CORRESPONDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 8, 22 August 1861, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of the Hawke's Say Times. Sik, —In the hope of eliciting information, I ■would wish to he allowed to ask—What has become of the plans of the proposed Harbor Imjroveinents which were lithographed for public use by the direc*iun of the late Superintendent, and which he promised should be distributed amongst the proprietors of sections adjoining the proposed alterations. There appears to be a total ignorance of what is to happen next in the works in progress, or where vessels can in future discharge cargo or what provision is to be made for public wharfs, if any, of which there appears to be some doubt or misconception, as proprietors of the Iron Pot claim down to the water’s edge, and it is full time that vessels shall have some other accommodation, which, from the plan, 1 perceive can only bo afforded by a public wharf opposite the Custom House, with a landing place at the head, as some of the proprietors of the Iron Pot will neither provide suitable accommodation or allow the the ■Government to do so, if they only a;e to bo beard on tins matter. On the other hand, if the direction of the works is improperly managed, the Superintendent and his Executive should procure a better director; or, if no fault is found with him, he should at least he furnished with means and materials to carry out his plans, of which also there appears considerable misconception, for on turning to his report written so far hack August, 1859, I And that he proposes—lst, to stot the Gough Island channel; 2nd, to pile fi W feet of the Iron Pot; 3rd, to pile 1000 feet at the opposite side: 4th. the purchase and use of a steam dredge. >fow, sir, what has been the course adopted, and that solelv, too, in consequence of the refusal of the proprietors of the Iron Pot to give up their monopoly of water frontage? Simply this—that the opposite side is being piled and and dredged, while, from the obvious necessity for caution in approaching tiie old lauding places with the Dredge, these are becoming useless and choked up as any one in their senses might foresee while the new channel is being formed and the Director of works has to bear the ahum which is ppopcrly due to the proprietors of the Iron Pot, who think they will become the owners of the onlygood landing place in the P-ovince. Let them, however, hear in mind that there are but four of these Propr etors, and that whether the Director of Works gets the sack, or whether the Dredge is sold, or Harbor improvements from any cause wliatver bo suspended, or whether the Public monies are spent in road making at Poranga’iau or Hong Kong, the Public will see and justify the necessity for Public wharfage accommodation instead of ha.ving to pay wharfage, lighterage, storeage, and commission, to make tiie fortunes of two or three selfish monopolists, who will shoitly find themselves compelled to yield with a had grace what one of the proprietors with better judgment is now prepared to do, namely to assist the Government in piling out to the deep water of the channel, and the others will so m see whether vessels will prefer their shoal berth to one whore they can float at all times of the tide free of restraint from all monopolists. Sir, it is only right the public should hear both sides of this vexed question. CIVIS.