THE HARBOUR RECLAMATION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 282, 14 November 1923, Page 4

THE HARBOUR RECLAMATION.

In the interests of the development of Napier’s harbour scheme, which '• means so much to the whole provincial district, it is matter for sincere regret that anything like serious personal friction should arise between the chairman of the Harbour Board and the gentleman to whom has been committed the formulation and execution of the reclamation scheme connected with it. As has so often been urged in these columns, but as, we fear, is still not by any means fully understood, the conversion of the Board’s great water-swept or water-soaked estate into permanent dry land is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, of the factors in the ultimate success of the whole plan. From that land may eventually be drawn both the capital and revenue required for the construction and maintenance of the harbour itself, whose practic- ■ ability may be taken to be already well assured. No Harbour Board in the Domininon has anything like so ■ fine a potential endowment, and all reasonable considerations demand . that it should be put to its manifestly intended purpose as speedily, as effectively, and as economically , as possible. We confidently believe - that the task of designing and carrying through the work necessary for , effecting this purpose could have . been entrusted to no more generally , competent or better locally qualit' fled hands than those of Mr. George

Nelson, lie has made a- special study, in many eases by personal investigation on the spot, of like undertakings in many parts of the world, and no one can claim more intimate knowledge than his of the particular conditions affecting the job committed to him. On the other hand, Mr. Jull must be credited with having successfully led and fought a great fight for the scheme as a whole, and with having its fulfilment to the utmost sincerely at heart. It would therefore be a very great pity if these so capable men, whose capabilities really seem complementary to one another, cannot find it in them to act in cordial concert towards the one end so earnestly desired by both. The chairman is not unnaturally jealous of the prerogatives and functions of himself and the Board, while the engineer is equally jealous of his reputation, and so desirous to see that his project is made acceptable, in its entirety to those who have the last say as to its adoption and execution. But it surely cannot be that these natural instincts should necessarily come into conflict, nor can we read into the communications that have passed anything _ that should breed offence in practical business men. Very little of idividual tact and mutual concession should be needed in order to avoid the breach that has been threatened, and we sincerely trust that these will belt they have not alreadjy been—forthcoming and so enable this vital undertaking to proceed smoothly and without delay.