THE NAPIER HARBOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9266, 28 April 1892, Page 4

THE NAPIER HARBOR.

Sir,— l have read several letters, also tho etutement made by the chairman of the Harbor Board, and also your leading articles on the above subject. Iv your leader of tho 26th instant you say (and riuhtly so) that iv the public interest it is necessary that such an important question ebould bj looked at from every possible aspect. And you invite publicity of opinions. S'r, I shall not go into details as to cost, or from " Engineer's " point of view, but be as brief ac possible. I may aay that it is my wish, and I think it is the wish of every settler in Hawke's Bay, that the breakwater may prove an absolute success. But at the same time, I hope the Hoard will be cautious, and take all necessary steps to convince the ratepayers and money-lenders that the couise they propose to adopt is a wise one, before another loan is put on the London market. I dimply put] the question— " What haa •made the beach between Clive aud Petaue ?" The nccumulajion of travelling flhingle from the rivers is the cause and ■effect, beyond doubt, I will ask, for information, " Has there ever been a harbor tuade ou a coast similar to ours, which is made up of travelling shingle, that has proved a success 1 " If co, I should like to know where. Sir, if I were a menibor ' tif the Board, the arguments I would pub forth, which are to my thinking the best for the town and country, aro as follows :— Complete the work as far as <he money in hand will admit, so that in ordinary weather the breakwater could be use! ; let the work staud a given number of years, the time to be decided cpon by observation ; the question could then be approximately proved whether the shingle will be the cause of the nonsuccess of the harbor, which a great many people think (professional and amateur) it will be. I should strongly advocate, beforo attempting another loan on the market, to take into consideration the estimation held by capitalists ou colonial investments, for lately there have been some very hard bits to investors In Australia on a lot of unsuccessful schemes. It must be fresh in the minds of the money lenders at Home of the circumstances of the Oamarn, Timaru, Gisborne, and New Plymouth harbors. The above should be a lesson to the Board to be cautious in the steps they are about taking, otherwise id will only be courting defeat. Ido contend that the success of the harbor should be thoroughly tested before attempting to float a loan of £200,000, and spending it iv the dark (if they get it). I say after the matter has been tested, and proved that the harbor would be a success, the Board can with confidence ask the ratepayers to give them authority to borrow to complete the work. Tho loan then could bo put on the market with every expectation of getting the money at a far lnwer rate of interest than cauld possibly be expected at the present time. I have written thU letter at the invitation contained in your leading article, and that without prejudice. I think every argument should be used for and against beforo committing ourselves to speud another £200,000. The amount is not much (if said quick).- 1 <uu, &c, G. Ellis. Hastings, April 27. .