The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1877.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 1761, 22 June 1877, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 1877.

Sib John Coode's letter to the Timan Harbor Board, which we publish elsewhere this morning, is not so satisfac' tory as might have been wished. Th< terms m which Sir John's Report was couched certainly conveyed ibe iin pression that be himself was preparec to carry out the works which.be projocted, for the amount which h< estimated they would cost. We think therefore, that the Harbor Board were fully justified m asking him if he woult enter on the undertaking 1 , and m wait ing until they should receive an ex plicit answer from him. There are, w< know, those who consider that, m tak' ing this course, the Board lost mucl valuable time, without really having much hope of gaining their desirec object. These will, no doubt, deen their opinions entirely confirmed bj Sir John Coode's letter, and will bi disposed more than ever to blame tin Board for attempting to negotiate will him. Impatient as every one mus naturally be who has the interest o this town and district at heart, to te< the harbor works begun, it is not at al a matter of surprise that this feelinp should be pretty general. When, how ever, it is considered what a great ad' vantage it would have been to obtait Sir John Coode's guarantee for the construction of tbp works at the pric< named m his Report, we do not thhili that the time spent m communicating with him can be regarded as thrown away. The greatest obstacle to an) progress with harbor works at Timaru, is the clause m the Harbor Board Act which gives to a Government Commission a veto on any plan proposed, Sir John Coode's plan, we know, is not favorably regarded by those who would almost certainly be of paramount influence m any Commission that the Government might appoint. If, however, Sir John Coode had undertaken to carry out his plan* himself, he would have virtually staked his reputation on their success: and would necessarily have been brought face to face with those whom the Government should select us hw critics. " Fools rush m where angels tear to tread "; Mr Carruthers and his subordinates have, we admit, again and again plunged recklessly into matters which real engineers would have approached with the utmost caution, and which experience has shown they knew nothing whatever about. We doubt, though, whether even they would have ventured any longer to'maintain their ignorant and prejudiced opposition to the scheme of harbor works at Timaru, if Sir John Coode bad laid, " This is ray plan, and this is my estimate ; and I am willing' to take the responsibility of constructing the work for the sum I have nam d." That, however, is now past hoping for, and it is for the Harbor Board to consider what is the best course for them to pursue under existing circumstances. Sir John Coode suggests two courses to them. One is to construct the works through contractors under his own' supervision. The other is to employ tome other engineer, who will also undertake the contract. It is not for as to dictate to the Harbor Board, but we do not think there can be a question as to which of these two cjburgefc is the more advisable. If we are to adopt Sir John Coode's plan at aIU let us adhere to Sir John Coode as far as we possibly can. We are strongly of opinion that there are local eon-

tractors both willing and able fo do the whole of the work specified m Sir John Coodr's jilan, m a thoroti»h!v efficient manner, for a sum certainly n<»t m excess of that named by him. The experience of railway construction m New Zealand certainly teaches thnt we need not abroad for contractors lor works of the greatest magnitude. The sections of railway made by Mr E. G. Wright and Messrs A;ian and Stumbles, are to say the v^ry least, quite equal m every respect to those contracted for by Brogden. and Co. at a much greater cost ; and we lail to understand why artificers who have l>een so eminently successful m one branch of construction, should not be equally so m another. We have reason to believe, also, that the contractors who constructed the firs completed portion of the oam iru breakwater m so excellent a manner, are prepared to make proposals for constructing similar works lure. Our opinion, therefore, decidedly is that the Harbor Board would do wisely to secure Sir John Coode's Mrvices as •ngineer for the works, an-1 to leate their mere construction to competition by local contractors. Before tenders can be called for, however, or any practical step taken m this direction, it will be necessary that working plans and detailed specifications should bo obtained from Sir John Cuode. It seems to us to have been a creat oversight on the part of the lioard, that they did not send for these by the rerr first mail after they came into office. Had they done so, they might have been able by this time to put Sir John Coode's estimate of cost to a final test ; and they might very probably have ascertained that the financial difficulties of carrying out the schema are not nearly so great as had been supposed. Certainly now, the sooner this is done the better. We hope that nt their next meeting the Board will tuku prompt action m regard to all these matters ; and will not allow a moment more than is necessary to elapse before deciding on the best measures to be ndopted for putting the construction of the harbor work m train. There is, indeed, some talk of a general Harbor Works Bill being introduced by the Government next session ; but we earnestly trust that the Board will not wait for or depend upon any such shadowy vision as that, we are certain that it the Timaru Harbor Board Act hod been introduced on an independent basis last year, without any reference to the action of the Government, it would have passnd m its entirety. A reliance on vague promises of a general measure, deluded its supporters into a disadvantageous position, and the loss of the endowment and borrowing clauses, and infinite delay and difficulty were the results. If the Board display energy, firmness, and something like enterprise, at the present juncture, we have not the slightest doubt that they will shortly succeed m getting the breakwater begun.