FLOOD LOSSES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 6, 7 July 1938, Page 6

FLOOD LOSSES

NATIONAL DANGER

MINISTER PRAISED

I The recent lridjx>r'flood disasters is ! Hawfce's Bay drew attention to tha need for preventive measures, the Hon. J. E. Duncan (Auckland) stated in the Legislative Council yesterday, and he paid tribute fo jthfi; Minister; of Public [Works for the wa^ he was facing the problem. Apart from the losses fcaused by floods, he said, the national'losses jby erosion were gpeat. ' ' i The forest lands of New Zealand had been -reduced until -they now covered only about 12 per cent, of the area of the country, Mr. Duncan saicl, and that [ shrinkage meant that there was little jor no check to the flow of the rainf all. Instead of being held by natural reservoirs for a time, ( the rain could flood i the - lower country and sweep* away | good' land. • The task .of correcting the evil brought about,by* the destruction lof forest should be tackled right away. It had been undertaken in the Argentine, and the latest reports Stated there j was no longer any danger there. The same could be dorift in New Zealand, and he believed Mr. Semple jwOuld devote the same energy to the task .that he displayed in other .directions.