HARBOR AFFAIRS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 5

HARBOR AFFAIRS.

CRITICISM AT 'CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE.

At' the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr. ' Toneycliffe said a very important matter had recently been dealt with!, by the Gisborne Harbor Board, which had "turned down*' the- proposed artificial harbor.' Althtf^gh' «6 reasoh was given "by the m&iMlm'& at the meeting they all seemed to b^^f'thV^puikm that it was beyond the resources of the district. "jPeople of this distri bf held that it was ' the; weaWKiest; m the TJominiort. When the j hai-bor question came up the members of the' Board inferred that it would- s send this district' bankrupt. Timaru, OmaruJ New Plymouth, ; Wanganui * and other places ■ with artificial •harbors had not been consulted m th& matter. The riverhere "was ' cost-ing Gisborno ' people £38,000 fdr dredging and £15,000 harbor expenditure: ■ ' : > ' • Mr. Long : I thint it is included m the £38,00. ; ; . .■• ';' ■ . Mr Toneycliffe, continuing, said f that /the . extra i ( freight' paid to,"' this port was' excessive. ': Tlie price of coal coming to Gisborne was very high j and 'the prices for produce, etc. /were' correspondingly affected, and if shipping companies could 'fill their space with freight for' other > ports, they; neglected this one altogether; with the result that for Certain periods there were shortages of foodstuffs m the town. -He held that if the -Oliambei* could present .data to the Board it-would settle > a lot ojf < the wild talk that went on at the present time. When Timaru started itsbreakwater it was? a little town of ! 5000 inhabitants, and its district was very small; 1 but nevertheless it did not go bankrupt; ' He did not favor the action of Preferring ihe schemes to the Government;' •■■; : ' ■ >. ■ ■ •'■■.■" '.I---. '■ ' • ' ■ ■ ..Me. LongVfiaid that as a member, of the; Harbor Board) 'he welcomed public opinion m the matter. The; scheme was not turned down, although /by the action of a -preponderance of members who considered; there was no purpose m putting the district, to extra expense. Gisborne would be a town m 200 years time and a harbpr would be necessary .even ■ then, especially if we had no railways. , (Lauerhter)i trouble with this town," he "said, "is that' the people are; suffering from a chronic attack .-of stay-where-you-are, and unless they wake up , there will never be, anythinsr done." r- ' . • , ' ■ ■

After ''further discussion it. .was decided to secure., more information before framing ahV" resolution. : . ■. ;