RECLAMATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 6 October 1936, Page 7

RECLAMATION

(To The Editor) . Sir, —In to-night’s issue of “The Mail” Mr Foster-Barham has given a lengthy list of costs of various dredging undertakings, a few of which I personally saw in operation, but all referred to the keeping or extending and deepening of existing water courses. The Clyde Navigation Trust I possibly saw most of. They had the advantage of cheap labour and also cheap money; * they paid the large amount of lk per cent. To my know r ledge and annoyance for numbers'of years we here in New Zealand get treated to quite a different tune, one reason possibly why. the rich get richer and the poor, poorer in God’s own country. The figures quoted will no doubt give the public of Nelson some better idea of what the cost might be and help to form an opinion whether the reclamation should be done by local body, City Council, combined provincial scheme, syndicate, Harbour Board or Government. Just where Mr Barham got his figure of £1750 I cannot say. Certainly not from the City Council’s attempt . at Saltwater Bridge. Possibly that is his reason for not wanting to attempt any work on the hill the other side of the City, but may I inform him that a contractor is still alive here in Nelson who some 25 years ago offered to reclaim the self same spot with horses and drays for £2OO per acre. I cannot follow Mr Barham’s reason for work being carried out in the particular corner by means of dredging when he is so much afraid of the harbour entrance getting silted up. Why leave deep water courses inland? Or does he propose to shift the sand from the entrance up there? To me it looks like forming a second Venice to cut channels all over the mudflat to leave the balance above high water i mark. Personally I say when the hills are so handy, dump them in. j Provision for children’s paddling pools j can be allowed for where desired. ‘

With regard to the paragraph in Mr Barham’s letter re slips which always take place after heavy rain practically blocking the main highway, these to my mind are only surface disturbances. The earth is hot moving far down otherwise the whole hill would have been in the mudflat long before now without our assistance with the proposed terracing. This will all be shifted and solid building sections no doubt will be available, possibly too solid in places for Mr Barham’s 6d per yard. I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Barham that public opinion and discussion is all for the good and should be welcomed on this subject. The committee set up has already professional men on the job getting out levels and quantities and ask for the co-operation of all with the welfare of Nelson Province at heart, and the City will by no means be the last to reap the benefit when even the small portion of the mudflat from the cemetery corner along to Collingwood street is reclaimed and Centenary Park an accomplished fact. Again thanking you for valuable space.—l am, etc., JAMES WYLLIE. Nelson, sth October.