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Timaru Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 5194, 15 July 1891, Page 2

At the meeting of the Harbour Board to-day they will bave before them tbe resolution passed by tbe Levels Road Board yesterday m regard to the shingle question. Tbe latter body " view the action of the Harbour Board re moving shingle with fear, on account of the great expense, and that they should take the opinion of the ratepayers before going to so large an expense." Both the mover and seconder of tbe resolution thought it advisable to say something as to the right of the Levels Road Bourd to express an opinion on the subject, but about the right or rather the propriety of such an expression of opinion there cuu be no question whatever. There seems, however, to have been some misapprehension as to tbe reason of levying tho harbour rate and as to the objects on which it is to be expended. The £760 » year contributed by tbe ratepayers m tho Levels Road Board district has not gone m tbe past and will not go m the future to pay for the removal of the shingle. Tbe money is required to pay interest on loan, and will be devoted to that purpose. The experiment which tbe Hiirbour Board sanctioned m the matter of shingle-shifting, and the preparations for which- are now being made, will hot cost any huge sum of money, and will be paid for out of. loan. Tbe Harbour Board acted wisely ;in authorising tbe experiment, and there was no necessity for taking the opinion; of tbe ratepayers. That there ia a shingle difficulty to be contended with either'at once or m the near future, no intelligent man will deny ; und with the recent reports of tbe experts staring them m the face, the Harbour Board are vcty far from blameworthy m satisfying themselves at the earliest possible moment whether the means about to be employed by Mr Marchant. (witb the approval of tbe commissioners) are sufficient to shift tbe nuouinulation as it takes place, or whether it will bo necessary to adopt tbe larger and more espMiaivo scheme which Mr O'Connor recommended. The view taken by the members of the Levels Road Board who spoke on the question was that; the shingle might bo left alone for v year or two longer, or might be temporarily dealt with by means of a surfboat groin. "We greatly prefer to be guided by this opinions of the engineers. We accept it as a faot that the shingle will have to be shifted, and that being so, it is better to bo prepared at once with data upon which to go when tho work can no longer be delayed. "We believe 'that Mr Marchant has great hopes that by careful and judioious management the accumulation as it gatnere' cun be disposed oil without resorting to very expensive measures. By all meana lot the trial be made ii'b speedily ao possible. It Beemß that tho Levels Road Board are crying out before they aro hurt. They would have hud to pay tho harbour rate if Mr Marchant's experiment bad never been heard of. Ab far bb wo understand tbe question at present, there muat foe an i

appeal to the ratepayers before any expensive and permanent plan for dealing with tbe shingle difficulty ia adopted.