TO REMOVE DANGERS OF FLOOD

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 12, 5 April 1927, Page 5

TO REMOVE DANGERS OF FLOOD

BIG MANAWATU PLAN (.From Our Resident Correspondent .) WELLINGTON, To-day. The elimination of flood ravages which occur on the fertile lands of the Manawatu at every big flood is to be arrived at by a big scheme of the Manwatu and Oroua River Board. A commission recently inquired into the problem and recommended extensive Government assistance. A deputation yesterday asked Mr. Coates for the subsidy of £ 201,000 recommended by the commission. Mr. Joseph Linklater, M.P. for Manawatu, said that it was estimated that increased production from the scheme would amount to over £200,000, while the increase in population would be great by virtue of the land being freed from flood dangers. Piecemeal work would not be of immense value. The commission thought the Government subsidy should be £201,000. The Oroua contributions by local bodies had been allocated by the commission to be;— £ Manawatu Drainage District. . 261,130 Internal Drainage Boards . . 50,000 County Councils and other Drainage Boards 47,304 Borough Councils 12,500 Without a Government subsidy the work could not proceed. The proposal was to lessen the course of the Manawatu River from 50 miles to 26 miles in the run from Palmerston North to the sea at Foxton. Mr. Coates would not commit himself at the present stage, but promised to have the matter gone into thoroughly-. “-Before we can consider t

heavy expenditure like this,” he said, “the Government has to be assured that the scheme will succeed. The Minister of Finance is having a little difficulty at the present time in getting the money for which he has been asked from various sources. As to betterment it is a question as to whether you can pay the total cost.” Mr. Carter, chairman of the board: “We have reached our lipiit.” Mr. Coates: “You may not know your limit yet, because you don’t know how produce will go. I think it will stabilise and improve.” Mr. Linklater: “I feel you will do the right thing.” Mr. Coates: “It is not a question of the right thing. It is a question of just what we can do after having found what is the right thing.”