Whirokino Cut Nearer Realisation

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 97, 27 April 1939, Page 8

Whirokino Cut Nearer Realisation

No Delay if Finance is Provided Other Banking Must be Stopped The provision of finance for the prosecution of the Whirokino cut as part of the major scheme of flood control of the lower reaches of the Manawatu Elver is to be gone into with the Minister of Finance by the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. Semple, who met the Manawatu-Oroua River Board in Palmerston North yesterday morning. When that is arranged machinery will be diverted to the job as soon as more urgent work on military aerodromes is completed. In the meantime, however, no independent banking of the lower portion of the river is to be carried out. Mention was made of the work being undertaken by Mr. Easton and he is to be told that this must be discontinued, as it will not synchronise with the major scheme.

• These were the principle matters discussed by Mr. Semple with the board at a conference yesterday. Mr. J. Hodgens introduced the members of the board to the Minister.

Mr. Semple: Is Mr. Easton's work menacing the scheme? If is is it should be stopped. I think it is. He added that it was against Mr. Easton's own interests to continue. Mr. Callesen: That is why we wanted you here, to see if we could stop Mr. Easton. Mr. Semple: Yes; you have my full approval. The Whirokino Cut Mr. T. D. Lynch: We want you to see if you can give us some indication about the Whirokino cut. That, said the Minister, was a money question, and he had not the power. Previously it had been suggested that the board should contribute 15000 and two pieces of land that would be left when the Taupanga and Spring's cuts were put through. “First, you have my support in stopping Mr. Easton," said the Minister in the course of his reply. “It should be pointed out to him in a courteous way that the major scheme is under consideration and that his work is futile, because it will not synchronise with the major scheme." * 4 Secondly, I will take up the matter immediately on my return to Wellington with the Minister of Finance, and if he can arrange the finance the job will go ahead straight away. We have a lot of work on hand with the military aerodromes, and that must come first. When we get the finance and some of the other work finished we will be able to divert machinery to the job. We have all the data and it is just a question of equipment.

The chairman, Mr. J. Callesen, recalled that when he had last spoken to the Minister in Wellington he had been told that his job was to secure unanimity in regard to the work that was being done or to be done. Now they had been told that Mr. Easton had been banking quite extensively in the lower reaches, without the authority of the board. For example, the Buckley Drainago Board's banks, which should stand a 14ft. fresh, had almost been topped by a 10ft. rise in the river. It was evident from that that the banking in the lower reaches was responsible. lie understood that five or six miles of banking had been put up, leaving gaps which totalled 1} miles. The opinion of the board was that if these were completed there would be disastrous results.

After his meeting with Mr. Semple in Wellington they had approached the Buekley Drainage Board and the two bodies were unanimous that no banking should go on until the Whirokino cut was finished. At the same time they had not closed the door to Mr. Easton. Mr. Callesen then read a letter they had sent to Mr. Easton requesting him to desist from banking further, and the reply they had received. If Mr. Easton persisted in his intention to complete his banking the Koputaroa and the lower end of the Oroua areas would be menaced. However, if the Public Works Department went on with the Whirokino cut the position would not be so serious. Example of Patchwork Mr. Semple reminded the board that they were faced with another example of “patchwork.’’ He had authority from Cabinet to draft a Bill dealing with river erosion and that was being done, as they could not tackle the problem until they had the necessary powers on a national basis. The Bill, he hoped, would be ready before the next session of Parliament met. When it was in shape it would go to & committee of the House and river boards and others directly concerned would be called upon to give their views. He hoped that the Bill would be sufficiently advanced to go before Parliament in the coming session.

The experience of the board with Mr. Easton was an additional reason why such a measure should be put on the statute book. They had to wait until a comprehensive scheme such as that prepared by Mr. Grant was available, and they looked then to the counties and river boards for their co-operation. There were many features and principles that had to be considered seriously in so big a measure. He doubted whether the members of the board knew how serious that problem was in New Zealand and it seemed that every year the magnitude of the prpblem became greater. The naked fact of the matter w*as that the work should have been done 25 years ago at a third of the cost. In the meantime a tremendous amount of land had been washed away. He doubted whether Mr. Easton had the power to do what he was doing. Banking Must Stop

Mr. Callesen observed that any major scheme was not adopted in the past because of the sum involved.

“That is why we have to get the Bill,’* said Mr. Semple. “There is always somebody who will protest." Reference was then made to the Bill goveruiug the powers of the ManawatuOroua River Board and the portion defining the authority of the board read by the clerk. Mr. Semple: Mr. Easton will have tc be stopped. He cannot be a law unto himself. Mr. R. A. Law explained that Mr. Easton's point of view was that he had a case to go on banking because of the banking further up sending the water down. “Then they have all been breaking th§ law," added the Minister. “The thing was that they had been taking a dozen bites instead of one. There was no solution in patchwork methods and and when an “old man" flood came down they were all m the soup. It was a question of getting the major scheme tackled, it was a national affair. The people whose homes and lands were to be saved were not gCfng to go scot free. They would have to contribute something. The Whirokino cut would cost 160,000. Contribution by Board 4 4 The job is to be done, but how much are the local bodies and the people going to pay f" asked Mr. Semple. “What about the areas of land you were prepared to hand over to the Government f ’’ Mr. Callesen: We have made an offer. He explained that they had written to the Department giving the details of their offer, but the Minister explained that as yet he had not seen the letter. The chairman said that they had valued the two loops that would be left when cuts were put through Taupunga and Spring's bends at 11500 and 11800 and were prepared to contribute 15000 extra, the maximum amount allowed without taking a poll of the ratepayers. The total would be about 18000. Mr. H. Seifert remarked that the patting through of the Whirokino cut was no reason why Mr. Easton should be allowed to continue.