SEADOWN DRAINAGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21325, 20 April 1939, Page 6

SEADOWN DRAINAGE

Meeting With Engineer

A Frank Discussion

Farmers and Councillors

Present

The Levels County Council at its last meeting received a letter from the Washdyke Crown Ttenants’ Association stating Unit farms were being waterlogged by seepage from irrigation channels. The council arranged a meeting with the Resident Engineer of the Public Works Department (Mr T. G. Beck) and it took place yesterday when the farm of Mr H. A. Boulton was inspected. Mr R. G. Cleland apologised for the absence of the chairman of the Levels County Council (Mr T. B. Garrick), and said that the council had been approached for a revaluation of farms by the Washdyke Crown Tenants' Association, and they were meeting the engineer for the purpose of having a look round.

The secretary of the Association (Mr R. M. Sievwright) said that their land was unfit for farming and that they were sure that it was due to seepage from the irrigation scheme.

Mr Beck: If that were so, what would you expect to be done? The Public Works Department are the only people who have formulated a drainage scheme for the area. What else would you expect? Mr Sievwright: We would want a revaluation.

Mr Ross:: We need compensation for the damage that has been done. We have shown patience while watching the land we were brought up on ruined. Mr Beck:: The trouble is not peculiar to your district.

Mr Ross: Why did Kyles pit go down and then rise seven feet?

Mr Beck said that he could explain that and proceeded to show how water travelled underneath the ground very slowly, a few feet a day, and that in his opinion the trouble was largely due to the abnormal rainfall last season. In answer to a question Mr Beck said that about 40 per cent, of irrigation water was lost in its way down the channels.

Cost of Irrigation Scheme

Mr S. Cargo: How much did the irrigation cost?

Mr Beck: I should say in the neighbourhood of £60,000.

Mr Cargo:: How much has the Department paid for land that it has used?

Mr Beck: The cost of the water is borne by the farmer as he uses it, and the charge is based on the cost of the whole operation including maintenance. These figures have been arrived at by people who are better qualified to do it that you or I. Mr Cargo: How much land will the Department have to pay for in the working of the scheme? Mr Beck: Little or none at all.

Mr Ross: If the drainage scheme eld not prove successful would you be convinced mat it was the irrigation that was the cause of the trouble?

Mr Beck: Yes. If the drainage scheme were carried out I am satisfied that it would serve as a permanent solution to your difficulties. When asked if the proposal had gone before the Loans Board, the clerk of the council (Mr G. B. Bird) said that one or two arrangements had not been completed but -would be in the near future.

In answer to a question Mr Beck said th - t the effects of irrigation may have contributed something to the problem, but the fact remained that there was a drainage problem before the irrigation scheme came into being. Mr Ross: Before the irrigation scheme w : started we never jibbed at paying our rates, and some of the land was rated on £4O an acre, but the council will be lucky if it can collect any rates at all this year.

A Generous Offer

Mr Beck: The Government has offered you a £9 to £1 subsidiy, and assuming that irrigation was the cause of the fault don’t you think the Government is shouldering a generous portion of the blame?

An inspection of the farm of Mr H. A. Boulton revealed that one of the paddocks had pools of water in it. Mr Boulton said lie had started to plough in January, but had to knock off on account of water running down the furrows.

Mr Beck said that drainage would remedy the matter, and that where depressions were found means would be taken to ensure effective drainage. Mr Seivwright: If we experienced an abnormal rainfall would the drainage be effective? Mr Beck: It would cure it. There is ample fall in this country. Mr Ross: These conditions have never prevailed before. When springs subsided they never came back again. Mr Beck: People living in the back country have said that this land has been like this before.

This was denied by all present. Mr Seivwright: You are an engineer, Mr Beck, and I am a farmer, and we both have our own jobs to do, and I tell you that we have not been farming this last fifteen months.

Mr Beck: I am a trained engineer and my job depends on my arriving at correct decisions. You people can form opinions and they are not tested in any way to the same degree as mine. All the machinery is ready to start on the drainage scheme, and if I could without authority start now I would do so. Mr Ross: The trees round my home have started to wither, my lawn is gone and the health of my wife and five children has been affected by the wet conditions which prevail on what was once considered to be a dry farm. Mr Cleland, In returning thanks to Mr Beck for his visit, said that they had had a free and frank discussion, and he hoped a permanent solution would be found in the near future. Stating that he appreciated the farmers' difficulty, which he did not bell tt.le, Mr Beck said that he was genuinely concerned and would do all In his power to further the interests of the farmers. Mr Beck arranged to visit farms to-morrow at 2 p.m. Tlie following members of the council were present: Messrs D. Grant, R. W. Munro. J. E. P. Cameron, J. Scott, R. Cleland.