RIVER PROTECTION WORKS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3462, 25 September 1926, Page 10

RIVER PROTECTION WORKS

ADDRESS TO ENGINEERS’ CON FUKEN CE. At tho Engineers’ Conference last evening Mr. S. Jickcll, engineer to the Palmerston North River Board, lectured on tho Manawatu river in its relation to tho Borough o£ Palmerston North and tho district of AokauJere. Ho explained tho various protective measures that had been taken at different times along the banks and commented on their usefulness or otherwise. As regards the Fitzroy bend he considered the erosion there had been a result of the beautiful quality of the land. Water laid only to lay against it. he said, and it melted away. The cut that the River Board had put through was 41 chains long whereas tho river around tho bend was twice that distance. When ho first camo to Palmerston North, tho river had its natural course whore the cut now was. Over 00 acres had been washed away since, land worth easily £IOO an acre. . "The question of river protection,” •ho sail, "resolved itself into this. If wo had plenty of money wo can do anything.” There should also be no pull amongst the members of the local bodies concerned in any wbrk, ho added. Half the trouble was that engineering plans were chopped and changed about and local bodies should have the stamina to form a plan and stick to it. No local body in Now Zealand had enough money to protect a river properly and such works should always be done on a national contribution. In tlianking Mr. Jickcll for his address, the chairman (Mr. T. A. Johnston) expressed regret that Mr. Jickcll had not, been present at the Dunedin conference when a paper on river protection contributed by Mr. C. .T. Monro, of Palmerston North, had been submitted for discussion. That paper was very severely criticised by some of Hie leading engineers, said tlie speaker and the conclusion conic to was that such matters could safely bo left to engineers without reference to opinions of outsiders notwithstand- I ing tho interest they might take in the subject. ENGINEERS INSPECT DISTRICT VISIT TO GORGE AND RIVER. The visiting members of the Wellington North branch of the Society; of Civil Engineers at present assem- I bled in coherence In Palmerston : North .were yesterday conducted oaj a tour of the district which included! the more important engineering I works that had been accomplished within the last year. The first spot visited was the Fitzroy bend, whore Mr S. Jickcll explained what the Palmerston North j River Board was doing to chock the erosion of the river. I The party then proceeded to the j Manawatu Gorge and observed the improvements that had been made to the road there. ' The return trip w,<s made via; Aoknutore, whore the river at Ander-! son’s bend, and the erosion going on! there was viewed An inspection was also made at ;Ai>)rautcro of the dovla- j lion of the road recently accom-l pushed by tho Kairanga County | Council. A few of those more in -1 (crested also went on as far as Lin-j ton to inspect the main road there, which is considered one of tho best| gravel roads in tho Dominion.

To-day visits will be paid to the T.ongburn Freezing Works, Bunnytborpc suh-station, Hume Pipe works, Borough Power Station, the destructor and depot.