The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1882. THE LAKE ELLESMERE DRAINAGE SCHEME.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 600, 14 April 1882, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1882. THE LAKE ELLESMERE DRAINAGE SCHEME.

Tub very voluminous report of Mr Watkins is worthy of much thought. The. reclamation of some 80,000 acres of land, and tin settlement on H of .in industrious and thriving community, arc worthy objects for a County Council to undertsikiv and they should lose no opportunity of thoroughly investigating any schVnie to effect such a' purpose which gives any hope of success. At tho same time they should recollect'that, the greater the interests involved, the greater the caution that should be exercised, and should therefore well weigh every step before proceeding. The matter has now arrived at that stage at which the opinion of another engineer is necessary, and certainly the sooner it is before the Government the better, for no doubt it will tli en he pi awl in the hands of Mr Blair, for him to consider its suitability.

It will be sure, at any rate, to have the effect of placing the one great fact clearly before the (jlovernment officials, that the line is not at present safe. The evidence of the many witnesses examined (whose experience, owing to their long residence on the lake, is undoubted) goes clearly to prove that, unless something is done, the railway will be perib lie;dly swept away, necessitating an enormous annu.-il expenditure. Government Jims hitherto affected to be satisfied with the existing sfrite of things, jind lias nns wml communications in the "You look sifter yourself and I'll look after myself" style, but tln« attitude cannot be kept up in the face ot the disasters of last winter and the testimony of a (lojs«n reliable witnesses ; for the result, so far, of the labors of the (Jonmi'ttee and engineer is to have convinced not only the Council, but the county, that something must be done, or the line will be swept nway.

It follows, therefore, that any scheme having for its object the snfety of the lino and the utilisation of the Lake Reserve should he welcomed. Whether the present plan is one certain of success we are not engineers ennncrh to be able to decide, hut it seems to us it has many nicoiuineii'liitions. In the first pla.ee, it is very inexpensive, compared wi*h the magnitude of the results promised, for we ;ire told that Ui« cost will be about £12,000, and that the land to be drained will be worth some half million of money I besides which the safety of the line will he assured. Again, it appears to us that the main features are precistly tliow ; [lint other engineers have recorntiii'iitifcu. Sir Jnim Cornle snid an emiiHiikuii.'iit to keep out. the sea. was what was rt'ipiiu'ci, and Mr Jpliubtone's :dea '.v;?s ro keep the mouth of the lake open. The fnpseiit scliWji•■ differs from its prein this,.that instead, like them, of proposing the formation of a barrier on th•• »;ea shore, exposed to the ful t'ury of tho wuvet?, it., recommends erect U\<x it wiiere those waves have little power, thus randerin.^ , tha evpentliturd "Jess and t!io result inoro certain.

Whf>«hor oth«r skilled engineers will ftjtprovt! of the plan is more than we cad 'I'll, it certainly serins to us Mint there is .'-.orjfio difficulty regarding the IVeshwater outlet, but n point will certainly have been gained if the salt wat«»r is excluded. It is unfortunate that, at this juncture the Government should have resigned, but our councillors must comfort themselves with the idea that the new Minister for L'ublic Works will be enthusiastic' at the commencement of his earc , !', and hail with joy any opportunity of benefiting any part of New Zesiland.

in one respective are heart and soul vvitli Mr Joblin. • It is no good whatever calmly forwarding the report to Government, for in these stirring titnes, unless backed by a persona! appeal, it will bo thrust into one of thor.u dusty pigeon-holes vhieh, even hi r >wv comparatively new ParTiruneni iiouso, contain the last hopes and fears of many hundreds. No ; whatever they do, let the Council give the scheme a fair trial by insisting on a, hearing (and a full one, too) from the Government, which, like ;dl other Governments, i.s t;o worried with innumerable plans, many of wiiich are without a particle of merit, that t.ho happiest moments th«y have are when they have consigned them to oblivion, by pL'cintf them on '•' shelves" for further consideration.