HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16545, 20 September 1919, Page 7

HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir—Over the signature of “Progress,” Gome one takes me to task and infers that the. attitude taken up by “Anxious” was not for progress; but, sir, I am as much for progress as any one, but at a maximum of benefit and with a minimum of damage, explanation rc Paritutu in no way ooes away with the fact that at any rate two engineers condemned the stone in Paritutu as being unsuitable for sea reclamation works, so that on that point it is still two to one against the Paritutu stone, and ibis being so I asked why hack about the old lnndnuu'k_ in experiments. And as to Horse Slice Bay, “Progress” thinks he has me there, as ho says the sand has been trapped and has formed saufidunes. Of course it lias, as haying the solid land at the back of it, the sand was _ simply banked up there, and so remains except a few hundred tons that have from time to time been carted away from the root of the breakwater; but that in no way does away with facts, and it so remains that Horse Shoe Bay is no more reclaimed than it was ton years ago. Ho says he is quite pleased with the plans. \cs. they look all right on paper especially, all tuo parts shaded pink, but I am afraid that if “Progress’ has a look out there ton years after completion of works, the big area of “reclaimed” land and the dock site will still be on paper, as that will b© no more reclaimed that Horse Shoe Bay, except possibly a small area to the east and south-east of Mikotahi. The sand will be carried into the corner formed by the junction of the breakwater and proposed wall_.__ and there being no land there as a foundation for the sand, no dunes will be formed, but the sand will be carried over and round into the harbour as at present. Had the wall been carried from Mikotahi to Motnroa as mentioned by me in a previous letter, some of the sand would have been carried over, but a large part of it out into deep water on the seaward side of Motnroa. I hope I am- wrong, Mr. Editor, but I am afraid that before the pink reclamation and dock site eventuates the wall from Mikotahi to Motnroa will have to be built a part of the way, and then we will have a proper sand trap.—l am, et °'’ ANXIOUS. P.S.—AVhat I mean by “part of the way” is to take it so far and leave a gap for the sand to drift round and so fill up between Mikotahi and the sea wall shown on plan.