THE RIVER

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1029, 23 October 1903, Page 2

THE RIVER

HARBOR BOARD DECIDE TO PUT ON PRESSURE, The subject of the bad state of the river was brought up at the meeting of the Harbor Board yesterday. Captain Tucker alluded to the experience the previous evening, when passengers had been put to great inconvenience owing to tlie tender having to lie out because the liver was noi navigable wnen tlie tide was low. Just as Captain Tucker brought up the subject, Messrs Clark and Whinray rose to leave, and the speaker challenged them, saving liiat was always the way, members ran oh just as the important business came on. They would leave the port to be damned in the eyes of the public, rather than wait a few minutes to try and devise some remedy for the present condition of tilings. Mr Clark retorted that members should attend the meetings at the proper time, uot keep others waiting and then complain of those members wanting to get away at the finish. Captain Tucker said that he had not kept any meeting waiting. They co-uld have got on with the reading of the minutes. Continuing, Captain Tucker said that he had really nothing more to say on • the subject of the river. They all knew of the deplorable state in which it was and lhat it was urgently necessary to have something done without delay. Mr Sievwright : What are we to do ?

Captain Tucker : Work double shifts—do anything rather than have the river left in that unsatisfactory condition. Mr. Hepburn said that when the next north-easterly winds set in, the stuff would quickly clear away. Captain Tucker wanted to know if they were to let things go on while they waited for the winds. To simply sit down and wait ? Mr Sievwright said that the remedy was to get the groin pushed on as fast as possible.Captain Tucker : And wait until then ? Mr Hepburn said that these troubles came and went. Captain Tucker : Yesj but they are getting very frequent. Mr Hepburn said that it was the result of the long spell of the same kind of weather. Capta n Tucker : It is the want of water in the river. Captain Tucker said that the tides had been exceptionally low. The Chairman said that the best thing was to keep the dredge closely at the work until things! were improved. , Mr Sievwright : What about the plough ? • , , The Chairman said that the plough would have no effect on that portion of the river—the only thing was to dig the sand out and get it away. Continuing, the Chairman said that when the westerly weather set m he thought the stuff would disappear —there had been a long continuation of the winds that affected the river, and the dredge had been laid up for some time. He hoped that there would be a better report to present at next ,, In reply to Captain Tucker, the Overseer said that the dredge was now being kept at work at the place complained of while they could work there. , ~ ~ Captain Tucker asked iL they could nob get a sand-pump to work ? The Chairman said that they had no sand-pump. The one they had had been sold to the frezing works. Captain Tucker askedf if they could not obtain something in the way ol a sand.pump that could be employed to simply, pump the -sand over the side ? The Chairman : That would mean .expensive machinery. ' Mr Harding i said that lie quite agreed with Captain Tucker, and was glad that the' subject had been brought on. They came there month after month to pass accounts, and talk about cement, contracts, and so on, hut this very serious subject was not gone into. It was deplorable to think of the amount of money they had spent, and the money they were still spending, if they were not going to get any permanent improvements. Mr Matthewson : you will not, either. Mr Harding said that the question deserved more serious consideration than they had been giving it. There was no use of their going on making wharves and other improvements if Hie river was to silt up below, and •the sooner members realised the actual position the better it would be for all concerned. They should do something to improve the portion complained of. Mr Sievwright: All I can see for it is to keep the dredge going until We can get the groyne out. Captain . Gumming suggested that the Overseer might be able to keep the little dredge on to assist.. Mr Hepburn did not see wliat members were kicking up the row about. Captain Tucker : It is not us who are kicking up the row—it is other people. Mr Hepburn said that, those troubles happened periodically, the winds and se'as coming from a certain direction would always cause the channel to be affected. A week’s northwest wind would clear the whole tiling away. It was not right to say that they simply came there to pass accounts. They had had experience of this sort of thing continually. . Mr Matthewson said lhat it was the old question—the more they extended the river the further the sand Would follow. Mr lle-pburn said that all bar rivers were the same. If they had the groyne out further this silting would not occur. Mr Matthewson said that they had heard before what would be the effect if it only reached a certain point. Mr Hepburn said that the groyne had improved the channel. At one time the Snark, drawing only two feet, was unable to get,out. at low water, and even a whaleboat had been unable to come in. Mr Matthewson mentioned several small steamers that used to trade with Gisborne. Mr Hepburn said that was quite true, but such vessel could only come in when the conditions were favorable, and when adverse winds set in .were blocked. Mr Sievwright said that lie had beqn on the. Bofard sinca yt was .constituted • the same trouble had occurred over and over again, and he believed would continue to recur until they had the groyne extended the proposed length. Then they would have a good channel Captain Tucker : A little further on.

Mr Sievwright said that they had one or two Jeremiahs on the Board and they got out of suggesting the good work to be done by telling the others they were only talking.- They had done a great deal more than talk —they' had tried their best to do good work. Mr Harding : You have not succeeded much. The Chairman : We have succeeded —the very fact that so much had been done in the channel had, by disturbing the river higher up, caused the silt to settle where the trouble was, and there had not yet been the suitable weather to let it get away. If they had the favorable weather in a short, time the sand would all be away, and the channel would be as good as ever for the next eight months. Captain Tucker said that because they had allowed it in the past that was no reason why. they should not try and remedy it. The Chairman said that it had not caused so very much inconvenience. Mr Harding : Why, you have been stuck there yourself. The Chairman : I would not complain of that now and again. He felt that ultimately their efforts to keep the river open would be successful. 1-Ie did not think they were wasting their time coming there to try and improve matters* [They, would not

have been able to do the shipping they had done if a good deal of this work had not been done.

Captain Tucker again very stroughurged tiie necessity of immediate action. He would not, he said, be satisfied with anything indefinite, or any putting off. He referred .to the growing importance o£ ihe place, and the necessity for the Board doing its part towards helping to sustain that progress. Let them put on extra men fur an additional sniff on the dredge, or adopt some means lhat would speedily cope with the difficulty, and prevent such things happening as had occurred that morning. Conditions that were all very well for the old days of a few “ hookers ” were not suitable to the important class of trade now being done at the port, and it behoved the Board to rise to the occasion, and not simply, wait, for westerly winds to set in. lie was sorry that some members of the Board had not thought it worth their while to wait until the subject had been dealt with, but now it was fairly beiore the Board they should not 'allow it to drop. It was resolved, on the motion of Captain Tucker, seconded by Mr l-larding, that | the, dredging appliances be used to their full capacity to cope with the trouble. The question of whether a second shift could be put on was then mentioned, and on the motion of Mr Harding, the subject was referred to the Overseer, with instructions to get the dredging appliances worked to their full capacity in dealing with the sand-bank, making the most suitable arrangements therefor that be could. Later on the question as to whether the dredging staff should get a holiday on people’s day at the fahow was brought up, Cr Hepburn saying they could hardly deprive them ol a holiday on that day. It was after a little discussion agreed that the hands start early and knock off early enough for the Show.