HARBOR PROBLEMS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15317, 13 September 1920, Page 5

HARBOR PROBLEMS.

. Mr H. A'. King, who has been talcing a ( keen interest m harbor matters wrote as follows 1 to Messrs Ferguson, Masoa and Williams, - .consulting engineers': "If you may remember I was one of the ratepayers perraitod lo give evidence.* before you. After your Report cam e to hand tho -Harbor Board ''invited ratepayers to meet the Board, and it, was .decided that the ratepayers would not sanction .your most valuable schomo, at. at present, the district coxild not stand the cost. Now I am glad to know Misit you have been asked by the Board to furnish a cheaper harbor. Early m Jdly I forwarded to tho Board a letter advocating the adoption of Mr. Holmes' harbor (copy of letter, and report by Mr. Holmes is enclosed). When I had the honor of appearing be>.. foro you I 'mentioned that I had- lived., here for twenty-four years, and- had-; always taken a- 'great interest - m tho, harbor; For , the last, ten years, . since vretired frbm Tthe ; Union Bank oV Aus- .: tralia, Ltd., I liave "almost daily gone toy the "wharf, .arid so. watched the improvements carried oiit by "Mr. .MticDonnld. , Now . J hayo ;of Lori, watched the, heavy seas; running m- and^ think tiie "wave' ana ; sand drift protection mola' shown on Mr.y Holmes' plan • should ' bty' carried some distance beyond the end of* the brfenk--.. water, so as to provide some shelter to vessels entering the harbor. Of course this could not bo ..done 'by Mr. Holmes', as the river was • not intended to bo diverted. In oonclu&icn, it lias been ( stated thatv.wheit the 'Mivui' pumped the j sand and mud ovejf £ho breakwater,, some I was carried, roi^nd the. end of the- break 1 -; water and. back into tho channel. A.; poition, perhaps, was, but the 800 feet mole (In' red) #ill send the river • beyond the seas" which form a cushion against tho side of the breakwater, and., the silt; will be carried towards the Island. Only; the other day, I and a- friend, wero on the Kaiti beach, near the monument, and , we both remarked how the wftves were .moving m two different ways;' 200 yards east of breakwater they\were traveUing to the w.e>t towards the breakwater, biit Iho main seas Were trarolling • jea^fc towards the islands. ;" v ,^: The following reply has been received by -Mr. King" from ' Mr. Ferguson : rvDe^ir , Sir, I hayo to thank you for your:le£fcbr of the 2nd inst/ covering a copjrfof your letter t<>^ the Qisbonio Harbor .jfdHi-d of the ; 9th July last and accoinptthsng a copy of the' report by Mr, HolnifeS^oft/an outer harbor on which plan you havi/dutlinod your views m red ink. I should liavo acknowledged your letter before ,ih|s but • that I have been but of ■ town for II few j days. ' I shall have much pl^asUto .m bringing youv views before my colleague^but, desire to' point out to you that your suggestion to turn .out the riveft injto t|ie ' Kaiti beSch is no new proposal," being tjltj-, fundamental . principle .of £he_ schenic worked out at length by Mr. Barhacott flnd'' also by Captain Seeloy- arid others. This matter was fully considered fcv the Commission, but I will, -again* Driag^ the matter before theny under thdir present, altered, circumstances. . ■