THE HARBOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1025, 19 October 1903, Page 3

THE HARBOR.

(To the Editor Gisborne Times.) Sir,—Some twelve months ago* I wrote suggesting that the true solution of tno Harbor question was to he found by locking the river at the inner end of the breakwater. Since

then, a fairly close study of the conditions has shown that the plan is in all probability; the best that could ho adopted. The advantages to he gainod by. locking would he as follow, :—(lf A permanent high .water in the shipping basin and in the three rivers, or rather a water level which could be raised or lowered as occasion might require. (2) Tile retention of a large body of water above the lock which might he used at low tides to sweep the silt out o£ the lower channel, and thus save the large and constantly-recurring expense of dredging in that locality.. (3) The saving of all dredge expenses (except for the rock in the lower channel and for reclamation purposes in the upper basin.:) It has been objected that a lock .w.ouid be an obstruction to traffic.

This objection can best be met by an example : On the “ Soo ” canal on The ‘American lakes, there is a Jock through which passes an’amount of tonnage considerably in excess ol the combined annual tonnage of the ports of Liverpool and London. The time required to pass a 6000-ton ship through this lock is given as seven minutes. The capacity necessary for a lock in the Turanganui would be about one-tenth of that of the American one, and it would be safe to say that boats like tho Waihi would go through without losing steerage way.—l am, etc., L, J s