HARBOUR WORKS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 6926, 8 October 1889, Page 2

HARBOUR WORKS.

Mb Thatoher informed the Harbour Board I yesterday that he had forwarded data to an engineer for his opinion as to the merits of his scheme for deepening the entrance to tho harbour. The Board came to the conj elusion that nothing should be done until this opinion was before it, and seemed to think that it would not bo right to appoint a committee to .confer with the contractor with respect to tho details of his tender. We believe the Board would not be averse to givingtho contractor another chance with his scheme on terms similar to tho last concontract. The Marino Engineer is prepared to give his official sanction to tho plan, but it is well known that his opinion as to tho durability or stability of tho work ib not favoxirablo. Wo should not like to say a contractor who runs all the risk himself should bo prevonted from having an exhaustive test applied to his scheme, especially whon he has already (shown his enterprise and faith by venturing his money and time upon it. Tho Board, however, ia thoroughly justified in taking no step until it is satisfied as to tho possiblo liabilities which it will incur by entering into tho contract under the altered conditions proposed by the contractor. No one except (the contractor and his immediate baekora has the anme faith in the schome that was felt at one tiino, and there is a feeling that the Board itself might fairly say that the

contractor should not bo permitted to throw good money after bad. There is at the same time much sympathy with the contractor and his friends, whose faith appears undiminished. The Board is anxious to do what is right in the interests of the harbour, without acting harshly to individuals, and is not likely to commit itself to a hasty or hazardous course of action.