The Press. MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1878.

Press, Volume XXIX, Issue 3893, 14 January 1878, Page 2

The Press. MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 1878.

That famous bone of contention, the Timaru breakwater, after being bandied about for so many years amongst rival theorists, has at last got into a worse position than ever. The thing was bad enough before, when Sir John Coode, by distinctly affirming that a solid wall starting from the shore would come to grief, seemed to force the people of Timaru to the alternative of either having no harbour or spending excessive sums of money. It might have been imagined that, after so clear an expression of opinion from undoubted authority, the people of Timaru would have resigned themselves to their fate, or at least have waited a few years until they could collect the necessary funds. But this patient course would not suit the fiery southern temperament. The Harbour Board, throwing over Sir John Coode, took counsel witsome would-be engineers in tlleh? own neighbourhood, and the result Of this is tho curious complication in which the whole matter now stands. The new advisers of the Board boldly confronted the difficulty dreaded by the English engineer and produced plans in which, with a noble hardihood, they proposed to defy the moving shingle by the erection of a solid mole straight ont from the shore. It is- scarcely to be wondered at that this somewhat staggered the Board, who, placed between the dicta of a recognised authority on one side and those of doubtfully capable men on the other, were forced to hesitate. They took refuge in. that new panacea for all griefs, a Royal Commission. The Commissioners, apparently grave practical men, !._-_ - _-.. —.__- _-._«__ _—___, evidence; their report was anxiously looked for; and opinions seem to have been a good deal divided as to the probable character of their decision. At last they published their judgment and behold, they decide dead against Sir John Coode and in favor of the local men! After many years of struggle, after the appearance of some indications that at least one very important element of _c problem was fairly defined, the whole question is again thrown into utter confusion, for the Royal Commissioners—themselves able scientific men—deny that there is any danger in the moving shingle at Timaru at all! ..Sir John Coode was wrong; Mr. Elliot was wrong;, everybody who has stood on the beach-and watched the continual travelling of the pebbles to the north has been .wrong. Everybody has been the victim of an optical delusion ; for the waves, it appears now, impinge_pn the shore at nothing less than a right angle. How blind people must have been not to have seen it before!

We notice that even the Timaru Herald cannot stand this. Whatever might have been previously the differences of opinion as to the merits of Sir John Coode's design, there seemed to be one thing certain, that the travelling shingle was the main obstacle to the construction of a pier at Timara. The eminent English engineer appears to have taken the greatest pains to make himself thoroughly sure of his ground in this respect, and the investigations of Mr. Elliot, who was sent out by him to examine the place, seemed to have left no room for doubt on the I matter. But a Royal Commission is, presumably, composed of men particularly well adapted for their work. It must be taken for granted that the Colonial Government, in appointing Messrs. Henderson and Heale, did so because they were in all respects fit to express an authoritative opinion: in fact, their authority must be considered as being of the first class. It may therefore be readily understood how great is the confusion imported into the whole question when these eminent men are found to be in direct contradiction to the -other eminent man who had previously reported on it. The Timaru Herald, which we take to reflect the popular view in this matter, shows how lamentable is the state of doubt and astonishment engendered. "We do not care now to examine in detail the Report of the Commissioners. There are several points in it upon which comment might be made; but in the face of tie statement to which, we have drawn attention, matters of detail are nothing. The Herald, we see, is driven to recommend another appeal to Sir John Coode. It is doubtful whether this would be of much use now. In the first place, the Harbour Board of their own free will deliberately threw his pious aside. In the second place, he could not say anything stronger or more definite than he has already said, and the Conunissioners have flatly contradicted him. Altogether, the position of the whole question is now extremely mournful. There was a time when we looked hopefully forward to a magnificent harbour at Umaru, destined perhaps to become the chief port of the South Seas. We confess to a feeling of deep regret that so fair a prospect has been clouded over; but the Eoyal Con__u__ion has undoubtedly done its best to bring tins about. There is yet a remedy possible. Let the .people of Timaru boldly decide on action, one way or another. Let them , expend their money iv a Breakwater of some sort, either in Sir John Coode's way <

or in the Commission*sra. way. In any case tbey will then get some satisfaction. They will settle the vexed question in some shape; they will either make a spoon or spoil a horn. The present state of affairs is pitiable.