The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1903. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 90, 26 August 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1903. HARBOUR IMPROVEMENTS.

0 , ♦ i- In the course of the opposition cam a paign to the hirbour ecfaeme, thi s'aternont has b;-e' repe.-*ted'y marie that, even if th ratepayers sanctioned the n;w loan, \ho 6utn is insuffie'ent to give nc comnioc'ation to direct stiamers, ~ Naturally, tie answer to this is t-.> quote the report of the Engineers, Mts.vrs Napier Bell and W. A. Marer chiiit. There are, howev.-r, many ratepayers >•• ho p i fi-r to D3iieyj Mr Mqx we'l *bo, although wh.-.n Chairman of the Board u r hoid Mr.Merchant's reputation as a marine engineer, sets his opinion against that; of the engineers - in question. It is fortunate, however, thao we are able to show that what Messrs Bell and Marchant say-) can be Loecniplidhtd here has actually been accomplished at Timaru, under much g ' greater disadvantages, acd under the advice and control of Mr Marchant in himself; so that when Mr Mai chant d- speaks of what can be done he speiks from actual and practical experienco. The eucccss of tha harbcur works at d" Timaru is shown by the following extract from last Timaru Herald which, under the heidi.g "A Diy of Note," svys: " A record was m vlj yesterday iu th* workbg of the i% by the ber'hing ■ f two steamers together exceeding 15,000 tons at tho miin whrii', Uu i; ;G! recently it had br.enimpos.u; 1, to b.Tth 'two buch steameis as tho Delphic (475 ft 9in long, 8273 ton*-), and Suffolk (460fs sin long, 7100 tons) together at the main wharf, but by dint i.f persevering dredging at the light and at bouldery bot'om, a second dep b rh has been obtained, with 271*5 of water at low tide. [At New Plymouth 30ft, is to be provided.—Ed] There is not much space lost between the two big • a boats, and they take up the whole of the original wharf, and more,, the D-,1-pbic's stern being up to where the soaG, ward side of the T wharf used to be, and the Suffolk's bow is 60 feet along the new extension of the wharf. Bo h , boats aro ligh l -, bus there is plenty of j y water if they were deeper, The pre ie vious record aggregate length of steamers berthed at once at the main whavf * was 880 ft; the to'al length c.-f iha 1 Delphic and Suffolk txc'eds this by more than 50 fee f ." Now those who m know what Timaru was bofore the ts Harbour works commenced will, we think, agree that the chances of nnk- _ ing a good harbuur thero were even ;P , less than at New Pl} in mill, as tb.ey had not the shelter of the Sugar d. Loaves. In addition they had a shingle bot'om, much move ~ difficult to deal with aed mi;h more expensive to dredge. Owing to the unity and energy of tho people, id hough the work started ttu-sf-me time as at New Plymouth, it bus j;oue on continuously, uutil now th"y! , are ablo to deal wi h f lie 'urges *■ visa's ld as above. Wo are luM al.;o ( that although the laigest vissels arriving in B l the colony visit the port, Timaru ranks second to Wellington in _ cheapness for oversea ste lners. Hid the people there be«n i'.vided af.d talked about " no trade," ihey would have been where Ne>v Pljmou h is [. to-dry, with only a co'.stal port and t very little trade, ustead of b itig one 8 of the most prospeiom districts in the colony and having a trade Dunedin and Lyttelton, In the Nau-j tical Almanac we find the following

'■'■. .-> . ijb.u 11 j no c'.nnplctyd is one ~j(!-o!~ i'-v i»k '.' liii-', which "v.-.s hivu*'. : i:i •• cto-' ■', 1878. iiml fiainh-'d in 'IBB7. The b...■•';:■■■.:.i.e- '.-. 30 Uy-b wido at t.\c \y.., ■.)..■:,! h-.fi n;.-'.'ii it' • out from tho ■•: ■■" ; - v.-. •'■■ :'.'>■:■'■:■'"■■■ 'V L\o:t!i t'ui'l-u--a-- for "i'2so i\;-t, tic-ding th--i in -. ■ u c ,b c .'■'•' to tii • !,0,-.-.h ii win tun; d for l; fur her 1028 ieaK mukim; i ki'.nl l-!i.;;f-si of 2278 fo f.; th.> dst b dug £219,518, | in.) New Plymouth -r.akwatvr in 1900 feet in Innglh a;id it cost lei-s than £2OO 000.-Ed] On th.-f north-wet the hari'our_ in . oclosed by a rubble oklo 2400 f<>us low.', t'G end being piled. Tha spice enclosed is 50 n.crea. Authority has lien given to proceed with the con s ruction of a rubble mile from the ir.nd of tho ciouci-ofc-.) breakwater, in •■•■ and north.il/ direction, forming an ou'er harbour. The length of tho prop-s '.J molfi is 3000 f. et. Th s mole is in c:-urse of construction, hein« uow a distunes of 1600 foot out; its wntfrial effects are being folt already in reduc-d " rango" in the harbour, thus allowing vessels to be quite comfortable even during the heaviest Eea°. Tho ezpaaditura on acccuit of tho break water's n rth mole, wharves, atd portion of eastfin extension complete 1 lias been £3r>o,ooo. The ace immodadon for shipph g is now very considerdHo, moorii'gs being kid down to which several vessels can bs well secured, there art) besides 1800 feet if wharfage for berthing vesse's, The depth of water is from 14 feot to 26 feet at low water sprirg tides. During last year 37 steamers and sailing vessels wore lo.dod for th-. Uaitid Kingd ni and 19 for Su'h Africa, The revenue of the port from dues was £24,056 16s 3!, and from hirbour rate £6770." All hit has ho n dona for an expenditure of £330,000; yet we are told that the pivposed expenditure of £169,000 m.ki-ga total of £360,000, is iusuih' cunt, We think that might be safo'.j lift to Mr Merchant, who has bien s< .u cessful at Timaru, to decide, especi illy as Ins opinion has been OLiirmac by' Mr Napier Bill.