of 300ft. by 60ft. Imagine this being borne up on the top of a wave, and being moored at each corner allowing only upward movement. What mooring or structure could hold such a strain? The anchors would be torn from holding ground or chains give way, and the sections being hinged together, one on the top of a wave and one in the hollow of the sea, the former would be pulling against the latter, with tons of water upon it. No water-tight structure could stand such a strain. The plan looks well in a drawing with smooth water, when they are all in an even line, but how would they be in a gale?” – Admiral Taylor is a claimant, as others are, on the public goodwill to have his system tried, and his first anxiety is to moor a section with life-saving apparatus, in deep water on the edge of the Goodwin Sands, where there is good holding ground, and where valuable service might be rendered by it to the cause of humanity. This proposed Asylum for shipwrecked sailors would be formed of a large section with cabins. &c., which cabins would not be required in the sections of which a breakwater would be made. We are no advocates of this plan or any other; but we wish our readers to see that, in the opinion of engineers there is more than one plan to be examined before these towns speculate blindly in harbour building. During the last agitation for a standing harbour, there were four plans submitted, and each had its warm partisans. Similar competition in floating breakwater plans would produce similar results; and without such competition no guarantee can be given to the ratepayers that they have been fairly dealt with. The Pier question is quite a distinct one from that of the harbour. The elegant iron pier offered by the builders of that at Southport has met with favour in the Council, who seem to think the neighborhood(sic) of Verulam place the best site for it. This is a scheme certainly more in accordance with the character of first-class towns of resorts for visitors.”
“The Ways and Means”. In one of the clauses of a communication from Mr. Womersley, the writer said – “As regards the question of ways and means, we have not been enlightened yet. Of the amount for anything of the harbour or breakwater kind, I would rather believe in sixty thousand than six; and for this there are three sources – a national expenditure, a local rating, and a raising of funds by way of a private enterprise. If the first, Parliament will see to it; if the last, it is a shareholder’s question. But let the ratepayers carefully watch that no attempt be made to fix an additional burden on them by way of rates, either by -
