WAIKATO FLOODS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27090, 13 July 1953, Page 8

WAIKATO FLOODS

Water Still Rising At Mercer

LEVELS ELSEWHERE ALMOST STEADY

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 12. A day of brilliant sunshine gave residents in the Waikato flood areas fresh hope today, but as night fell men were still attempting to stop the inroads of the river.

The flood at Mercer seems to be near its peak. After rising three inches more during Saturday night, the level gained only 1$ inches in 12 hours today. The water was still rising slowly as Army personnel and railway workmen prepared for another night-long struggle. Armed with thousands of sandbags, to be filled from a train which arrived from the south at 5.30 p.m., they are battling to keep clear one track of the Main Trunk line. The other track is inundated and unusable.

The principal danger spot tonight is at Kellyville, a mile north of the Mercer railway station. Railway g?ngs have already placed a double row of more than 7000 sandbags for more than a quarter of a mile alongside the Mercer station to stop the flood waters from reaching the huge swamp on the Water almost completely covers the road in Mercer township. Express Trains Run

All three express trains from Auckland were able to run through Mercer tonight, although they could not keep to time-table. Railway officials were confident that the line would be kept open. During the week-end, the water rose about seven inches at Mercer, and today the wharf was covered to a depth of about 18 inches in places. The flood has subsided slightly at Rangiriri and Huntly, and at Ngaruawahia the level of the Waipa river has dropped four feet. Residents in the Te Kohanga district and low-lying„parts of Onewhero, Pukekawa, and Glen Murray reported that the flood level was steady, but spring tides are preventing the river from gaining full access to the sea. In spite of the grave shortage of feed, stock losses are not heavy. The flood danger at Ngatea, on the Hauraki Plains, seems to have passed. Spring tides in the Firth of Thames at the week-end were expected to bank up the Piako river, but a strong southerly wind, which blew for most of the day, kept the waters from pouring Inland. Stores Delivered by Boat Rangiriri families are receiving their meat, bread, and groceries each day from an outboard motor-boat service run by the storekeeper, Mr R. Pulham. Four families are billeted in the Rangiriri School. The Army rescue detachment went in its special trucks to Mr K. N. Holmes’s farm at Te Kauwhata, and about 200 hoggets were rescued from a small patch of land from which they had eaten all the grass several days ago. Some farmers have now been off their land for four days, and are milking their herds on the properties of more fortunate neighbours. An appeal by Waikato Federated Farmers for aid to farmers in the the flooded areas has had an immediate and generous response. The provincial secretary of Federated Farmers (Mr J. R. Turnbull) has spent hours at his telephone, writing down details of the help offered. A Matamata farmer has offered free of charge 500 bales of hay, valued at more than £lOO. and grazing for 50 cattle for a month. Another farmer is willing to give 30 tons of hay, worth more than £2OO.

A Waitetuna farmer will graze 100 head of cattle, and offers the use of his milking shed. A woman with a farm near Whakamaru has given between 30 and 40 tons of hay, and will deliver it free of cost to the flooded area. Manv other farmers have made similar offers. Retired Solicitor’s Gift

Seven hundred bales of hay have been given by an 86-year-old retired Auckland solicitor, Mr J. G. Haddow, who owns a farm at Henderson. A truck load of the hay was taken to Mercer today by an Auckland businessman who wishes to remain anonymous. The hay is being distributed for the Department of Agriculture by the Mercer police. A company which distributes fertiliser from the air has offered the use of four aeroplanes and pilots. The full extent of the help required will not be known until the flood waters recede. Many paddocks may be badly silted, and will be useless for feeding stock until the spring. The Department of Agriculture has decided to set up a disaster committee to assess the flood damage and determine farmers’ needs. The committee will comprise representatives of the Departments of Agriculture and Lands, the Minister of Works, and Federated Farmers. It will report to the acting-Prime Minister (Mr K. J. Holyoake).

FLIGHTS OVER FLOOD AREAS

AUCKLAND AERO CLUB’S BUSY WEEK-END (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 12. More than 100 persons hired Auckland Aero Club planes to take them over the Waikato flood areas at the week-end. Many were farmers wanting to see the extent of the damage to their farms: others were anxious relatives: and some were merely sightseers. It was the busiest week-end the club had had for many months. Requests for flights were refused, although tour aircraft were in use. Hundreds of motorists from Auckland and districts south of the city flocked to Mercer yesterday to see the flood damage. Transport Department inspectors had to stop many of them from using the Kellyville bypass over the hills to the township, as the road was slippery and becoming dangerous. Today all roads into Mercer were blocked by Transport Department officers.