HUGE PASTURE LOSSES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19623, 5 May 1938, Page 15

HUGE PASTURE LOSSES

OBLITERATED BY SLIPS 110,000 ACRES WIPED OUT AIR SURVEY ESTIMATES (Per Press Association.) HASTINGS, this day. Ruinous loss, conservatively estimated at 50 per cent of all pastures in a huge area between the Esk Rjver, Waikare River, and the East Coast, has been caused by the recent floods. The pastures have been covered or obliterated by thousands Of slips, the total area affected being about 110,000 acres. In smaller localities, within a large area, slips have destroyed approximately 75 per cent of the pastures and the plight ■of stock-owners is grave. ■ Estimates of the damage caused by s slips have been provided by pilots, who have travelled from day to day ovbr the isolated areas, relieving the settlers distressed by a shortage of food or lack of necessary supplies. A map has been prepared with the assistance of members of the Hawke's Bay' and "East Coast Aero Club who have been co-operating with the Government plane in voluntary ilood relief work. HOME & BUILDINGS GONE MAORI'S DISCOVERY When Mr. Wi Tauroa and his family returned to their home at Arapawanui, last week, after attending a tang; at Tongoio, they were astounded to discover that where their home stood before they left nothing remained but a strip of flood-torn ground. Besides the hguse, many other buildings have gone, also many head of stock. Mr. Tauroa's home was a large one and fully furnished. A search downstream resulted in the finding of many articles from the house, also portions of the house .itself. The owner believes that the residence and other buildings were carried bodily ouc to sea. Mr. Tauroa's loss is not confined to the house, contents and stock, as the land surrounding the residence is completely ruined by silt, boulders and logs. HELP FOR FARMERS FLOOD RELIEF MEASURE Field officers of the Lands, Agriculture and State Advances Departments are conducting an immediate insoection of the flood damage in Hawke's Bay, and these officers will carry a supply of application forms with them. "The question of the supply of labour to farmers is also being investigated," said Mr. W. E. Barnard, M.P., Napier, "and the Labour Departmerit will provide assistance by way ] of subsidy under scheme 48. Normally under this scheme the subsidy represents 50 per cent of the contract price, but the Minister of Labour states' that in approved cases he is prepared to agree to up to the whole labour cost being met from the Employment Promotion Fund. ROAD RESTORATION TASK BEFORE DEPARTMENT "We commenced work on the road on the Tangoio side of the Esk River, and we are finding conditions very bad," said Mr. A.. Dinnie, district engineer of the Public Works Department, Napier. "There is a lot of silt covering the road and much water is still lying about. The big drain in the Tangoio Valley is completely choked and will have to be opened up." Mr. Dinnie said he had gone down to the mouth of the Esk River and found that a tremendous change had taken place. The erosion was enormous and debris was piled in great heaps all over the place. Mr. Dinnie said it was impossible even to guess when the Wairba road would be opened. The department knew that the Mohaka, Waikari, WaiRoau and Esk bridges had gone and in preliminary reports they had indicated that road damage on certain sections, such as the Devil's Elbow and the Tangoio Valley, had been enormous, but they did not know for certain what lay ahead of them. The erection of a temporary bridge over the Esk River was already in hand. When the road was opened traffic would have to go over the Mohaka and Waikari viaducts and a ford probably would be constructed at the Waikoau River crossing. "JUST LIKE WAR AGAIN" ROAR OF SLIPS "You will know by now that this disaster exceeds the earthquake of 1931 as far as loss to the farming community is concerned," writes Mr. P. J. Jessep, Tangoio, to Mrs. Jessep, who is staving with friends in Napier. Mr. Jessep's farm is a well-known property in the vicinity of the white pine forest reserve. "Buildings have not been damaged . to the same extent, but fences and • roads are 50 per cent worse. Stand- '. ing in one olace half-way down a • gully I counted 105 slips yesterday 1 night. , j "The flood was just like the war again, with the continuous boom and • crash of the slips which gradually I hemmed us in. One slip carried our , dogs into the stream. We saved them ' all but Glen, who was, unfortunately, ' one of our best dogs. I will have to , shift the woolshed again, for the third time. - 3 "~