A PIER ON THE BAY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12583, 21 January 1905, Page 2

A PIER ON THE BAY.

It is ' gratifying to find that the furtlie : ' improvement of Caroline. Fay is an objbci 'which js engaging the imaginative faculties of ..quite .a numbir of our citizens who. are prepared to give substantial sup p6r'ti towards the realisation of tlieiii ideas. Mr Wells 'has now come forward witli a project lor adding another attraction to the town's asset, in the shape of a pier which will' provide facilities both for promenading and for bathing. As we have had occasion;to remark several times recently, dressing accommodation is badly wanted cn the . bay, where scenes are enacted very simi'ar'-in character to last Sunday's occurrence at th< dam, which evoked an immediate protest from a shocked onlooker. Fortunately, perhaps; no published objection is taken to the habits of sea-bathers,, or the pastime ■vjrould be practically extinguished. But ii the scheme which Mr Wells has propounded can be carried into effect, it would meet all tfce requirements of the bathers, besides providing a pleasant promenade for those 1 Trho only wish to enjoy the sea breeze. At present it may look a rather ambitious scheme, as the construction of a pier is r. fairly costly business, but if the matter k taken up in the proper way, the necessary money would no doubt be forthcoming. The originator of the ideal has set the bail rolling -with the promise of a respectable donation, and an additional offer to obtain plans fcr the structure.- It might expedite things if he -were to carry out- the second part of his offer without further delay, as there would be something to go on if people had drawings of the proposed pier, and;: ax estimate of its cost, before them. ;- The principal initial difficulty that we see is the question of the Harbour Board's consent to the scheme. The present enclose;' area of water is already rather cramped for the shipping that visits the port,, sand any extension that may be found necessary in the future is bound to go north. Ic that case it might be found inconvenient to have a pier jutting out to sea where the Harbour Board required to instal works of a more utilitarian description, but probably if it were placed far enough to the northward, there would be no. danger of its being in the road for many a long year to come. The sands are. rapidly extending away round the cliffs, and we may expect to see a low-water beach stretching a good deal beyond the limits of Caroline Bay, so that probably not be absolutely necessary to run the pier from the spot which Mr Wells has tentatively indicated. However, these are all details that can bs| worked out if the jdes is energetically taken up. Tlie originator has acted wisely in communicating it to tlie Mayor, who may be relied -upon to bestow on it the same enthusiasm which he has devoted to the other 'works he ha? undertaken for the advancement of the town.