THE HARBOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14347, 12 July 1917, Page 7

THE HARBOR.

'..."-.. m- „—.-•• ■ (To the Editor of tiic Herald.) Sir.— l understand there is some talk of diverting the river, . also extending the wharves 150 feet further out into the channel. My. , adyice» is leave the river alone, .there, has lieeh quite enough mis- ■ chief dime rfilreadyj'the 'arid on the Kaiti ■side should never have been reclaimed. Now. 1 willji with y6ur.-kin.cl permission, endeavor to outline a cheap scheme I which will benefit us all and give relief m a few months. Run a wall, frbm, the stock yard, or present wharf, to where the Waikanae emptier itself into our present harbor, leaVing ah opening wide chough' for- the Arahura and colliers to enter, or better still, run the-AvaU as far ;as the frog pond,' haylpg, the, opening into the Waikanae/ .There I wppld like the opening to^be; rt slanting one.' not too abrnpt, to save . vessels : when . entering the Waikanae the' ytrouble. of ■ twisting about too much; the , Waikanae will be required to be dredged or dug out to a depth of say 30 feet tip 'to where some punts arc lying just below the railway workshop. This willfglye vessels plenty pf room to' manoeuvre m this ideal harbor when completed. The water when discharging froni the; Waikanae, with the assistance of. the Maui, vvill give us. a deep channel of say 20ft at liigh, water, perhaps more, and Jieing only a 'short channel to keep clcan^ would always be workable. Of course, i' aril well aware that we will always haye a certain amount of trouble' at the entrance,' but this can be minimised by running out rows of , piles into deep water along the beach. We conld start with one at the: hottoip of Lowe street, and watch results before con-, tinuiijg same to the Big river. Those to the Big river will require to be about half a mile or a - mile apart. Consider the, benefits and a'clvantages to^be derived from this new harbor; the old one will still he available for .light draught vessels. : The 'cost of 'constructing same will be small, and under judicious management a portion of the cost of same could be pa id- -out of revenue. 'Passengers can be landed , at the foot, of Nesliit road, or opposito 'where" l lived for years. Vessels will always.' be afloat, .which is a great consideration. A .-full-l oad of timber can be exported,, instead of only a third of a load. Wo6l from the New Zealand Shipping Co's stores can h£ shipped, being brought by rail, thu-> saving the carting; all live stock coulcl be landed /or shipped, instead of as now at the town wharf. If there is any doubt about this scheme- not being a success, I challenge any engineer or member of the Board to prove otherwise; they can consult those working the port, not forgetting the gentlemen In charge of the trawlers. When this scheme is adopted (which no doubt it will be) I shall expect to be remunerated for my time and advice— l am, etc., • .HERBERT Ev JOHNSTON.