RIVER PROTECTION

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 93, 21 April 1931, Page 14

RIVER PROTECTION

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Mr. Hewer, chairman of the Hutt River Board,";statcs it is not his intention to indulge in a'long-newspaper controversy.. Why" did he start it then? I. had no wish to: indulge, but under the circumstances had no option. Now 1 wish to emphatically protest against his using his position ■as chairman of the River ; Board to make damaging public stateIments.regarding the affairs of a ratepayer and force him to have to refute them publicly. You will notice in his reply ho ignored' the points i raised, but gave a .damaging insinuation, called the land ['•'beach land and .hej was'not in favour of protecting,it," just because one corner is subject to extremely.high floods. On.the same reasoning all. Lower Hutt wasj ."beach land," because at.one .time it was <M flooded from time to time. The people of the Lower Hutt should be thankful that the river boards,of long ago did not reason as-the, present chairman does,*for .beach land should not be'protected. Tho, [ owner must do. his own .work. , . ..-., Mr. Hewer has answered the pointed question in my lhst~.lot.tcr by his statement I asked, was Mr.' Hewer, prepared to allow that valuable area of land (compris-, ing several hundreds of acres) including the Hutt Golf-Links, to be subject to high floods and wastage every year? He would apparently -call it all "beach land," and say- it therefore should not be protected. That .'m'jich is clear. Ido not wish' to say/mora'than this: I trust the other; members of:tha board have different ideas. ■ In niy letters I tried to remember and appreciate tliat they are doing an onerous work, ..gratis, which should be appreciated .fully.-, I hope they will have the ambition -to erect, stopbanks to protect all the land that is:;left, for they have capable men in! their employ to deviKe.and carry out:thev-wprk.-'and. the financing.at present is easy.— -I am, etc., J...W. WALKER: '■