FLOOD WARNINGS

Southland Times, Issue 23182, 24 April 1937, Page 8

FLOOD WARNINGS

Electric Recorders Suggested FARMERS’ UNION TO SEE MINISTER More efficient means of advising farmers of flood courses were discussed by the monthly meeting yesterday of the Southland Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, and it was decided to urge the installation of an electric recording machine in the Gore Post Office, thus enabling direct and constant contact with the level of the Mataura river. It was suggested also that a similar arrangement should be made for the benefit of settlers whose properties . are affected by the Aparima and Oreti rivers. The executive had communicated with the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) on the subject of the serious damage caused in Southland by river erosion, and a reply was received promising that the Minister “would discuss it with his department when full consideration would be given to the question.” Mr D. Dickie explained the present system of issuing flood warnings from the Gore Post Office, and emphasized their great value to residents and farmers in the lower Mataura Valley. A more efficient service could be given if an electric recording machine were installed, he said. There were one or two in New Zealand, and he had had them explained to him. They showed accurately rises in the river level from hour to hour or even from minute to minute, and it was obvious that such a machine at Gore would be of tremendous value to the settlers farther south. There was a considerable disparity between the times of rises at Gore and lower down in the Mataura, and the warning would provide ample time to take action to avoid the consequences of floods. At present inquiries were received by the Post Office officials at all hours of the day and night, and since there was only the telephone attendant on duty at night, it was not always possible ( to have the gauge in the river read. In any case the gauge is a very primitive affair,” he said. He moved that the union should urge the installation of an electric indicator at Gore. Mr W. Couser said that in his district farmers depended largely on reports from Gore. They had always been given every possible assistance. Mr D. Macpherson: I would go further than Mr Dickie’s motion and suggest that a similar instrument should be installed at'Lumsden. “I have had experience of the value of warnings of floods,” said Mr S. Shaw, “and I can fully endorse Mr Couser’s statement. It is about 10 hours after the river reaches its highest level that it is at its peak lower down-time enough to take all the action that is necessary to save stock. Difficulties of the Oreti

“I was going to move along different lines altogether,” said the president (Mr G. A. Hamilton). “No two floods at Lumsden ever came down in the same place. The position is entirely different from that at Gore, where the river confines itself to one channel. The Oreti is always changing its course, and an electric recorder might be satisfactory one year and be useless the following year.” He thought it would be far better to have a competent observer in the Lumsden district who could be telephoned for information. “The Oreti can shift 10,000 tons of gravel in 10 minutes,” he added “and I am satisfied that recorders would not be satisfactory at Lumsden, Mossbum or Winton.” Mr Dickie’s motion was seconded by Mr J. McCleary. At full flood at Gore, thousands of acres right down to the sea were under water, he said. Accurate readings of flood levels were of immense importance to farmers. Mr W. H. Ward: If we are pressing the installation of these machines, shouldn’t we be prepared to pay something towards the cost? Mr Dickie: We will leave that part of it alone in the meantime. Mr W. B. Hopcroft said he would like to have the Aparima added to the rivers in which recorders should be installed. Deputation to Minister Mr Dickie’s motion was carried; but the subject of floods and river erosion was reopened later in the meeting, when Mr D. Mcßae asked if the opportunity of waiting on the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) during his visit to Southland and discussing this important question with him was not to be taken. “The problem of river erosion is a national one,” he said. “It demands attention, and money spent in that direction would be of incalculable benefit to the country. Certainly such expenditure would contrast strongly with the building of overhead railway bridges and other unreproductive work that is going on at present.” There was general support for Mr Mcßae’s attitude, and after further discussion, the secretary (Mr A. L. Adamson) was deputed to arrange a deputation to meet the Minister at Winton. The suggested members of it were Mr J. Hargest, M.P., and Messrs T. Hamilton. J. Swale, T. M. Smith and Mcßae.