The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JUNE 6. THE PROTECTIVE EMBANKMENT.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 84, 6 June 1913, Page 5

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: FRIDAY, JUNE 6. THE PROTECTIVE EMBANKMENT.

The ratepayers of Balclutha having on Wednesday sanctioned the loan for their portion of the cost of the protective embankment, the county council laving agreed to its quota, and the subsidy of £2700 being already authorised by the Government, it is sincerely to be hoped that there will be no unnecessary delay iu having the works put into jieeution. We understand that his Worship the Mayor has the assurance that I tic Public Trust Office is willing to ad- : visee the amount of the borough loan. : Here seems no reason, therefore, why a : start bhouLl not be made with the works ■ilmost immediately. At anyrate, it is i toped there will be no official delays • oteasionerl by red-tape or otherwise. As U preliminary a start might be made ■ immediately with the clearing of the : trees, gorse, etc., from the embank;«Mt, preparatory to the commencement r of the protection works proper. The .Mayor informs us that the Public Works Department has agreed to supply the ; necessary plans aud specifications for b the work, and this should expedite matters considerably, besides no doubt rej Mag the cost. It must be admitted [tlat the Government has acted very expeditiously and generously iu connects with the whole matter —a striking tontrast to indecision and indefiniteness Kilich has been the experience for many ■ ears l ,aß t- We would like to see the forts well advanced towards completion before what may be termed the danger-perioil for floods in the Clutha—--111 the spring, when warm winds and juos briiijr down the snows from the country. There is every reason % the borough council and the Public or ks Department should keep the V&g flood possibilities in view and a, e the works pushed on with all speed. 6 season has been so unsettled and the isnoiint of snow on the mountains in the Ttv Wat<?rS^B d as no t b een 30 great ' is season for many years, therefore e outlook should not be regarded with e6 mgs of equanimity. Old residents ~° ave com e down from Lakes dis- ' or the winter show tell us that e 'e has not been so much snow on the Mntains at this time of the year since n fact, they tell us that the snow Mine on even earlier this year than ,' at the time of the big flood. They v e g°°,i reason £ 0 remem fo er these has always been conni/f Sa *' e *° ' ,eavft sheep on the high J?. til, about the end of April be1, 1 them down to the lower nih '• s "' ear snows came on tesiiit'u ver 3 r heavy fall,—the jL em 8 that many thousands of lean. | WPre b ' of ' sfecl > with resultant 1,,!.:' ® sses ' Snow raking—that is, jjj| ' rac ks through the snow to entail ~° brought down—has iitoon j 6 resor t e <l to—a thing almost ed 80 car 'y in the season, o Je !s ever Y reason to fear that ®"»!ita' S erer ' las ' os t his Hfe on the ' B8 ' e > with his horse and two out ahou t a fortnight ago, of eu there have been no traces " I,i »iibliw n ', horse 01 d °S s - There is the hip}, a § e am ount of snow on its w CoUntr - v i an< l this should carry tettioj, f t ' lo,e » n terested in pro- ' D ' ower 'eve'stotifta progress made so far ,5% 3tiH e k°P e that there will be no t'tlejw 6 dela y in the carrying out &dditi 0 n j' 0 " Works at balclutha. In ° j^ e wor ks on the embank- " i«? increasing anxiety totoia i ma< * e the removal of , & t the north end of the l to afford increased

water-way at a very dangerous point. Tenders closed for the work some ten days ago, and although there is nothing authoritative it is stated as probable that the work will cost considerably more than the £3OOO voted for it. It will be unfortunate if there is any tlelay on this score. But the removal of this barrier to the flood waters cannot be too strongly insisted upon. It must be part and parcel of the works for the protection of the town, and must be carried out whatever the cost may be.