The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1916.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 4275, 26 June 1916, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1916.

Sitico wo last wrote on the liarbor silting problem —a week ago today—Mr. W. I). Lysnar has published a very interesting letter on the subject from his point of view, that of an uncompromising opponent of the extension of the inner harbor and an ardent advocate of the construction of an outer harbor for this port. Me are sorry, however, that condemnation of the inner harbor will not put

matters right, tor, it it would, our esteemed correspondent would havo proved very useful, seeing that ho ,ha<l a groat deal to say that was anything but flattering to the river harbor scheme. This is, it is clear, a time for work rather than for words. It is really not our intention on this particular occasion to discuss again with Mr. Lysnar the pros and cons of the rival harbor proposals.- But

this wo will say: It is patent that t-lie number of outcr-harboritcs will rapidly grow if the Board continues to neglect to pay attention to the cause of the silt nuisance. We do not overlook the point that the most important matter that the Board can at this juncture concern itself with is the question of clearing the inner liarboi of its piles upon piles of silt as speedily as possible. Yet nobody would be

right is saying that it would be a reasonable state of affairs ii the Board made that particular fact an excuse l’or further dilly-dallying in the matter of considering means of coping with the silt problem. In oui opinion, these important matters should, as far as possible, be dealt with together. Mr. Lysnar, we think, raises an indisputable point when ho remarks “that the silt question is a growing one, for, as the stumps and

roots of the old husli country at the hack become decayed and wasted, 11 incrcases the facilities for silting- ft is, however, not possible to agree with his further contention that by increasing the depth and the width of the inner basin and the channel the authorities are simply affording greater opportunities for the deposit ol silt within the river' harbor. e prefer to believe that other factors—as. for example, -the conditions which arose during the recent flood on actcount of the circumstance that the deluge was steady and prolonged instead of very severe and of shortduration, as is customary—tend most of all to excessive silting. But the main question, after all, is what steps are necessary to prevent huge quantities of silt finding their way- int-o the. inner harbor in future. “ft is cheaper to put a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” And so with the river harbor. ft is certain that it will prove less costly to prevent the periodical silting of the inner harbor than to remove at frequent intervals such huge quantities of silt as were deposited in the river harbor as a sequel to the recent floods. When we were touching on the sdt problem in an article last week we suggested that the Board should consider the advisableness (1) of encouraging settlers along in particular the Waimata liver to carry on reafforestation work in the vicinity of its banks, and (2) of locking either or both the AY aimata and 1 1 io Taruheru rivers. On his part Air. Lysnar, we find, says that any reafforestation scheme is hopeless in view of the instability of the billy lands that would need to be planted. Mr. Lysnar is, however, not opposed to the proposal that the two rivers should be locked. We cannot go so far ns Mr. Lysnar suggests wo should do—oppose any further capital expenditure on the river harbor on any account. A\ o prefer to bold .that the moneys being expended on the inner harbor under the current scheme can be made fully reproductive if the Board will find am! act upon a suitable scheme having as its object the prevention of largo deposits of silt. Tlie two proposals we have put forth would, if they could be carried into practice, do much, we believe, in the way of combatting the silt nuisance, it, may be the ease, however, that the Board might be prepared to go a great deal further and prosecute another scheme which would probably be much- more costly but which would provide an effective remedy of the silt nuisance in so far as the Waimata river at any rate is concerned. We refer to a proposal which has been made from time to time that- the Waimata river should be deviated at a point above where it ceases to bo tidal. The inner harbor could, we think, be made a permanent boon—and we believe that some day this district will also have a fine outer harbor—if, on the one hand, the deviation of the Waimata. river could be carried out, and if, on the other hand, the Waipaoa river were straightened, embanked and deepened as might be found necessary. It seems to us that the Board should instruct its engin-eer-secretary to prepare estimates of the cost of deviating tlie Waimata river and show the amount along with a reasonable sum to be paid the River Board as a contribution towards the cost of improving the Waipaoa river. Maybe the annual interest on the aggregate might be much less than the total cost of cleaning up the harbor, etc., as a sequel to this year’s flood. What must be aimed at is a silt prevention scheme—no matter what may be the form so long as it bo not- overcostly—that' will be of a permanent character and give immediate beneficial rosults.

The Plight of the Inner Harbor.