FOXTON FLOODS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1710, 10 January 1920, Page 7

FOXTON FLOODS.

PROPOSAL TO CONDUCT A DRAIN-

AGE SCHEME.

REPORT OF A COMMISSION,

A largely attended meeting of persons interested' in matters of river protection, banking and flood protection_ in so far as they 'apply l;» the Manavvutu river, was held yesterday at Foxton. The Mayor (Mr J. Chrystal) presided. • The full report of a commissjon which took evidence in 1907 in connection with the

then proposed straightening of the Manawatu river and drainage of the lands in the. basin of the Manawatu, Oroua and Pohangina rivers was dealt with. Four schemes were submitted and the Commission favoured the one known as Messrs Pearce and Hennessey’s, which runs into the river at the Moutoa Maori church, explained the chairman. If the scheme were carried out

the value of the land in the vicinity would, bo considerably enhanced and prevented. Probably with modern machinery the work could bo done in six months. It might even be possible to secure machinery that had been used in excavating the Panama Canal. He hoped that the carrying out of the scheme would now be subjected to no further delays. THE FAVOURED PROJECT.

Referring to Messrs Pearce and Hennessey’s scheme the report says: “Its particular feature is that it will serve the present wharves at Foxton and reduce the distance trom there tc the heads by some two miles. It starts aU the Fisherman’s Point, and there cuts in an almost straight line for Foxton, through the flats there to the returned bend of the river, which it crosses, and then cuts through the point at Matakarapa immediately opposite the wharves. Then, crossing the river, and coming out a little to the east near Mrs Austin’s house, it hugs the foot of the dry land on tire extreme west side of the Moutoa lowlands, till it gets into the present river at the Moutoa Maori church. It has the advant-

age over two of the other schemes that it / is about one and a-quartcr miles shorter to Moutoa than they are, but it has the additional cutting to do, which makes up for this in cost. There is a slight benefit in the fall by this shorter distance, which is important. At the heads, too, it discharges straight out to sea, which is very desirable in view of the future improvements to the bar which the Harbour Board will no doubt undertake. Its cost as a scheme is about £350,0C0, and with its advantage in serving Foxton, its reduced length, the probability of its being in more solid ground, and so needing less bank, protection, -we are inclined to recommend it as the most suitable solution of the difficulty in getting rid of this serious flooding on one of the finest, and, no doubt, when drained, most productive areas in the Dominion. The question who should bear tlio cost of carrying out this scheme requires careful consideration. No doubt the -whole of the 70,000 acres subject to flood -should contribute, but it was urged that a considerable portion of the country outside that area sludd also contribute—in fact, the whole watershed—on the ground that the water and silt from it contribute to the damage; also that the towns whit . would benefit commercially by the increased productiveness of the relieved area and by the improvement of the port should contribute ; and also that the Government should assist, either by subsidy or by endowment. It is true that the principal part of the flood waters comes from the upper watershed, including the Pohangina, Kiwitea and Oroua counties, but it seems to us that-it only comes in a natural way. The settlers in those districts, by felling file hush, etc., are only doing what in the ordinary course of the enjoyment of land, they are entitled to do, and the waters get into the river by gravitation only. It would, therefore, wc think, be unfair to iiolcf them liable for any damage such waters may do, or to ask them to contribute towards the iclicf of the lower flooded land. The rivers are the natural drains of the country, and as such every settler is entitled to drain into them. The* tipper counties, therefore—viz., Pohangina, Kiwitea, and Oroua—should bo excluded from the area which should be called on .to provide the money for this scheme. Wo think also that the towns should be excluded, for Though they would benefit to some extent commercially, that benefit’would be small and confined to aTew merchants.”

- Continuing, the report gave full reasons for assistance from the Government going fully into tha matter of the land development that would result. Also various recommendations were made concerning control of different reaches of the river. PROPAGATION OF THE SCHEME. The matter was then put before the meeting for discussion, and on the motion of Mr P. Hennessey it was resolved that the report of the Commission in relation to tire schemes suggested should be printed and copies circulated among the ratepayers of areas subject to flooding. Some discussion ensued when the scheme proposed by Messrs Akers and Seifert was brought up by Mr Pearce, who said that the schemes wore opposed to one another. Mr Jickell, on behalf of the Makerua settlors who are interested in the private banking scheme, explained that the delay in commencing the larger undertaking had been responsible for the Makerua settlers taking the initiative. He could not say whether they were still prepared to fail in with the “cut.” Finally it was decided on the motion of the chairman that a progress committee should be set up, consisting of ton members, two from Makerua, two from Tiaki-tahuna-Taonui, two from Rangiotu, two from Shannon-Eoputaroa, and two from Foxton and Moutoa to further the pro-

posal of forming an overflow channel 'on the Manawatu ri\ cr as a protection against floods, to revise Government esti-

mates of work, and further to report progress on one, favoured definite scheme to

a mass mooting of ratepayers at the earliest" opportunity. A committee was sot up comprising the following:—Messrs W. B. V. Pearce and W. E. Barber (Rangiotu), W. Ross and H. Akers (Makerua), F. Bryant and P. J. Hennessey (Shannon), B. G. Gower and J. Chrystal (Foxton), McEwcn and Nielsen (Tiakitahuna). THE PARLIAMENTARY ASPECT. In response to a request for an opinion as to the probable attitude of tiro Government, Mr E. Newman, M.P., expressed the pleasure it gave him, to be in the position of representing Foxton in Parliament. Ho had always been deeply interested in the work of the town and district, although it was to his friend Air Field that the credit was duo of having put the Harbour Board scheme through. He was surprised that the scheme under review had not been taken in hand earlier, and he felt sure that the Government would be in complete accord, on account of the increased production that would result. The Minister of Public Works should bo communicated with as soon as he’ was appointed, and induced to visit- the locality. The scheme would benefit a largo district, and though there might be conflicting opinions, private interests' would not bo allowed to interfere with the benefit of the whole. The increased velocity given to the current would help to clear away the bar. The conditions in Foxton were very good, and sonic clay the town would bo a groat port Ho felt'sure that the Minister would, bo glad to signify his rise to office by doing something substantial. A member: By giving a few thousand pounds. RESOLUTIONS OF COMMITTEE. The meeting adjourned at this stage and a brief meeting of the committee was held.

It was decided to adopt the rating area as recommended by the commission, and a further resolution was passed to the effect that the Government should bo strongly recommended to revise estimates of tjie work entailed On executing the favoured scheme. On the motion of Air Baldwin it was agreed that a petition should bo circulated among ratepayers in the flooduble area under th*o River Boards Act, with the idea of forming a River Board, to bo called the “Manawatu River Board.