River Protection.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 213, 12 March 1907, Page 2

River Protection.

i The visit of the Minister of Lands ! to the Aorangi settlement yesterday, j iv connection with river protection i works, directs attention to what is ! more than a local danger. Indeed, j if the inroads which the river is making above the Aorangi bridge are allowed to go much further, the probabilities aro that the country surrounding Palmerston, if not the borough itself, will suffer considerably. For years the encroachments have gone on without any systematic attempt being made to stem the threatened danger, although individual settlers have spent hundreds of pounds in futile endeavours to save their own properties from destruction. When the Government was negotiating for the purchase of the land now comprised in the Aorangi settlement, this danger was pointed out, but tho present Act-ing-Premier ridiculed the idea of any difficulty arising that the settlers could not cope with. Years have proved that tho fears then expressed wcro well-founded, and an inspection of the lot ality leaves no room for doubt as to immediate action being i.ecessary. How that will be brought about is the problem which will have to bo faced, although we certainly think that it is the duty of the Government, wbo own the land immediately fronting the river where the encroachment is proceeding, to take steps to deal with the matter as soon as possible.