The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3252, 24 June 1911, Page 6

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1911.

There would appear to be. no limit to the contentions which may be advanced in supjport of the revived proposal to establish a harbour at or near the entrance to the river. Quite apart from the question of the suitability Ojf the site from' the point of view oif navigation, there is, of course; also the important, matter as-to whether for a reasonable figure a sufficiently deep harbour could be obtained and maintained in the locality. As to the first-mentioned problem, it will have been noted that in some quarters it does not occasion much difficulty. Why it has even been suggested that the matter .should be regarded as settled, seeing that a number

The Harbour Problem.

—not all—of the shipping masters who have recently visited the port have expressed the opinion' that a sea harbour at the river entrance ought to be a success. For our own part we do not think that an important problem of this nature should be decided merely upon the advice of several shipping masters. Before the ratepayers would | allow themselves to be committed to such a heavy expenditure, they would of course Yequire to have the best available expert advice on this and all other matters surrounding such a huge project. From the same quarter, too, an interesting attempt is being made to minimise a difficulty as to the depth of water which will be obtained under one of the latest plans. “If it is found economically advantageous to provide •larger vessels for the transport of our frozen produce across the-ocean,” the public are naively informed, “it may happen that. huge steamers will be built outclassing tile lonics and Ruahines of to-day, and that these will call at one central port in the Dominion to which the whole of her lading will be carried in coastal steamers.” Now we take it that when the people of this district vote a big sum for the purpose they will want a first-rless deep sea harbour. They will surely be unwilling to expend a. large amount unless they know that in return they would get a harbour which eoilld be worked by the largest intercolonial tramps? Tf <-1 ir] not pay to send the tramps around the chief ports such a thing would not, of course, be done. The position, doubtless, is that if one company stopped making the rounds its place would quickly be taken by another. It is difficult to imagine, that it was expected that the -idea of a central exporting port would be taken seriously. Such a system would Lie killed by tlie heavy cost’"of transhipment alone. As “the depth o-f water in our harbours must govern the size of the tramps,” it would, of course l , not pay a company to send out huge vessels which could not be berthed at the leading ports. If evidence be required of the evil effects of centralisation of output, one has only to take the case of New South Wales. Why, for some months a Royal Commission in that State has just conducted inquiries with a view of ascertaining the best means of relieving the congestion in Sydney—-the State’s one great port with the sole exception of Newcastle, whose trade is practically all m coal. The Commission, it may be added, recommended the establishment of two new ports for oversea shipment, regarding them as the keys of the decentralisation problem. One of these proposed' ports is to serve the northern part of the State, and the other will do the same for the districts to the south. These are the outstanding recommendations made by the Commission, though as natural corollaries the report advises the construction of cross-country lines of railway to feed the new outlets and also the linking up.of the Now South Wales and Victorian systems at the

border, where there is an eleven mile gap to be bridged. The Commission was of opinion that wool, wheat, and live stock represented the greatest vo - time of traffic which had to be considered. The wool traffic centres m Sydney, whore the sales are held, and as long o« this system continues direct fi upmen from any other port could not, in tlie opinion of the Commissioners, be looked for to any extent. The live stock business is also practically centred m ney but say the commissioners, there is no doubt that the opening <if new ports, with provision for freezing and shipments, would not only decentralise but stimulate the frozen meat trade. In view of the harbour problem m Gisborne, it should also be of interest to mention the principles which guided the Commission in its search for the k quired outlets. They were as under “The harbour entrance should be as favourably situated as possible, "it i sufficient width and depth of water to admit of the largest oversea vessels navigating the port. There should aso be a sufficient area of still, and, if possible, protected, water to enable vesse s to be loaded and unloaded with reasonable despatch; and ample land for present and future requirements immediately surrounding and adjacent to the harbour, to admit of the laying out of railway lines and sidings, and the erection of buildings necessary for the trade of the port. The rtculd be so situated as to admit-of rail connection with the interior, which will promote the decentralisation of railway transit to the best advantage.” There are other aspects of the harbour matter to which we shall "take other and eailj opportunities to refer.