THE HARBOUR LOAN.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 3123, 1 December 1899, Page 3

THE HARBOUR LOAN.

The chairman of the Board, who does not represent Messrs Manchester, Wil--Bon, GainneßS and Macintosh, has made various statements intended to influence the ratepayers to vote for the loan. It is now necessary to place before the ratepayers reasons why they should not vote for the loan at present. General Reasons. " We consider that it is only trifling with the danger to attempt to prolong the safety of the harbour bp any additional work to stop the shingle," " The annual accumulation of shingle can be easily kept m check by dredging at an annual cost of £1500." 11 We are again unable to recommend any portion of the proposed extension." [ O'Connor and Goodall; Bee reports I Napier Bell and Wilson, I H *y and Ussher. " Last year 93.000 ions of shingle were lifted by the dredge and taken to sea at a cost of 2d per ton : £775." Wm. Kvans, Nov. '99. " Remove the parapet blocks and allow the shingle to pass over into the sheltered «rea where the dredge can lift it." J. P. Maxwell, Napier Bell, Wm. Parr. 11 When the present harbour is fully made use of by extendiug the wharfage, as shown on plan herewith, it will be Capable of doing more shipping business than is done m Lyttelton." Napier Bell and R. Wilson. " No other permanent arrangement could be found so cheap and rapid as that of allowing the shingle to drive over the wall at the end of the wharf and with so little inconvenience to the trsffic." J. P. Maxwell. Special Reasons t Againßt Mr Maxwell's plan as now before the ratepayers. " The area of the harbour will not be increased " ",No deeper water at the wharves or entrance will be obtained " 11 Probably no diminution of the range m the harbour will be obtained " 11 The scheme will, we fear, prove disappointing as regards the reduction of the range m the harbour." "It will be likely to cause further extensive shoaling m Caroline B^y " " It is likely to cause the shoaling m Caroline Bay to extend across the mouth of the present harbour " " We think that rather more than double tho amount of work now done m dredging spoil will then require to be done." Hay and Rawson, Royal Commissioner?. The Shingle Blessing. "The shingle has been the greatest blessing toTimaru." Wm. Evans. This is granted up to a certain point— the old danger point— but if so now, why dredge at all ? and why ask the ratepayers for £100,000 to keep the blessing back P 11 Sooner than use the dredge, we will extend ! extend to Wellington !" Wm. Evane. The opinion of the Commission, Messrs Hay and Rawson, clearly is that this plan is worse than worthless unless an entirely new harbour is built at a cost which they put at £260,000 or more, and the intention of Mr Maxwell and Mr Evans is to trap the ratepayers' into voting the first £100,000, the ultimate object being carefully hidden. The Prospect. Mr Maxwell's : £1000 for plans, £70 each visit. The Ratepayers' : 5 per cent, on £200,000. £10,000; 4 per cent, on £300,000, £12,000 ; £32,000. The Harbour's : The future reappearance of the shingie at the end of the rubble wall, as admitted to be certain by Hay and Rawson, Maxwell and Evans. The Alternative. Vote straight against the loan at present. This simply means that you do not approve the plan, and require the Board to produce a better, when you can vote the money required. The Loan Act is not lost, but stands good until you use it ; but if you vote the loan on this plan, you are positively committed to £300,000. This course does not prevent the Board from proceeding with the protection of the outer arm of the breakwater at once, the necessity for which has been entirely caused by the Board's refusal to obey the repeated instructions of their engineers. With the Loan Act m their hands they can obtain any money m reason which may be required.