The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, MARCH 3, 1884.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3937, 3 March 1884, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, MARCH 3, 1884.

Sir John Coode's report on the Napier harbor works is dated July 1, 1880, and for the most part consists of a rrchauffage of Mr Weber's several reports to the Harbor Board. It commences by stating that he (Sir' John) "having duly considered the •facts and data contained in the. several documents transmitted (in accordance with tho memorandum which I framed when in the colony) for the purpose of enabling me to report on tho works I should recommend, in order to provide a suitable harbor for the port of Napier, and having, also examined tho plans and report of Mr J. McGregor, C.E., I have now tho honor to submit my report on the whole subject." The word " suitable " has been italicised by ourselves, as it is necessary to a right understanding of Sir John Coode's report to bear in mind what he means by a suitable harbor. He next refers to what he did and saw while ho was here, but it is noticeable that he carefully abstains from mentioning that he landed on a pouring wet day at about 10 o'clock in the morning, was taken into Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co.'s store, where he was accompanied by Mr Weber, and somo members of the Harbor Board, was then rushed off to the Grango estato to lunch at Colonel Whitmore's, hurried back to Napier, and rejoined the steamer early in the afternoon. But from his report it might be fairly thought that he had stayed several weeks here, as the following quotation will show :—"I personally examined the wholo length of the sea-beach and foreshore along the eastern front of the town of Napier, and thence around by the Bluff to the harbor, and the beaches and boulder banks on the northern side of the entrance. I also visited the mouth of the river Tuki Tuki, and the sea beach for somo distance to the north and south of it, my inspection of the sea frontage of this particular district being greatly facilitated by the courtesy of the. Hon. Colonel Whitmore, M.L.C., then Colonial Secretary." The result of all this marvellously close inspection was that he agrees with everything that had been asserted by Mr Weber. ". I may mention that, inasmuch as the Resident Engineer of the pier works, Mr Weber, presented a lucid report,'' &c, &c, " it is unnecessary that I should again go over this ground except in general terms." Again, " Mr Weber' states that the bar consists of river gravel intermixed with limestone boulders, and he correctly, adds that the gravel derives its origin fronv the Tuki TukC" &c.. ' Sir' John only received £1000 for his report, and we presume the amount was not sufficient, to make it worth his while to personally verify Mr Weber's statements. We know of another engineer who was not at all inclined to take what Mr Weber said upon trust, and a personal inspection, extending over some ' weeks, satisfied him, that Mi' Weber was not quite correct in attributing the travelling shingle to tho Tuki Tuki. But Sir John takes Mr Weber without a grain of salt. For instance, " I. carefully, investigated the conditions which govern the travel of the shingle, and concur in the views expressed by Mr Weber on this head," kc It is quite fair to suppose that he would not do otherwise. Except what Mr Weber told him, and had written, and subsequently supplied him with, he had nothing to go upon. Presuming, for argument's sake, that there is none like unto Sir%Tohn Coode for tlie planning- of harbor works, we would defy him to make himself thoroughly acquainted with the several conditions of a port in a visit of a few hours' duration. He would be bound to gather his information from sources that he might deem the best authority. We quite exonerate Sir John, and also Mr Culcheth, from any blame that certain persons would . attach to either of thorn for mistaking the conditions of the port and the requirements of tho district of which' Napier is the natural outlet. Sir John had no time to spare here, and he must naturally have been ' absolutely ignorant of the productive capabilities Of Hawke's Bay. He may havo thought, and most likely did, that this district would shortly bo connected by railway with Wellington, and that that town would be tho harbor for all this part of tbe North Island. With his English notions of railway communication, and with no acquaintance with the physical features of tbe country, ho would probably regard tho desire for a harbor at a small town like Napier as a ridiculous folly. However, he would reason, they fancy thoy want, a harbor, and they pay me £1000 for an opinion, and " here goes " to givo them one. On his flying visit here he. dropped across a gentleman in : charge of certain works who was only too anxious to obtain an expression of approval from so eminent an engineer, and who naturally advanced every, argument he could in favor of a scheme to which he was wedded. Without enlisting tho good will of Mr Weber, Sir John would have gone away as ; wise as he name. But, supposing at the. time of Sir John Coode's visit Mr Goodall's scheme was being carried out, and instead of Mr Weber to tho" fore; there was Mr Goodall, we venture to think Sir John's report would have been favorable to the breakwater, as it was under different circumstances to the Carruthers-cum-Weber's elongated ditch. With his English notions of the absurdity of having an artificial harbor at every "fishing village," S:r John Coodo thought that, "if -the requirements of navigation should at any time be such as to render the construction of a harbor of refuge somewhere on this part of the coast as a matter of necessity,, I should in that event give a decided preference to a site on the .shore at a short'distance; to the westward of Cape Kidnappers, or on the southern shore of Poyerty -Bay." He apprehended, however, " that the necessity for a harbor. hereabouts has not only not yet arisen,"but that it is.not' likely to arise for a long time to come, if at all." As a matter of fact he did not know enough of the colony to give him tho. right to express any such opinion. However, ho did not know any better, and that is-why we have never attached the slightostimportancc to his report. Wo noAv come to what he recommends should bo done; to give Napier a suitable harbor;; He divides the works he recommends, into three , groups, Ist, :" Works for the improvement of the entrance immediately required ; 2nd, : works for the further improvement of tho entrance to be undertaken as soon after the completion of the first instalment as may be considered expedient, having regard to.t the , outlay required, theron ; . 3rd, .prospective works for increasing tho internal accommodation and berthage of tho port.". These latter, he goes on to, say, "are not put forward evon for early execution, but as, ' affording tho lines upon -which additional ; facilities of this character, should be ; provided if the trade of the , jpeft should hereafter call -for such :

accommodation. The italics are our own. The first works "immediately required" are the extension of the eastern and western piers 400 feet in length, and the deepening of the entrance channel to 10 feet at'low water, at a cost of £41,243. In support of this recommendation he says, "During tho execution of the foregoing works the channel between the piers should be deepened for a width of 150 feet, so as to give 10 feet at low water, or 15 feet 6 inches at high water of spring tides, being the permanent navigable depth in the entrance which the pier extension and improved channel may be expected to afford." The italics are again our own, and are intended to show what Sir John Coode thought would be a suitable harbor for Napier. The second instalment of works is ..a.further, extension of the piers, another 400 feet, and more dredging to give 12 feet at low water, at. a cost of; £49,521. Thus, for an expenditure of £90,764, Sir John would .give us a channel to our mud. banks of 17 feet 6 inches in depth at high water, and 12 feet at low tide; and this miserable apology he designates a "suitable harbor!" In the name of the money lenders, suitable for what ? And it passes all understanding that an old resident like Mr Weber, who ought to know something of the rapidity of the growth of population, and commerce of young countries, is to be found fussing himself over proposals that were ohly designed to produce a makeshift.