LAKE ELLESMERE DRAINAGE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19624, 21 May 1929, Page 15

LAKE ELLESMERE DRAINAGE.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ASKED. .MINISTER'S BELATED REPLY. The Minister for Lands (Hon. Mr Forbes) was accused of evasion by the Ellesmei* Lands Drainage Board at its J last meeting, when a reply to a request made by a deputation last Janu- j ary was received from the Minister. The deputation asked whether the Government would give an assurance that, if the Drainage Board could find an improved scheme for letting out the waters of Lake Ellesmere, which would meet with the approval ot the Pub.ic Works Department's engineers, financial assistance to put the scheme into operation would be forthcoming from the Lake Ellesmere Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust Bund. The Minister replied: 'I have obtained a report from my Department, but find that as any financial assistance granted would require appropriation on the Public Works Estimates, the question was one for decision by the Minister for Public Works, and a copy of the notes taken at the interview has therefore been referred to the Public Works Department tor consideration. It appe ars - however that similar representations were made last year to the then Minister for Public Works through Mr D. Jones,. M.P., who was informed of the attitule of the Public Works Department towards the project, and this attitude, I understand, has not changed. At the inter- , view I intimated that I would arrange with the Minister for Public Works for an engineer to discuss Mr Stewart's scheme with the Board, but I was not then aware that certain requirements of the Public Works Department in this connexion had previously been conveyed to Mr Jones and presumably communicated to the Drainage Board I would susgest that the requirements of the Public Works Department be met, and that definite proposals and estimates in connexion with the work be formulated and communicated to my colleague, who would then be in a position to consider the question of financial assistance to the Board." "It seems to be a case of side-step-ping," commented a member. The chairman (Mr R. M. D. Morten) said that Mr Forbes was mistaken in saying that a similar request was made last vear to the then Minister for Public Works, through Mr Jones. The question of financial assistance had not been raised on that occasion. What the Board has asked was that the Minister for Public Works should permit an engineer attached to his Department to express an opinion regarding the outline of a scheme placed before the Board by Mr R. T. Stewart, of Dunedin. It was useless to obtain detailed specifications concerning Mr Stewart's or any other scheme until the Board knew' whether the Government would give financial assistance for a scheme which its engineers were prepared to approve. The purchase of plant and'its installation were entirety dependent upon whether Government assistance would be given. Mr Forbes had not been asked to commit the Government to any particular scheme. The question was a pertectly simple one and the Minister should have had no difficulty in saying "Yes" or ">.o. The clerk said that the question was undoubtedly one for the Lands Department to answer, notwithstanding the Minister's statement to the con"Time is going on, and the settlers around Lake Ellesmere, who are mostly men in a small way, are suffering severely through the flooding of their land," said a member. It was agreed that the clerk should write to the Minister, through Mr H. S. S. Kyle, M.P., restating the question put to him in January, and asking that an answer be given as soon as possible. With regard to the letting out of the lake, the clerk stated in his report that it would be courting failure to attempt the work with the water at its present level. He advised waiting until the water was a little higher. It was agreed that the Lake Outlet Committee should put the work in hand immediately it considered the time and conditions suitable.