OUTLET TO LAKE FORSYTH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 21

OUTLET TO LAKE FORSYTH

Member Blamed For ! Delay ASSERTION BY HON. R. SEMPLE Twice during his trip to Akaroa and back yesterday the Hon. R. Semple (Minister for Public Works) told gatherings that if it had not been for an objection raised in the House by Mr H. S. S. Kyle, M.P. (Riccarton), preparations for the provision of a permanent outlet to Lake Forsyth would have by now been begun. Mr Semple said that he had made an extra effort to have the necessary clause included in one of the final bills of last session, when things were very rushed. Mr Kyle had approached him and had been referred to the Prime Minister on the morning of the day that the bill was to be introduced in the House. The clause had finally been included in the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill, and when this was before the House Mr Kyle had raised his objection, and the matter had been, dropped. Mr Semple referred to Mr T. H. McCombs, M.P., who accompanied him on the trip, for confirmation of this. Mr Semple mentioned the matter at Akaroa and again at Little River, where he stopped for a short time at the Banks Peninsula Power Board’s office. Mr Semple explained to both, gatherings that when a bill of this nature was brought before the House and ■was sponsored by the members for the districts concerned, that it went through unless there was any great objection. It was naturally considered that the member sponsoring the bill had satisfied himself of the need for the measure. When, however, a member for the district or part of it raised, an’■objection to the hill or one of Its clauses, as had happened in this case, the part objected to was naturally dropped. The members of the Power Board were assured by Mr Semple that he looked on the flood menace at Little River as a very serious matter. He had been there" before, and had a good idea of the position. Much of the trouble was caused by the willows, but he had made arrangements for these to be pulled out. He was assured by Mr F. Langbein, District Public Works Engineer, that a machine for the job had already been requisitioned. On the way to Akaroa yesterday the Ministerial car was held up two or three times by deep water covering the road from the switchback to Little River and beyond. Where the road first reaches the shores of Lake Forsyth a deviation was made through some fields, but immediately that it was necessary to get back on to the road again long sheets of water, some of them nearly two feet deep, were encountered, and the water came well up over the running boards of the cars.

After Mr Semple’s car had stuck twice it was towed through the remaining bad by a car driven by Mr J. Coop, who had brought a party to meet the minister at Motukarara. The minister’s car was adjusted before the trip back, which was accompi; "hed without difficulty. The road round the lake will not be properly clear, for traffic for two or three days, according to a t message from the Automobile Association (Canterbury) last evening. Where the track leads out on to the road from the fields there is a deep, soft pool, and motorists are advised to use caution when travelling along this road.