Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1903. HARBOR MATTERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9646, 22 January 1903, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1903. HARBOR MATTERS.

The approaching Harbor Board elections afford an opportunity for the discussion of the affairs of the port that may be freely availed of. Whilst we do not believe in the Board and its officials being unduly lmrassed by untimely illconsidered - judgments of amateur engineers, criticism is at all times healthy, and we believe a- good effect would be produced by the public taking a more lively interest in the affaire of th© Board and endeavoring to secure in their representation thereon good practical business men. The past year has been a disappointing one in. many respects, but fair progress has been made. But for the many vexatious delays and breakdowns connected with the dredge John Townley, we might have hoped for greater results to have been accomplished. The port has been kept well open for lighterage purposes", and the number of blockages through silting up is steadily diminishing. The dredge has proved her capacity to keep the river clear, and to effect considerable improvement, and the task that must be steadily pursued for many years to come is to dig, dig, dig. It is only by incessant dredging and excavation that a good channel c«ux be maintained and the port made available to a larger class of vessel. The work that is now being done in straightening the channel is most necessary, and should be followed by the excavation of a swinging basin, for until that is obtained it is not likely that larger vessels than those that have visited the wharf hitherto will come intw the river. A hope was once expressed of getting the wool ships up to our wharf, but the day of the sailer is fast disappearing, and we doubt whether, after the experience of the. Gladys at this port this season, ships will be sent here for wool in future. Wool can now bu carried so expeditiously and cheaply by steamer that the old-time barques are being run out of the trude. It is, of course, out of the question to suppose that accommodation can be found within the narrow limits of our inner harbor for these steamers or even for the passenger steamers which call at the port, which, like the Home boats, are, in deference to the demands of increased trade and the comfort of travellers, gradually assuming larger dimensions. But there is no reason why good berthage should not be secured for the coastal cargo steamers and for coal and timber vessels of a larger class than liave hitherto come in. We hope some day to see a daily freight and passenger service instituted between Gisborne. aaid Napier, in conjunction with the intercolonial steamers, and it would be a great convenience: iJ it could be made from wharf to whad without transhipment by a boat, say, of the Omapere class. This reminds us that we were promised a visit from tliat steamer, by the end of the year, and though the conditions now would probably admit of her coming in at high water, she cannot be expected to regularly call until a swinging basin lias been provided. There is a great deal of dredging work yet to be done before the conditions of the port can be regarded as in any way satisfactory. Unfortunately, dredging is not all that is required. The sand drift from the westward has to be coped with, and unless something is done speedily we predict that there will be another serious blocking up of the mouth of the river. The Board has liad in view for a long time the extension of the western groyne. That is a work that must ultimately be . gone on with. Its permanent effect will be problematical unless something is done to stay the sand drift. The erosion extends for several miles along the beach, and if tlie sand trouble at the mouth of the river is to be stayed we are convinced that something will have to be done to trap the sand some distance before it reaches the western groyne. On the coasts of England experiments have been curried out most successfully for the stoppage of sand drifts by the erection of fences running straight' out into the sea, at intervals along the coast. These are not necessarily of a very substantial luiture. as tlie sand piling* up around them gives them stability. They liave proved most effectual in preventing and stopping drifts of sand such as we have here, and we are convinced that a salutary effect would be obtained by running out one or two rough fences br barricades, say, at tlie termination of Lowe nnd Peel streets. The cost of the experiment would be trifling, and if effectual it would save the expense of perltaps thousands of pounds in dredging and possibly tlie necessity for extending the western wall, which shipuiiisters contend would increase the range of sea inside the harbor. Other matters to be dealt with by the Board are the completion of the graving slip, which appears to be hiking ait unconscionably long time to finish, the provision of more storage accommodation, wliich is urgently needed, and the obtainment of a dumping plant for next wool season, in order that country wool may be brought by tlie railway straight to the wliarf for shipment. With so much to accomplish, the Board requires everv pennv of revenue that it can scrape together, b*ut we incline to the opinion that it would be a wise policy to so amend the .wharfage tariff that by a system of rebates greater encouragement would be given, to trade between Gisborne and the coasUil bays, which at present is so largely monopolised by outside merchants. With tlie development of population, trade and industry within the district, the Board need have no fear as to the future but should be emboldened to pursue a diligent progressive policy.