RIVER PROTECTIVE WORKS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6225, 1 May 1899, Page 4

RIVER PROTECTIVE WORKS.

Tlio need of river protective works has been urgent felt in lliis district for somo years pust owing lo the great inroads made by the Manawatu river. Amongst those who have endeavoured to copo with the difficulty is Mr W. U. Slack, of Awapnni, who has carried ont a scheme which lias so far proved a success, In the South Island Mr Slack gained valuable experience in protective works, and the success which lias attended his efforts in this direction amply justifies the confidence he has nt all times placed in his system of confining I he stream. His object, apart from the conservation of his own land, was to show what, might have been dono if his suggestions made to the Borough Council eight or nine years ago had I been carried out He avers they would have saved fully £BOO and also ten acres of land. His ideas on river protective works have been directly opposed to tho views held by engineers on tho subject, and perhaps therein lies their value, instead of building his works at right angles to the llood or at an acute angle up stream Mr Slack builds them downstream, the head of the palisading beingclose up against the bank, while the end of it juts fully a chain and a half out into tho river. In this way the set of tho water into tho bank is sheered off at a gentle incline into the middle of the stream, leaving tho bank well protected behind iis palisading, which in the case under notice, is composed of railway iron from eighteen to twenty feel long, driven into the river bed until only six feet remains above tho surface. The rails liavo been set at intervals of

sixteen feet and between them at two feet spaces stout willow stakes have been driven a foot deep into tho shingle. From ten lo twelve wires have been led horizontally along tho front of the obstruction, and two of the wires running through holes in the irons, while the whole of them havo been securely stapled lo the willow slakes, In the sheltered space between the bank and the palisading innumerable willows have been planted, and have now obtained firm root in tho four or five feet of silt which lias been deposited since the works were erected twelve months igo. Two structures have been placed at places where tho river threatened most damage, but during iho timo they have been up no particularly heavy Hoods have been experienced. The water, howevor, has been two feet over tho top of the piles, while logs and drift wood have been deposited within tho sheltered space, yet no injury whatever resulted to the barrier, which lliis, on the contrary, been made stronger, Too much praise cannot be accorded Mr Slack for his enterprise in carrying out his ideas at a considerable expense, with tho result that instead of losing land ho has reclaimed it. Previous to our representative returning to town, Mr Slack pointed out to him a culvert jutting out from tho lower end of the racecourse property. The end section of tho culvert has been carried away by a Hood, and Mr Slack considers that the obstruction caused by the remaining portion of tho culvert is responsible for n strong swirl, and in consequence tho land near Iho culvert, and Mr Slack's immediately below it, is being washed away by tlieeddy. Mr Slack considers that an Act of Parliament should bo passed compelling the owner of up river land, whose property is being washed away, and at tho same timo threatens to cause loss to his down rivor neighbours, to tako steps to protect the bank of the river abutting on his land, and so prevent further damage. In this connection it is assorted that a great deal of lite value of the protective works carried out by Mr Slack depends upon the steps which Iho Councilor whoever is tho responsible