The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3844, 12 November 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1883.

The Harbor Board expects to receive the designs for the improvement of the harbor by tho lonic's mail that arriA'od to-day by the Manapouri. AVhat is to be done Avith them nobody at present knows. It is not even satisfactorily settled A\ r hether tho Board has any right to make use of them. In competing* for tho bonus for the design that should meet with tho approA'al of the London judges the competitors did not contemplate, avo apprehend, making a present of their Avork to tho Board. It may even be supposed that the competitors did not contemplate the possibility of tho Board making itself acquainted Avith either tho designs or tho mimes of tho designers. If we recollect rightly tho tonus of tho competition Avcro that the designs should be forwarded through the Board to London, Avhere their respective merits Avere to he decided by the judges Avho undertook the task at the request of tho Agent-General. Some time ago avo suggested in this column that on tho return oft lie rejected designs the feAV that amongst them Avhich appeared to the Board most suitable to tho requirements of this port should be submitted to j His Excellency tho Governor for his

opinion. It has transpired since, however, that this course would not be in accordanco with the terms under which the designs found their way into the hands of thfe Board. There may be a good deal of weight in this argument, from a high moral standpoint, but tho consideration of tho question does not altogether rest upon strictly moral grounds. Each competitor' was aiming at the £500 bonus, with tho prospective advantage of superintending tho works in the event of his design being* accepted as the best. Such being the case, we imagine that none of the competitors would object to havo a second chance of winning the prize. AYe take it that, tfcnigh Mr Culcheth has gained the bonus on the decision of the London judges, his designs have been finally rejected hy the Board. There is not another bonus to be given, but the award to Mr Culcheth did notbind the Board to accept the scheme for which it was granted. The bonus was very far from being the chief prizo in the competition, and henco no competitor would object to stand the further chauco of putting his design into execution, and to receive thereby the per centngo on the cost of the work. It is so obviously to the advantage of the competitors to have to pass through a second ordeal that we can imagine no opposition on their part to such a course. Mr Culcheth'« plans would not be excluded from sharing* in this second competition ; at the same timo the Board would still be free to reject or accept tho decision. It maj r so happen, and we should not bo surprised if it proved to be the case, that not one of the plans is altogether suitable to the place. With but one or two exceptions the competitors, we are given to understand, were unacquainted with Napier; they wore guided by the data given them, and from Mr Culchet_'s publ'shed letters on the subject wo are led to suppose that the information supplied was not all that could bo desired. Tho London judges had little else to go upon. It is not unreasonable to suppose then that tho great majority of the plans should bo ill-adapted to our wants. Included in the term "wants" there are present requirements, future prospect.**, and the cost of tho proposed works, in addition to the physiological features of tho bay. Before then that competitors would care to have their plans submitted to a further judgment, they might desire to alter the details, or modify their schemes. Wo know that Mr Culcheth is inclined to do so from the public criticism to which his plan has boon subjected. His scheme ho still adheres to, but in certain details he now thinks an alteration might be desirable. This circumstance by itself should suggest to tho Board tho proper course to pursue, wliich wo venture to think is to communicate by circular with the competitors asking their consent to submit their designs to further judgment, and requesting alterations or modifications of tho originals to be sent in by a certain date. The Board is occupying a very responsible position. Whatever plan may eventually lie adopted, whatever money may bo determined to bo spent, will be the last so far as the present generation is concerned. For ourselves wo are free to confess that the best harbor for Napier will be that winch shall utilise Nature's grand gift to this port —the travelling shingle —and though its utilisation mi "lit not involve a loan, and might take many years at moderate expenditure to mature, the requirements of the place would be fully met by a natural breakwater made by taking advantage of what there is to bo found ready at hand.