LAND DRAINAGE

Otago Witness, Issue 3489, 25 January 1921, Page 29

LAND DRAINAGE

A PROGRESSIVE POLICY. (From Ouh Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, January 22. The increasing importance of swamp drainage in Noiv Zealand, and the desirability of obtaining the best available machinery for the xx orks undertaken by tha Government, caused the Minister of Lands last year to instruct the chief drainage engineer (Air J. B. Thompson) to visit tlie l niteci States and Canada and other portions of America where large drainage works are being conducted. The engineer xvas directed to study the methods adopted by the engineers in those countries, and also to inspect the machinery used there, xxfith iho object of selecting the latest and most effective types. Mr Thompson left here lust J April, and he has spent six or sex'en months / in the xvork of inspection. He is due back in New Zealand xvilhin the next few weeks. ; One result of the engineer's x'isit, stated the Ai mister of Lands, has been to prox'o . that the methods adopted in New Zealand are not behind the methods adopted in the countries he xisited Air Thompson has t been much impressed xvith certain styles of machinery, and the drainage of the swamp | areas in this country xvill be expedited by , the use of the plant he has procured. The , Lands Department has very large drainage ’ works in progress in both islands at tha present time. Air Thompson commenced his American tour in British Columbia, j where he found that no large xx'Orks xvero in progress, but in Albeita Land drainage' was about to be seriously taken in hand, i There "dipper’ dredges were in favour,! and the swamp lands were much firmer than J those in New Zealand. In Canada, Mr Thompson received a veiy friendly reception, but found that in the matter of land i drainage New Zealand xvas in advance of j Canada. Here, as elsewhere, the question I of the maintenance of the drains xvas the difficult problem In his first report from t the ( hired States, Air Thompson wrote that there also the question of maintenance had not been solved, and that xvo in Newt Zealand were not behindhand in that respect. \ At every turn he saw engineers xvrcstling ' with tiie same problems as in New Zealand j —eroded banks, silted up channels, etc. "So far,’ ho adds. 1 feel proud of; our dominion’s work, and consider it will f take a lot of beating.’’ Alaintenanoe, hq says, is practically a dead letter in all the States, and no machine has yet been de-f vised to cope with it. The practice is to dig oversize ditches, and re-dig them some few years later. This practice, however, \ was noxv thought to be unsatisfactory. Prae-j tically all the drainage projects throughout' the United States were being re-cast. ) I Air Thompson’s last report is dated from" New York on October 1. He had, during \ the time lie xvas in America, travelled a ‘ great deal, and had acquired most valuable! information both in regard to machinery ! and tfie various methods of working. In one part of the United (States ho saxv much land that was being further drained. Gem r-; ally, he says, all open laterals are giving place to large tile drains up to 36 inches in diameter. The land xvas becoming too valuable for open ditches, and by the tiling method maintenance xvas being avoided. En-j questionably, he adds, we shall come to this ill New Zealand. i j Air Thompson has placed orders for; £74,000 worth of dredging machinery for, the xvorks the Government has in hand in the dominion.