WAIHIRERE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17738, 26 March 1932, Page 14

WAIHIRERE

(To the Editor of tho Herald.)

Sir,—This being a vital question, 1 will ask you lor a little space in reply to Mr. Peryer. He says that 1 said that ‘‘the scheme was turned down on the report of an engineer,” I said nothing of the sort; I said: “An engineer was called in to report on the site and I think that engineer was Mr. Leslie Reynolds.” I have already given what Mr. Reynolds said in his report. I am not dealing either with Mr. Fervor's road contract, or his taking his horses to the Big River. The question is as to the safety or otherwise of a dam being built in the Waihirere creek. Now, sir, why is it that the settlers in the vicinity object to such a scheme; undoubtedly they scent trouble, and are warned by what Mr. Leslie Reynolds has said. Mr. I’eryer says that there “are far more engineers’ reports in favor of than-against it.” That may be so, but why was Mr. Reynolds’ report and advice adopted in the face of those "far more engineers”? I see that Mr. Peryer is pitting his lay opinion against the professional opinion of an eminent engineer. Mr. Reynolds said that the placo is rotten, and will not hold, but Mr Peryer says it is solid rock. Solid rock is right, yes; if 1 am not greatly mistaken, we had some experience of that

’solid rock” on some of the streets in the borough. It was put on the streets, and when the first rain came on. what was the result? Why, mud, and that was the finish of it. Of course, we must admit that engineers, like doctors, are liable to differ. But that does not alter the fact that the whole thing was condemned on the report of Mr. Leslie Reynolds, and there it stopped, and I again hope that (he settlers will be successful in their petition to the Borough Council. Another tiling is that the council at present does not contain any of the members who were then on that body; therefore the whole matter may have to bd all gone over again.— I am, etc. ,1. PIERCE.