THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1931. A DEVELOPING PROBLEM.

Wairarapa Age, 7 April 1931, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1931. A DEVELOPING PROBLEM.

With each succeeding flood it becomes more apparent that the problem of river control in the Wairarapa will have to be dealt with in a really comprehensive and methodical way if great waste and damage are to be averted. This applies not only to the extensive territory in, the Lower Valley which is most obviously exposed to serious flooding, but to Masterton and adjacent areas. Some particulars are given in another column to-day of the damage done by the Waingawa River on Friday. The flood on that occasion is described by people with an extended experience of the river as the worst of which they have any recollection and it is evident that but for the fact that the tremendous downpour in the hills which caused the flood was of comparatively brief duration, very much more serious damage would have been done.

It seems to be fairly obvious that the danger of flooding from the Waingawa which might extend to the town of Masterton as well as to the rich farming lands of the Upper Plain and in any case involves the security of the Borough water-supply, is 'serious and imminent. The river at present is very far from being controlled and there can be no doubt about the extent and magnitude of the damage of which it is capable if its inroads are not effectively chocked. A • good deal of money has been and is being spent on protective works undertaken by the Masterton Borough Council on its waterworks reserve, by the authorities controlling the Upper Plain irrigation scheme and to some extent by private property-owners. It is fairly obvious, however, that those divided efforts are ineffective as well as costly and a good case seems to be made out for setting up a single authority tp deal with the whole problem of bringing the river under control.

Whatever may be done in this direc tion, the problem of making the borough water-supply secure is one that must receive practical attention as soon as possible. A serious responsibility evidently would be taken in sallowing the conditions on which. Mr. T. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades, has commented in strong terms to continue any longer than is necessary. An attempt has been made to suggest that a report by the Superintendent of the Masterton Fire Brigade moans that, there is no need to be concerned about the water supply. The report in question, however, has nothing to do with the question raised which is, as Inspector Hugo pointed out, that ‘ ( a flood in the river may at any time sweep away the whole of the works, thus leaving the town unprotected in case of an outbreak of fire.” It may well be believed, as Inspector Hugo adds, that the existing conditions must be a source of grave anxiety to the Borough Council and its responsible officers. If it is possible to carry out effective protective works on the Waingawa, the water-supply problem may be solved, for the time being, in that way. If the headworks cannot thus be made secure, the question of giving the town a rafe water-supply must be regarded as extremely urgent. Most people are agreed that it is inadvisable at the moment to raise a loan in the ordinary way and carry out a water-supply improvement scheme. At a time, howr ever, when large sums are being spent on works of little value or no value in order to relieve unemployment, it seems possible that the Borough Council might bo able to make an arrangement with the Unemployment Board under which Masterton would be provided with a safe, secure and adequate water-supply on reasonably advantageous terms.