THE CANAL QUESTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7330, 17 February 1902, Page 1

THE CANAL QUESTION.

_ ■ i- ■/■ •_ — _^. „■■ - : y : ; . The* usual . fortoigbtly meeting of the committee of ,the Burgesses' Association was held on • Thursday evening. -. A . letter was received from the! Riocarton Road: Board, askijjg for further information concerning the proposed conference on the subject of a Greater Christohurch. . The Secretary drew attention to the revival of the canal question,' witch, through. the labours of the late Mr Gard'uer, and a strongr-com- : mifctee,. had ' occpfied^ the . -minds .of i ; bury peopie;'apoiit seven yeaTS ago? • " There were three proposals ; the canal, the enlargement of the tunnel, and tihe formation of a tunnel to, connect the port with Sumner; all with, a view to easing the trafßo . between Lyfeteiton. and CJbristchurcli. The task of any fresh committee would resolve itself into ai careful inquiry into the most economical and effective mode of facilitating communication betw-een Christchurch and the sea. A. public meeting might then be called to consider the committee's report and preliminary estimates, and to raise funds for a survey and borings, etc. An effort should be made to get the Government to undertake the latter work, or to grant the committee a sum of money equal to the amount raised by subscriptions'. He concluded by moving that the Secretary should be requested to organic© a committee representative of the various public bodies and the commercial interests concerned to meet within, : say, one monthj, to examine fully into the suggested schemes for facilitating traffic between Christchurch and the sea. The proposal was seconded. Mr C. Lightband hoped to see the motion carried. About 1894 a good working committee had 'Mr R. Gard'ner'B proposal concerning the Sumner-Ohristchurch canal before them. It.' was. them contemplated to construct a waterway to _Cowlishaw's corner. The dimensions" of" tlie Suez Qanal, giving a bottom width cf 72ft amd a depth of 27^ft at low water, had been made the basis of calculation. By the first scheme, the total length, of th© >' canal was •put dowa at five • miles arid a 'half, about tihiee miles and a half of which wouldl be through dry-land 1 . The maim element of uncertainty about th© estimates was in connection with tihe sea entrance, wihifch- Mr Gardner had calculated ' to cost about £60,000, a rough, approximation. It was anticipated that the use of the most up-to-date form of dredge would enable the reclamation of the estuary, where necessary, to a height of 3ft above high tide to be effected at oonaderabie, profit. The expenditure of £1500 . -would have enabled the. committee to have ihad surveys and borings made. The Harbour Board 'had refusedi to assist, and 1 the agitation died. The proposal before the Burgesses' Committee was not for enquiry into the feasibility of the canal only, but it would enable the public to choose the best of three schemes, and was eminently a Greater Charistdhairch question. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Ell and others alluded to the very unsatisfactory arrangements •which existed at Lytteltosn for the conveyance of passengers to the steamers and it was decided to write to the Minister of Railways upon the subject.