Hawkes Bay Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1885. THE HARBOR RESERVE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7067, 20 January 1885, Page 2

Hawkes Bay Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1885. THE HARBOR RESERVE.

■I. — — f4 J Dueing the discussion of the plans for providing harbor accommddation for Hawke's Bay, the Timaru Harbor Board's ' reserve hafc been many times mentioned. _ Timaru itself has been spoken of as an exceptionally fortunate district in having a harbor reserve to boast of, but it should not be forgotten that, acre for acre of ) reserves, Hawke's Bay has a property vested in the Harbor Board that will one day be far more valuable than what Is possessed by our neighbors on the Ninetymile Beaoh. When the capabilities of Hawko's Bay as a province begin to be developed as they should be, the real estate vested in the Harbor Board, both in town and country, will constitute a very considerable source of revenue. The first step towards the development of the province is the harbor so badly needed, authority to construct which, it is hoped, will be given by a large majority of the ratepayers at the polling booths this day. To those who have not devoted much attention to the question of our harbor reserves, the figures to be quoted presently will come almost as a revelation. On the other hand, those well posted in harbor matters will find in ' the Bame statistical statement a wellgrounded source of hope in the future of the district, considered as intimately dependent upon the administration of harbor affairs. That portion of the Board's property which falls first under notice, from its nearness to the trading centre of the district, is the large area at Port Ahuriri known as the inner lagoon. This is at present in. anything but a condition that appeals favorably to the eye, its ninety acres of ebbing and flowing water not looking much like the site of future blocks of buildings and long lines of streets. But those who remember what Napier was like before the Bwamp was filled in, will readily admit that in the large extent of land at the Spit now covered with water the Board have a very valuable asset indeed, and one that can be realised at an early date if the prosecution of harbor facilities is not prevented by dodgery and self-interest. The area referred to would be required to be filled in to an average depth of nearly five feet, but a,little easy arithmetic will show that the operation of reclaiming would be very profitable. ; Ninety acres to be filled In to a depth of five feet would give a total of 720,000 cubic yards. This, at a cost of -one shilling, per yard (the Napier swamp cost;.' less, but we . will err -on the safe side), would amount to ,£36,300. Allowing that one-fourth of the land, reclaimed would be needed for streets (again an unnecessarily high estimate), the area remaining for occupation would ,be, |n round numbers, 68 aorea. This; would be worth, if not what the Napier swamp seotions now are valued at, at least as much as those seotions were originally sold for — an average of £950 per aore,'or a total of £64,600. Deduct- i ing from that the cost of the reclamation, the residuum of profit to the Board is ( ; £26,000. Or the transaction suggested ! . may/be Calculated upon a different basis. , Estimating the annual value of the re- ' . claimed bloqk at only one-twentieth of the 1 actual -value, the yearly income of the ' ' Boa^d ! frora this source would be £3230. The interest; on the cost of reclamation ] would be, at six per cent., £2178, afford- : ing an annual profit to the Board of £1050. e Those disposed to doubt the fact of the 1 seotions being all taken up if reclaimed, \ must not forget that our calculations are c based upon the assumption that the pro- \ , posed harbor works are proceeded with, c In that base: a railway to connect the site t : t|| IjreakWater with the Spit railway would be at once undertaken, t

that being part of Mr G-oodall's plan. This line Would run through the reserve, and it needs no optimist assertions to convince any reasonable person that land under those circumstances would be eagerly bought at prices equal to what the Napier swamp was sold for. As a matter of fact, the harbor proposals of the Board, when carried out, will convert the Spit from little better than a dreary waste into large and busy town. Those who oppose the breakwater proposals because of a mistaken opinion that the Spit would be injured, may see by a consideration of the foregoing figures that the very reverse would be the case. Were it not that the store of a prominent breakwater opponent is at Port Ahuriri, the theory of injury to the Spit would not boast more than one adherent — not even one, indeed, if common sense were allowed sway. We had intended to have referred at some longth to the Whare-o-maranui reserve, 1787 acres in area, but space will not allow of dealing with the question lengthily in this issue. Suffice it to say that the day is not far distant when every suburban or rural acre of this reserve will be good value for £50 or £60. The portion of the reserve on the fringe of the town, fronting the Wellesly-road, will be worth from £1000 to £2000 per acre, or even more, as when the town is driven to extend, the Board's reserve is the only available site for such extension.