HARBOR SCHEME.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1921, Page 4

HARBOR SCHEME.

SHORTAGE OF STONE IN SIGHT NEW SUPPLY SOUGHT. The question of quarrying Parltutu for stone required for harbor construction at New Plymouth, a matter which was the subject of much discussion and not a little adverse criticism some time ago, is likely to be opened up again in the near future. According to information gathered by a Daily News reporter, those responsible for the work of developing the harbor are being forced to the conclusion that within six months the Harbor Board will be faced with the choice of either opening up a quarry in Paritutu, or ex’periencing a further check in the progress of the work on account of the shortness of the supply of accessible stone, the only alternative being an adequate supply from the Alt. Egmont quarry.

A survey of the ground is stated to show the suitability of Paritutu for quarrying, and that the stone could be obtained from this source much more quickly and cheaply than from any other place. It is considered that the supply of rock at the Fishing Rock quarry will be exhausted in six months’ time, and probably much sooner, and the question arises, will a sufficient output of stone be obtained from Moturoa Island to carry on the work even at the present rate of progress? Working full time, the converted dredge Thomas King is now only able to dispose of an average of about 200 tons of stone per day from the Fishing Rock quarry, and it is doubtful if she could handle even that amount from Moturoa Island, and this without taking into consideration ths fact that rough weather will seriously hamper work on the island. There remains, then, the other proposals of obtaining stone from the Mt Egmont quarry or from Paritutu, or securing more efficient machinery for handling a larger output from Aloturoa Island. It is considered the two latter proposals offer the greatest hope of economically prosecuting' the harbor scheme, since a large and economical -supply of stone is* the greatest essential to the rapid and urgently required progress of the work.

Those in a position to know estimate that a much larger and more conveniently delivered supply can be taken from Paritutu at about half the cost of that which, could be railed from the Mt. Egmont quarry. From observations made and estimates given it would appear that the stone at Pantuiu could be made accessible for an outlay of about £2OOO. A straight line could be laid from the Harbor Board’s workshop at the breakwater right into the quarry, and although the grade would be steep this would offer little objection to the economical handling of the stone, all that would be required being a winch at the top of the incline to lower the laden trucks to the breakwater level, and to haul the empty trucks up again. From the foot of the hill the stone could be hauled by a loco motive in the usual manner. It is a matter that must be faced and settled in the near future.