I). A. McLeod (the Board’s overseer of works.), and George Grant (civil engineer). A careful inspection was made of the. whole -reserve, and Mr. Grant pointed out the boundaries of the allotments that have already been set aside for quarrying .purposes for tho Railway Department and also for the Borough Council. This leaves only the hill ou the left hand sido available for reservation for the use of the Harbor Board, the area on the right being already reserved right up to the falls.

.Mr. McLeod states that there is evidently ample stone suitable for breakwater .purposes in the portion still unreserved, although experimental boring would be necessary to prove the fact beyond question. 'At the same time be is inclined to think that unless material could be taken simultaneously from both sides of the hill there would p’obalfy be an additional cost in excavation and in trucking. Tins could' obviously only be arranged by an agreement made.* with the" Borough Council: but as the Council does not apparently attach much v-ailue to the metal there obtainable it is considered that there would not be much difficulty in coming to a ire-asonaljilo understanding. Ail l this has a vital bearing on the question of an outer harbor, for the construction of the breakwater i- the chief item of expense. In Air. Alarchant’s scheme it figures at £200.000, and in (Mr. Reynolds’ >it £-100,000. In this the principal cost is in bringing, the nibble to the breakwater site. For this Air. Alarchant allowed 3s per yard, but Air. Reynolds claimed that this amount was insufficient, and allowed 4s per yard. Many of the chief opponents of the outer harbor scheme base their objections on the allegation that the cost of the harbor will greatly exceed any estimate that has yet been given for its construction; and in regard to the supply of nibble 'for the breakwater allege either that the Waibirete stone would bo unsuitable, or tli-at the cost ot landing it in the harbor would be much .greater than Mr. M’h reliant estimated. Air. McLeod: .states very definitely that the rubble- obtainable at Waihirere is very suitable for the purpose intended, and he is also emphatic” that it can be supplied for harbor construction at not more than ds per yjird. Ho qualifies this statement by -saying that the cost would be somewhat increased if the stone could not bo quarried from the two hills on either side of the A\ ailurorc creek at the same time. Following out the visit made yesterday; it is probable that steps will be shortly taken by the 1:1 arbor Board to obtain as a qiunrry reserve that portion of IWaihirc.ro which; has not already been -earmarked.