ST. CLAIR BEACH.

Evening Star, Issue 17365, 29 May 1920, Page 8

ST. CLAIR BEACH.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—While I think that Mr Slinger's observations on the trouble at the beach and his suggested remedy therefor are in the mam quite sound, I cannot agree with him on one point, in which he attributes the present trouble to the building of the esplanade wall and the roadway* to the eastwards of it. I think wo must "O further back than that for the origin of the trouble. As I have previously pointed out in your columns, there is .little to be said in favor of the practice of dumping stone on a sandy beach; while it may not cause any considerable, erosion, it must assuredly hinder the deposition of material. The waves breaking amongst stones naturally cause a certain amount of eddying, which will keep any sand • in suspension on tho move. _What astonishes me about this matter (it the beach is that the people of St. Clair have been content tor nearly 12 months to sit still with this ever-present danger at their doors, while the Citv Council, Domain Board, and Government engaged in a triangular discussion, which ! could not possibly lead to anything I tangible. Tho City pockets all the i revenue which is obtained from the beach j in the shape of tram fares, etc. Whv, I then, do they shirk their plain duty? Is I it to satisfy the personal opinions and i grievances of ia, few individuals? If I they cannot set aside their personal dif- ! ferences and do their duty to the City, i they should mako way for younger men, ; who would get something done "in place j of arguing about things of which their ! knowledge, after all is only very limit:-*!, j To anyone who hns studied the problem ; of foreshore prctscti-jn tho constantly re- ; iterated opinions of those opposed to the j erection of groynes would' bo amusing j were the question not one likely to be' fraught with such serious consequences. ! It recalls to mind the bitter opposition j of the townspeople of Hokitika a few [ years ago to tho erection of groynes. Owing to the extension of the breakwater, the beach to tho leeward had been eroded, and one side of Revcll street seriously damaged. I think it was Mr Fnrkett who recommended the erection of groynes, and, in the face of strenuous opposition from the population of tho ; town, ho proceeded with the work. Be- i fore the whole of the groynes were erected j the beach had made up considerably, and | it continued to do so. Mr Furkett'is one : of the very few engineers in New Zealand who is qualified to sp°ak with any authority on the subject of foreshore pro- , tect.inn. having studied tho subioct' hi ! England and on the coasts of Europe, i where the saying'of land from the seal has been carried to a fine art. j In an article which I contributed to your columns in July of last yenr I endeavored to trace the causes "which ire operating unfavorably on tho St. Clair Beach, and also to explain the effect whidi properly-constructed t'roynos would V-e ' likely to have. I would recommend those ' inteivsVd in the matter to read tho works • of A. E. Carey and G. 0. Ease, both | eminent maritime engineers pud specialists in their particular branch of engineering work. One regrettable feature of the recent discussion is the attack which has been made on the chairman of tho Domain : Board. It is poor thanks for the years of ; work which he has given ungrudginslv to tho building up of the beach. A work ■ well done, and onlv spoiled in part by th" ' ! interference of others. " I Finally, let us have no more dumping ! of rock on the beach, but get to work and j carry out the recommendation of the one ; man whom we. know to. be thoroughly | qualified to speak on the question.—l nrri, j etc., San-dx. St. Kilda, May 29. j [Reference to our correspondent's vain- ; able article of July 3, 1919, shows that he attributes beginning of erosion to i the stone walls built in the late seventies i somewhere about the site of the present I esplanade. _ This ante-dates Mr Slinjrer's I local experience; otherwise "Sandy" is! in perfect accord with him on this matter. The same mav be snid on the matter of crroynes'. as "Sandy's" article stated : ' " An attempt at groyning the bench was made in 1905, but unfortunately the work appears to have been only half completed, resulting in a possible source of danger rather than a protection. . . . Xo drive a row of piles across the beach and expect it to arrest the. sand travel is analogous to expecting the framework of a house to keep out the rain. . . . Tf groynes are to be a success it is imperative that there b? no under-run beneath them."—Ed. E.S.]