WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22465, 28 July 1938, Page 6

WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

PHOTOGRAPHIC AERIAL SURVEY ASSISTANCE FOR DOWNLANDS PROPOSAL A series of aerial photographs of the country to be reticulated under the Downlands water supply scheme is being prepared in the North Island for the Public Works Department. The photographs were taken about two months ago with a special camera of the type now widely used for this work, which will prove of immense value to the irrigation engineers who are now formulating the details of the scheme. The Public Works Estimates, which were published in “The Press” yesterday, show that £615 has been allowed for the survey, which is similar to that made of {he. Rangitata flood prevention area. Tn the Rangitata area, 49,000 acres were taken in by the camera, with 174 “shots,” each of the large prints having a 60 per cent, overlap on its neighbour. The pilot makes “runs ’ up the strip to be surveyed, taking photographs every 15 seconds from a height of 9300 ft. The prints, which are all numbered and filed, with a lithographed map of the area, show also the time and altitude at which they were taken, and can be referred to by numbers pasted on the map. so that when engineers want to know the nature of a section of land, the two overlapping prints which show it are placed in a stereoscopic viewer, an arrangement of mirrors and lenses which allows the land to be seen in relief as from a height of 9300 ft. Trees and hedges stand out, and houses, railway lines, and bridges, and the breakers near the Rangitata huts, appear boldly. It is thus possible to tell at a glance whether a certain thin line in one of the prints is a ditch or a hedge, and all the features of the country are easily distinguished. The photographs will be invaluable to the engineers working under Mr A. D. Todd, on the Downlands scheme, for what they reveal could not be incorporated in ordinary maps without great expense, and then only clumsily and inconveniently. To have all the features of the area to be worked on compactly presented will enable the pipelines to be placed in the best possible way. and it will eliminate the risk of error. Another survey mentioned in the estimates was that for the proposed North Otago irrigation scheme, but though some investigation was made for a possible site for the headquarters, nothing further has been done, and no. survey is being made yet. MODEL MAORI PA CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT AROWHENUA Work is in progress now on the model pa being built by the Ratana population of the Arowhenua Maori settlement, and a pallisade of sharpened sticks about four feel high is going up on the main road, about one mile south of Temuka. beside the Ratana memorial gate. The section, which has been cleared of unwanted growth will eventually hold a complete replica of a Maori settlement of earlier times, and it is intended that some of the buildings will be habitable. Native strubs have been planted and appear to be flourishing. Rushes, wood, and ponga, or tree-fern, have been lying waiting use for some time now. The consignment of fern trunks, which came by rail from the south, was the first large lot ever to be imported into South Canterbury, where normally the ponga is not found. Carvers from the North Island will be employed to make the decorative facings, of which designs have been prepared. CHURCH ARMY VAN MISSION OPERATIONS IN TEMUKA AND WINCHESTER The Church Army Van Mission in the Temuka district, which is controlled by Captain J. Walton and Cadet Bunce, since March 8 has travelled 3000 miles, visiting parishes at the invitation of the clergy, and hundreds of homes between Waimate and Winchester. The mission is for lay members of the Church of England, is self supporting, and has been operating in New Zealand for two years, A good congregation attended the final service at St. Peter.’s, Temuka, before the van left for Winchester, Captain Walton taking the service, assisted by Cadet D. Bunce. The text of the sermon was “Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.” A nativity play was presented at Temuka with children from the Sunday school, who had been worked up into a cast in 10 days by the missioners. Four Biblical scenes were performed, and Mr H. Talbot was organist. Services will be held at Winchester during the- week and homos of church people will be visited. TEMUKA CALEDONIAN SOCIETY LOSS OP £5/7/- REPORTED A very poor financial position was revealed by the secretary of the Temuka Caledonian Society (Mr J. Denison) at a meeting of the directors on Tuesday. There had been poor attendances at the social evenings, be reported, and for this he blamed bad weather. Mr W. F. Evans said that there certainly were not as many attending the functions as should be_. The society had suffered a loss of £5 7s so far, but decided to carry on to the end of August, as arranged. Accounts for £6 13s fid were passed for payment. Since the resignation of Mr W. T. Kingston as a director seemed imminent, it was decided to send him a letter of appreciation for his past support, and expressing hopes for an early recovery from his illness. The -president (Mr James King), who was in the chair, proposed voles of sympathy with Mrs Bateman and Mr R. Martin, both of whom were reported ill. WOMEN’S INSTITUTE HILTON The Hilton Women’s Institute met recently. Miss Omelvena presided. Two members were appointed to take part in the exhibition to be held in Timaru in August. Competitions resulted:—Apron, Mrs Jones 1, Miss Omelvena 2; tomato sauce, Mrs Toomey 1, Mrs Leary 2; marrow, Mrs Toomey 1, Mrs Breton 2.