A TIMELY WARNING.

Patea Mail, 14 July 1882, Page 3

A TIMELY WARNING.

Will you allow me to call'the attention of the members of .pur Harbor Board to the fact that the Public Works Department are about to construct a railway embankment across the “ mud flat ” opposite the cattle wharf ; and it seems to me that this embankment will undoubtedly prove detrimental to the scour of the river. Some time ago much .stress was laid upon the necessity of removing the eel weirs (some five miles up the river) to improve the scour. We are now about to construct an embankment that , will exclude a very large volume of water (which in my opinion is essential for the proper scour of the river) ; and from what one can see by referring to the re ports of Sir John Goode, as published by the Government, with maps appended, it would appear to affect the swinging basin shown on plan, if not to do away with it entirely. I think it would be a wise policy for the Harbor Board to examine the plans of the proposed railway, and if considered expedient, call in the services of some marine engineer (who is free of course from Government influence) to give an unbiassed opinion as to the ultimat® effect likely (o be produced by the construction of this bank. ! I may state that, should it be found that the Harbor Board in constructing any works connected with river improvements (or was likely to) ultimately damage any public works, railways, &c., as in the case of the Tiraaru harbor works, the engineer in charge of tins Island would, as he did then, recommend the cessation of works and even the destruction of parts already constructed {vide report on Timaru Harbor works, 1880): On the other hand, if any publiclworks (as railways) are likely to affect .harbors detrimentally, we should, I think, be alive to the situation, and check them if possible; especially if the railway so affecting the harbor could practically be carried inland.

I have heard it argued piivately that this mud flat would be valuable as a reclamation, but that 1 think would be a question for an engineer to decide as to which would be most beneficial or profitable—to reclaim the land or preserve the basin as a receptacle for the watery and so assist the scour of the river. ;

In any case there will always, I should think, be more or less scouring away of the earthworks through the fascines, and the paps rock protection for the embankment is bound to find its way into the river, as we can see by that used as pro-

tective works in the last contract executed here, which is now crumbling away, and only finishedahout 8 months.—l am, &c., Pro Bono Publico.