DRY DOCKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1121, 18 June 1867, Page 5

DRY DOCKS.

To the Editor of the XF.w Zealand Herald. Sik,—lt is quite a mistake to set down the cost of graving docks as unlimited. It is quite true that some' first-class docks have cost irom £'200.000 to £300,000 in their construction, but the difficulties and obstructions have been in such eases exceptional. In my opinion, from £50,000 to £60,000 would construct a dock in Auckland sufficient for all the purposes required by the commercial navy, though not perhaps by the Imperial navy ; but to obtain tlio £20,000 loan we should have to go to five times that amount of extra expense, and therefore wo should pay dearly for the loan. Now, sir, as to the cost of docks. Who has not heard of the Malta Dock, in the tideless Mediterranean, one of the finest docks in the world ? The cost of that dock was £90,000. Then, again, in Sydney we have the Fitzroy Dock, upwards of 400 feet in length, with a width at entrance of CO feet, and Mort's Dock, Water-view, about 400 feet long, and 72 feet in width, at entrance, have both been completed. I cannot say what was their cost, but I know it was not extravagant, at any rate it might be ascertained, and also the particular circumstances under which they were constructed. We have also to take into consideration another feature in the ease by which the cost of construction might be greatly lessened, and that is the utilisation of our prison labour. This is a subject, sir, which you have well ventilated, and which must even now, at the eleventh hour, receive due attention—and useful as the labor of these men might be iu opening up bush roads, they might -just as profitably and at less expense, be employed in performing a large portion of the labour required in such a worTc.— Yours, &e., Auckland, June 17. C.E.

To the Editor of the Isew Zk aland Hebald Sir, —Noticing your coinspondent'a letter on Saturday, and ihe replj- tlureto in to-day's Cross, I cannot help noticing the difference of opinion, and consequently the amount of damage the same might do to the province, unless it were properly sifted. Having known Captain Wing a number of years, and respected him as a pil< t, I would really like to see if he can now clear himself of the charge laid against him by Captain Croft or not. There has certainly been great mistakes connected with tho Manukau Bar —the Orpheus, to wit—but how haß it occurred ? In 1857 I, at Captain Wing's request, sounded the channel on the Bar..and found the same to be considerably out of Drury's directions. I made the report to Captain Wing, and I would like to know if such report was attended to. —I am, <src., John Buit, Master of the schooner Henry in 1857.