TARANAKI HARBOUR WORKS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 414, 26 October 1889, Page 5

TARANAKI HARBOUR WORKS.

New Plymouth, Oct. 23. At a meeting of the Harbour Board to-day, . a report on the New Plymouth Harbour signod by. Sir John Coode and !Mr J. Blackefct was read. The first pait consists of a review of ]\lr Blacketb's previous report, and then comes the consideration of sand growth, and items with i-ecommenda-tions. With regard to the last, Sir John Coode says that a wall, built by prison labour, from the shore to iVlikotahi, which was recommended by Mr Blackett to prevent the sand travelling round fche head ot tho breakwater, ought to be stopped, and its continuation to the twin lock abandoned. Sir John Coode thinks that the sand has not been drifting, and that some ot the diflerences which ha\o been attributed to the deuosits of sand are due to the discrepancies in soundings which aie to some extent in - i ovitable when fixing position of isolated depths over such a large area as that of the original surveys, and therefore recommends the sand to be dredged out by a hopper dredge similar to those extensively used in Holland and some of the French ports'. The plant, he say?, could ,be placed. at New .Plymouth, .ready .for work, for about £ll,OtiG,_ancl the cost of working would be about .i' 4,500 a year. Sir John Coode, in conclusion, recommends the employment <of this dredge. - Its adoption,* he says, nouldnot .be associated with- operations of a'rj.expoiimental character, and., aatisfaetoiy results can be confidently.. looked.. f©v _fiom its employment.. This would be -tho means of affording accommodation for vessels that trade in Now Zealand. ', CoofleancTßlacketb'boih strongly recommend that tho mode of pro'ce'dme they puG foi'Wftul for adoption be approved of.