TOWN PROTECTION.

Mataura Ensign, 22 April 1913, Page 4

TOWN PROTECTION.

i The Borough Council at last night's I meeting wisely agreed to refer the request of the deputation of business men that waited upon it to the Works Committee to take action. Tho protection of the town from future floods is the most important matter before the inhabitants at the present time and should )>e taken in hand at once. The committee will no doubt go on with the necessary preliminaries so that its successors in office will not have to commence afresh: but continue its work. We have no doubt that the Government' will assist the borough to the extent of £ for £. The Government has large interests in the town. It owns the railway block, which is worth a very large sum of money. Its tenants have a right to have their goods, protected at the ' expense of their landlord, and if the Government contributes the sum mentioned it will be the least it can do under the circumstances. There is no use speculating as to the cost and the-' best way to protect the town until the works have been reported upon by competent engineers. Probably the cheapest and most expeditious manner to take up the question would be to immediately ask the Gpvenrment to provide half the cost. If it agrees to do so, then itshould be requested to send its own engineers to report upon the proposal. They would have to agree to the works undertaken before the Government would pay tho half-cost, and might as well do the whole of the engineering work. If the Government will not agree to provide the engineers, then it might be asked to allow its officers, to work with the Council's engineer. "There is no doubt that tho works should be proceeded with now so that they may be well advanced before the spring, when the-winter snows melt, sdmetimes very suddenly, under the influence of the warm rains. It will take at least three months before the preliminary work is completed, and the sooner it is commenced the better. If the upper walls were completed before the spring it might save another inundation; for it must be remembered that the most severe floods previously experienced have occurred in the springtime.