ST. CLAIR GROYNES.

Evening Star, Issue 17597, 28 February 1921, Page 7

ST. CLAIR GROYNES.

to tux editor.

Sir, —The groynes at St. Clair are without doubt a failure, and those responsible for the waste of public money should at once resign without waiting to be pushed out. Before the groynes were started even laymen could see that they would not be a success. The proposition always seemed ridiculous to rao placing groynes end-on to tho ebb and flow of the waves. When the beach has made up it has always been when the wind has been from the north, north-west, or north-east, and when the wind was from the south, south-west, or south-east the sand has been scoured out. This has always taken place even before a single groyne was placed on the beach, and I have known this beach for over forty years. A certain member of the Domain Board has said that be has been building sandhills for over thirty years. Well, I think it must be in his mind, and if the other members of the board have been doing the same thing it is no wonder that they decided on the present groynes. However, they have experimented at the people’s cost, and their works have proved a complete failure. They will probably blame the Public Works engineer for this failure, and not without reason; but the board should be competent to pick the best scheme after hearing expert evidence on the subject. If it cannot do this it is no use to tho people, who have to bear the burden of taxes.

Would you please publish the cost of these groynes up to the present time? 1 would suggest that Cr M’Donald should call a public meeting at St. Clair to discuss the situation, and suggest that competitive designs should be advertised for for the effective protection of the beach and sandhills. We want a decent beach at St Clair, and we want to keep our sandhills, therefore we must wake up and find the best method to do so. We mnst recognise that in all our dealings with the great elements, the sea and the wind, we must humor them to do what we wash, and to do this we must use our braine to the best advantage. Competitive designs placed before a board of engineer selected by a public meeting would, in ray opinion, be the best way of arriving at a solution of the problem". Do not limit the competition to engineers only, as engineering inventions are not always originally worked out by professional engineers. It will bo enough for engineers to carry out any scheme that may be decided upon. Plans of the 'beach should be supplied to all who wish to compete; two prizes should be offered. —I am, etc., it. Bruce. February 28. ________