The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1880.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 1776, 1 June 1880, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1880.

Mr Biackett's report, so far as can be judged by a brief Bummary, may well take the public by surprise. It is apparently co very conclusive, and the assertions put forward are so extremely dogmatic, that one is inclined to ask who is Mr Blackett that he should take upon himself thus to damn one public and mostimportantwork, m order that another equally important work should be freed from "an expenditure caused by the first work being carried out ? Well, Mr Blackett is the Engi-neer-in-Ohief for the North Island, a good official, we believe, and there is no reason to doubt his professional abilities as a land engineer, but probably his marine knowledge of the art is not of the highest order. However, it matters little whether Mr Blackett is or is not a first-class marine engineer. From his own report we should say he was not, seeing that he has got, so he says, " voluminous professional evidence to prove that the Timaru Breakwater is causing enormous damage to the railway and coast line, owing to the interference with the travel of the shingle." Luckily there are two sides to every question, and as yet we Lave only heard one side, for undoubtedly all the " professional evidence " treats exclusively of but one side of the question whether the Timaru Breakwater is solely responsible for the scour of the sea on the land adjacent to the railway works at Whale's Creek. The report is drawn up apparently with the idea of proving

one thing only, and ignores the possibility of there being rebutting evidence to that upon which the report is based. So much is this the case that it looks as if the report was drawn up with the object of backing up a foregone conclusion tbat the Breakwater was the cause of damage to the railway works, a conclusion, we have reason to believe, held by the Minister for Public Works. When conclusions of this nature are arrived at, it is an easy matter to get plenty of evidence m support of them. Naturally enough, evidence on the " other side " is poohpoohed as worthless, and carefully kept m the background. The Minister for Public Works, Mr Oliver, is a most valuable painstaking public servant, and does his utmost to save expenditure m his particular Department, but m this case his zeal has outrun his discretion. He was told, probably, that the carrying out of the Breakwater at Titnaru was causing his Depai'tinent a certain expense for protective works along the sea beach, and without, it would appear, enquiring whether such outlay of money was of a temporary nature or not, or whether there might not be other causes at work than the one stated for the \musual scour of the sea at a particular point, Mr Oliver forthwith orders Mr Blackett to report, and Mr Blackett has faithfully reported, verifying the views held by his chief. Engineers, and especially those who take to the marine part of the profession, are generally not bigoted men. They hare to contend so entirely with the forces of nature, and they find these forces so various m action, and so strangely diversified, that possessing as f'fy may large general knowledge of their work, they do not ignore information gained from men who are not engineers, but plain laymen. On our own coast, for instance, the evidence of men who have been long resident here, and \vho from the character of their employment are specially fitted to take note of the ever-changing moods of the ocean, the set of its tides, and the force of its currents, is particularly valuable. Much may be learned from such a soiuxe, but m this report by Mr Blackett this evidence is wanting. If it had been applied for, and weighed against the " professional" testimony, the report might have presented something different. If honestly drawn, it would have told its readers that twenty-three years ago the early settlers perceived that denudation of the land by the sea, at the very spot where the railway line crosses Whale's Creek, was then apparent. It was m this same place that the old whalers had, established their station, and it was clear; that from the time the fishermen vacated, this part of the coast to the year 1857' the advance of the sea landwards was steady and active. .A gain, a few years later on, we perfectly recollect the sea washing clean over what is now the road nest to the railway viaduct, and the clay cliffs m the neighborhood, undermined by the water, dropping piecemeal into the sea. There was no Breakwater m those days to deflect the current on to a given spot on the coast. It was but the natural action of the strong northerly current which did the damage m those days. But now the natural current has nothing 1 to do with the business. It is the Breakwater that does it, and the Breakwater is to be blown up to save the railway. There is yet another point m connection with this matter worthy of record and one which tells considerably against the view taken by Government. They say that the Breakwater is destroying their railway. We say it can only be proved to be partially an agent m the destruction as we readily admit that it is quite possible that the Breakwater m its present Btage does throw a more than ordinary strong current into Caroline Bay. But this action must be temporarily only. According to no less an authority than Sir John Coode,\the Breakwater when completed will force the current far to the northward, on to the shingle beach, dividing the Washdyke Lagoon from the sea. If this proves to be the case, it is evident that the protection, not the destruction of the railway works facing Caroline Bay would be doubly secured, the sea there being reduced to quiescence under the lea of the Breakwater. Taking, though, the most pessimist view, and allowing that the Breakwater is the causo of the mischief, and allowing that Sir John Coode knows nothing whatever of his business, would the Government even under such circumstances be justified m the course they are intent on adopting ? Most assuredly not. They are not justified at this eleventh hour m taking a course of action which aims at destroying a useful public work. It was the bounden duty of the Government of the day not to allow n. commencement to be made of the Breakwater if there was any probability of circumstances arising which would necessitate its destruction. Long before a railway was thought of the question of a breakwater at Timaru was discussed; and at the time the first sod of the Timaru-Temuka line was cvt — the 4th Oct., 1871 — the breakwater question was agitating the public mind. Numerous meetings had been held long previous to that date, the result being that the Provincial Council waa moved m its session of 1873 to grant a sum of £2000 for a survey of the roadstead. The Government, m 1871, must have been perfectly aware that a breakwater would probably be built at Timaru m the course of a few years, and with that knowledge all probabilities and possibilities that might come about by the erection of the works should have been duly weighed and considered. What effect breakwater works might have on railway works was not even thought of, and the Government deliberately placed their railway lino parallel to the sea coast, m a position that might possibly be dangerous to the stability of the works m the future. It would be monstrous injustice for the Government to use their influence to destroy the Breakwater to cover the blunder made by their predecessors. Already a large sum has been expended m protective works at the foot of Caroline Bay, which appear to be thoroughly efficacious m preventing further scour on that part of the coast. Every yard added to the Breakwater diminishes the power of the sea at this point, and probably a few months hence we shall see Sir John Coodc's words verified when the strong set of the northerly current will impinge upon the coast north of the Dashing Bocks. There would have been Borne sense m Mr

Blackett's report, if, instead of talking about blowing up the Breakwater, he had recommended the wiser course — should the sea continue to prove dangerous to the railway works — of altering the line of railway farther inland. In the first instance an inland line with a branch to the Landing Services should have been adopted. Evennowtoshiffcthe line, would be a comparatively inexpensive operation, inexpensive certainly wben pitted against the great loss of money involved m the building and destruction of the existing section of the Breakwater. Such a course would be consonant with the public interests, and agreeable to public feeling. Both interest and feeling are powerful factors, not to be outraged, as they undoubtedly will be were Mr Blackett's report adopted and acted upon by the Government.

At the close of the Court yesterday, the Re3ident Magistrate took the opportunity of mentioning that the Licensing Court, properly held to-day, would be adjourned, owing to the sitting of the District Court. It is a pity that notice of the adjournment was not given m time to prevent those whose business takes them to the Licensing Court from undertaking a fruitless journey into town. Many persons arrived m Timaru yesterday to attend the Licensing Court this morning, *and without the Resident Magistrate and his brother Commissioners see their way to hold a Court to-day, they will liave to return minus a heavy loss of time and money. We trust that some arrangement will be arrived at. to obviate this.