CIVIC EXPENDITURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17902, 6 April 1920, Page 2

CIVIC EXPENDITURE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —In agreeing to contribute to the ereotion of the proposed groynes at St. Clair, the city has been committed to another item of useless expenditure. Consolation, if any, may be had in the fact that it is not the first instance of the ratepayers' money having been thrown away, and I suppose it will not be the last. There is a matter of £2000 to be spent when it 1-is been proved beyond all doubt that the groynes that were erected 16 years ago, have been a complete failure for the purpose for which they were intended, so much so that the Domain Board, at whose instance they were erected, did not think they were worth repairing at times when the damage done to them could have been made good at trifling cost. If we go into past history we find that, after, waiting six or seven years to see if the present groynes were of any permanent help, the Government was approached by the. City Council, through its members, for financial aid in erecting a wall to save the wreck of the damage done in 1900. This was granted, the plans were approved and the work was carried out to the satisfaction of the Government Engineer. History will repeat itself. The groynes may be erected, the sand will come and go, as it has done all these years, and after a continuance of south-westerly weaiher the damage will be such that something of a permanent-nature will have to be carried out, if it is not already obvious that sudli protection is required without further delay. Meanwhile the groynes, besides retjuirmg periodical repair, will bo an eyeTlnstins; eve. sore.—l am, etc.. G. A. F. St.- Clair, April 5.