The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1921. The Harbor Board's Part.

Evening Star, Issue 17767, 15 September 1921, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1921.

The Harbor Board's Part.

“Man proposes, God disposes.’’ But man also can dispose o£

the most promising schemes when it suits its purpose, and it is

not the divinity who can be hold responsible for the frustration of the plan to relieve unemployment in Dunedin by preliminary work on the deviation of the Ravensbourne line. That scheme would have served a further object in the expediting of a project of the first importance to Dunedin and this province. The scheme is dead, for this time at all events. Hope, that has been so long deferred, must bo deferred again, but more explanation than has yet been given is duo to the public from the body that has killed it. The mayor and others have done their best to got this work put in hand, but the attitude of the Harbor Board in the matter wo find wholly unaccountable. The chairman of the board was almost eloquent in his insistence on the importance of this work when he asked the Railway Department, nearly three months ago, to do it. There were no reasons then why it should not provide quite the best means for relieving the unemployed. But reasons have grown plentiful ns blackberries, in the board’s view, einee that date. First the bogy was raised that it was unsuitable, or might he unsuitable, for unskilled labor, and a conference, called at the mayor’s instance, had to be adjourned ih order that that crucial question might be investigated. But the' objection which loomed so large at that conference seems to have been forgotten when the matter was. referred to the committees of the- board, and a report received from, its engineer which condemns the whole scheme, so far as w T e can gather, upon quite other grounds. The report was a “confidential” one—why, we are unable to imagine. One would think that,, even if the recent conferences have been merely of an informal nature, the subject which they had to consider was of sufficient importance to the whole community for the grounds on which their decisions were based to be made frankly public. But possibly the board could not have published this latest report without revealing its whole inconsistency in too strong a light. We are told that the report " showed conclusively that from the point of view of finance, as well as from other considerations, the proposition was not practicable.” It is further gathered that “ the nfain object of the board is to preserve as far as possible every area in which to put the spoil from the harbor,” and that the proposed work would not be a suitable one, “ mainly because it would interfere vitally ” with that policy. That i “ main objection ” could be waived when the deputation from local bodies waited on the Minister, and obviously there are many places in which spoil can bo dumped besides Pelichct Bay. The desire to keep a place at the main entrance to the city as long as possible as a dumping ground is not one with which the public can have any sympathy. Finance doubtless makes a real obstacle on the board’s part. It has had unexpected expenses in the last few months, but it was not proposed that more than preparatory work at Pelichet Bay should bo done at the present time. An appeal presumably will ho made to the public for funds, and there is hope of a Government subsidy on contributions. The chairmart of the board was expressing indignation not so long ago at- the suggestion that the board had tried to “spoke tho wheel of progress” in regard to this work. It woold seem- that it has spoked it very effectually. What the hoard was asked*to do was nothing new; as a matter of fact, two years before, on Juno 27,1919, the board passed a resolution that the following recommendations be adopted and given effect to : —“ (1) That the dredgings be pumped into Lake Logan to the level of Union street. (2) That the Leith Canal be connected up as soon as possible. (3) That the necessary reclamation for tho deviation of the railway line be started as soon as the Leith can bo deviated into the new channel, and provided Lake Logan has by that time been satisfactorily: reclaimed.” Yet the board admits now that it does not want tho work done, and could not do it even if it wanted to. Some other scheme must be found for relieving the unemployed, and the prospect is raised apparently of another generation passing ere the present unsightly approach to bur city from tho north is swept away. If tho board can make any defence of the consistency of its policy it should be mado for the public’s satisfaction.