LAKE COLERIDGE

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17155, 26 May 1921, Page 6

LAKE COLERIDGE

THE HARPER DIVERSION. NEED FOR CAPTURING STORM WATER. ''l would like to ask Mr Jones his opinion on the Lake Coleridgo question," said Mr R. Evans at yesterday's meeting of the North Canterbury. Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. "Mr Jones has- been up there with Parliamentary parties, and perhaps ho can tell us whether things are as bad as tlhey are made out to be. So far, we have only the papers to go by."

The chairman, Mr W. A. Banks, 6».id that Mr Jones might be placed in an unenviable position if he answered the question. They did not wish to see him '-'up against the engineers," or anything of that sort. It lay with Mr Jones whether he answered or not. Mr IX Jones, M.P., said that he did not mind giving an opinion purely as a- layman. The chief trouble, he "considered, in regard to the Harper river lay not in tho diversion, but in the fact that there was not sufficient provision for a larger supply of water going into the lake when the Tiver was in flood. The work being done at tho Harper diversion was mudli the same as that done in some of the water-races, which, when their course was shifted through floods, had to be put back again. What was looked on as the permanent scheme at the Harper was tho altering of tho whole bed of the river. Of one thing he felt certain, and that was that the men would not do the work in the winter time. They were working under a huge bluff, and the ground to be worked would undoubtedly bo frosted during tho winter. It was a November to ■March job, and not a winter one, and he did not consider it practicable to gu on just now with what was called the permanent scheme. At the pr»3ent time, Mr Jones continued, they were taking all the water into the lake which was coming down the Harper, and that work could be continued without much expense. Tho lake was rising very slowly, and with all the water from the Harper it had risen just 8 inches. Tho trouble was that during tho last four years tho district had had an exceedingly dry time. With good rainfall and good snow, matters would bo considerably improved, but provision for taking tho flood water was necessary. Mr Banks agreed that it a pity that there was no provision for taking the storm water. Personally, ho did not tliink tlhnfc all the water from the Harper would provide sufficient power for Canterbury's needs, and, again, he thought that the tunnel waR much too small to fill the pipes to their capacity. If the lake had risen only 8 inches with'the whole of fhe river flowing into it, then the position was serious, and sooner or later they would have to have a subsidiary scheme for harnessing tho Rakala or the Waimakariri. The Clarence also could be harnessed. As matters were at present, South Canterbury, for instance, would ftiave little chance of securing the power they wanted.

Mr George Sheat asked if it would be possible for the water running through, tho turbines to be used two or three times before it reached nation.

The chairman replied, that such a course would mean tho loss of a tremendous amouiit of power. The present height was for tho purpose of obtaining all tRo power possible. Mr Jones: If they could take the Harper in when it is in flood, the lake would'rise 6 feet in a few hours.

In answer to Mr Evn'ns, .who asked it the present cut could not be widened, Mr Jones said that it could be made as wide us was wished without any engineering difficulties.- It was. just a question of money, Mr Sheat: This is a serious question. We want the power in our district, Ellesmere—

Mr Evans: You never will get it. Mr Sheat: Yes, we will. I'm 04 years old now, but I'll live to see it. Proceeding, Mr Sheat said that. it was clear that they must endeavour to secure a proper storm-water channel, If they did. not, then they were not doing their best to secure power. If it would strengthen the hands of the engineer, Jie would move that the controlling authorities be asked to provide for the capturing of the whole of the river, to give all the fanners in Canterbury power. Tho motion, be added, was one of a layman. He knew nothing of wihat the engineering difficulties might be. Mr Jones said that perhaps Mr Birks would bo able to attend the coming Pro-* vincial, Conference of the Farmers' Union and give some particulars. Mr Sheat offered to add to his motion that Mr Birks be invited to attend the conference, but the meeting decided that it would not be right to commit itself to an opinion before hearing the views oi the expert, and it was finally resolved tiliat Mr Birks should be asked to attend the conference, the rest of the motion being dropped.