The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1918.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4767, 15 January 1918, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1918.

We publish in this issue a rough sketch of Mr. Reynolds’ skeleton outline i of his pi'oposals for a silt-free harbor. The plan was laid before members of the Board yesterday, but was not open for discussion. Mr. Reynolds, it will be observed, has not in any way deviated from the hints that he has thrown out from time to time as to his ideas on this very important matter. Those residents—between forty and fifty in number—who lately submitted plans to the Board will, in particular, be greatly interested in Mr. Reynolds’ proposals. Mr? G. Lysnar, for example, will not fail to note that his suggestion to divert the river behind the groyne has been adopted in tin plan. On his part Mr. Bloore especially will have the satisfaction c f knowing that the engineer is able to agree with him on the question of utilising that portion of the harbor which lies eastward of the breakwater in any outer harbor scheme. Mr. Greig, again, will be pleased to see that his proposal to dig out reclaimed area on tlio Kaiti s : de of the river for harbor purposes is re- ! vived in Mr. Reynolds’ project. The sketch drawn by Mr. Reynolds (as. we have already indicated) does not, of course, profess to be replete with the whole of the details of his scheme. It is. for instance, quite apparent that, if proceeded with, it would, in time,

Mr. Reynolds’ New Harbor Scheme.

also embrace wharves to the westward of the groyne and to the eastward of the breakwater. Under the scheme, however, the use of practically the .whole of the existing wharves would be lost. As far as the deviation of the river is concerned /It will be seen that it would mean that No. 1 shed, the cattle wharf, and the slip would have to be removed, whilst a new site would also have to be found for the railway engine sheds. ~\Ve suppose that the first , thing that will impress itself upon the ratepayers is that Mr. Reynolds’ scheme would, in all, amount to a very big and a very expensive undertaking. It will, no doubt,

have to stand a great deal, of criticism on the score as to whether it is really worth while. Perhaps it might be better to withhold, detailed ciiticism* until something is known as to the probable cost of any such undertaking. Mr. Reynolds has, as yet, not had sufficient time within which to prepare any estimates. The whole matter yvill, in the' long run, resolve itself into one of £.s.d. Until a great deal of money had been expended on

the scheme the new harbor, it seems to us, would not giye better results than were obtained when the present harbor was. at its best. Indeed we have no'., hesitation in .offering tlie opinion that, if the present harbor could be rendered immune from attack by the silt menace for a reasonable expenditure, and. were brought

bade to the ' high state of efficiency j which once was its happy Jot, it would proice a mucli more profitable proposition than the scheme which we are now considering. After all there is a limit to the expenditure

that can be justifiably incurred by any district. As far as this district is concerned there is no evidence which would go to show that it must have a big and expensive harbor in the immediate future. All that is reasonably required from the point of view of passengers is provision for ferry steamers such as the Takapuna and the Arahura to come up the river and berth at the town wharves at any state of the tide. If-that again became possible we should once again see the big coal and cargo boats which a year or two back came up the river at their old very handy berthages. The Home boats have always been content to load out in the roadstead, their main requirement being mainly promptness in the matter of the lightering which was always highly satisfactory, prior to the present trouble which has' on occasion led to some inconvenience. It must not be taken for granted that if a big outer harbor were built the Home tramps would use it. Nor should it- be reckoned that the intercolonial boats will always make Gisborne a port of call, for the companies may prefer later on to carry Gisborne passengers only by ferry boats—a probability that has long been hinted at.' As it is at present, however, the inner harbor is a very poor specimen of a port, and such it will remain until the silt menace has been wiped out. It seems to us, as we remarked in yesterday’s issue, that it may, after all, prove a much cheaper solution of the silt difficulty to go with the much debated Haiti Ganal scheme. Mr. Reynolds, it should be stressed, has not definitely ‘'turned down” that proposal. In due course the ratepayers will have presented to them full estimates in regard both to Mr. Reynolds’ proposed harbor and Mr. Blake’s canal scheme. It will then be for the ratepayers to decide which would tie best from the point of view of their pockets and the advantages which are offered. The day may, indeed, come round when, if the canal scheme is decided upon as being the best proposition, the now much maligned inner harbor will not merely be restored to its former fame but will reach a point of development far in excess of the dreams even of its strongest supporters.