A FIGHT WITH A RIVER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1895, 1 November 1913, Page 12

A FIGHT WITH A RIVER.

NEARING GRIPS. PALMERSTON'B LITTLE PROBLEM. (stem Our Special CorrcspondantJ Palmorston North, November 1. Often lias man launched his frail weapons against tho big Manawatu River at I'almcrston North, and seen them mauled in an angry flood and swept contemptuously into the sea; while huge'lumps of ,tho district's fertile river-banks continued to orash into tho turbulence. The town has Bpent ovor £1000 per year in the contest during the last eight years, but it has very little of victory to record for its money. It is difficult in times of summer placidity to assooiate the musio of pebble and water with a country's destruction. It is in times of flood like that of last wook that the real peril is revealed. Then it is common to see knots of the townspeople gathered at the Fitzroy Street "drop" to watch the steep edge of a fertile plateau tumbling in a perpetual series or slices into tho flood. Many acres of land worth £100 per acre thus vanish each season. There ara experts in plenty who will say whither the river ifl tending. "It is making for Ferguson Street," say they. "Some day it will break through and sweep that part of the town away, making lor itself a now course." There are varying degrees of confidence in man's ptfwer to win this ccntest, but those who have put their faith in t.he new River Board will shortly see the biggest battle of the ages begun. The man in the etreet has visions of a new channel through a sand-bank entirely cutting off the Dend by which' the river has zig-zagged to the town; but the River Board la not attacking the enemy at that point iust now. 'what it will do, and some other faots about the river problem whioh Manawatu people will be interested to know, were told to' Tan Dominion correspondent yesterday by Mr. J. A. Nash, the town's Mayor, and a member of the River Board.

The Mayor's Story. .'■ "Jn past years," Baid Mr. Nash, . "great inroads have been, made at Fitzroy' Street by the river, which was threatening part of tho town. • About eight years ago a loan of about £8000 was raised-by the Borough Council for protective work, including a stop-bank. These works, however, were a failure, and in a thort space of time their remains were noarly half-way across tho river. About two years, later a, further i loan of £4000' was raised m order to take advantage of a Government grant of £4000. With this £8000 about Ave groyns were erected, and other work was done. One groyn was at tho bridge, where the Kairanga County Council shared the cost, and another (a atone groyn) below the Esplanade. Some of these groyns proved to be very effectual in changing the river!s course and saving the bank, but others were failures. A New Policy. n " The continual drain upon the borough's general account, however, resulted in the Borough Council deciding that\to carry on the work successfully, and to enable the work to be done on both sides of the river, a river board was necessary. Such a board waß formed during the past year,' consisting of three representatives of the borough. and two of the Kairanga County Council. These representatives. have made several inspections of the river, and one inspection of tho Hutt River works, and Mr. Fisher, engineer for tho Hutt River Board, was asked to como and make a report on the river ot Palmerston.' , His report in' many respects favours works similar to, thoße which have entirely changed the. course'of the Hutt River. The board', after calling for applications, has. since appointed Mr. 1 isher as its overseer. : ■.. :.. "So soon as the Supreme Court has given it 3 judgment defining the board's position as to'the mode of rating, oontrol of river metal, etc., the board will no doubt proceed \to work to make as much use as possible of the summer months, so as to prepare for the com- , ihg winter. It is not anticipated that the board will spend any huge 6Ums of monoy at present. Quito the reverse. It is proposed that only work of an urgent nature shall be carried out meantime. "The Hutt works, which ours will somewhat follow, consist of booms or groyns made of Australian hardwood, which are placed out in the river at an angle, and to all appearance resemble a post and rail fence. This allows water to pass through, but is said to have a wonderful effect upon the bed of the river, causing silting. Wherever this is done willows will db planted on a large scale. In addition a great,deal of matting work-is suggested for various places along the banks—strong wire netting mats filled with stones. "The Education Department has a section of land at Fitzroy Street, where a great portion 'has gone into ■the river, while many property holders have suffered there severely in years past. The borough has also had a. very bad time at tiho Racecourse Reserve, below the Esplanade, where the rivor has been fast taking away tie land. It is hbpwl the board will be able to remedy this."