The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1910. A SAND DRIFT BOARD.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 August 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1910. A SAND DRIFT BOARD.

Tuk 's promise to Mr W. H. i icl '. A!.!'., that a vole of £100 would be plnco r l upon this year's Jvi'.pulonioiilnry Estimates for defray, li,;: tho of a special publicatku giving details of how best to cope N'tli the sand drift evil, is cause for v,mc satisfaction. High hopes were entertained heie, somo months ago, L : i;11 a inuc.li more substantial grant-ii'-aid would be in: - , le specifically to tins district, but the remarkably widespread nature of the sand drift tiMi'j'e, and the multiplicity of the '.'(mauds for assistance, caused the f'ovoi inhe;;fc to recede from the p.;si!!on that had been taken up tentatively in regard to this matter. The position now is that the Government says to Liie people: "We will U-ll you bow to lcincdy your trouI le.s, hut the cost and the labom p.nst be p:-ovidel by yourselves/ it remains to bo seen whether Horov/lienua Coiiiity will move on as it si.ould do. Our case is one which an omits to a pressing urgency, though the climax of evil may be several years off the present time. There is a long line of land losses that can be traversed before the worst is reached, but the loss o* each acre of land will be a regrettable matter from tho community's viewpoint. The Government's work ■.'■ill be a useful and illuminating tunc, no doubt, and when it appiars it. is sure to be read and studied with great advantage; but why need tho people of these parts wail 'M'til the time of publication before taking remedial action? Effective 'Methods of treating the sand -drift trouble are well-known and effectively demonstrated along this sea coast IVr many a mile, and it would be well to carry on this protective system pending the issue of the Government's volume of advice. It has '•eon prophesied to this paper by ; local Jeremiah, who professes to igroe cordially with all we have saio about the local sand drift danger, that wo will get weary ore long oi trying to galvanise into effective action ai: inert community; but we do not think the prophecy will com© true, nor that the slander on this community is called for. What is needed to help-on the movement is an effective lead, and the setting up oi a competent directory. After cogitating upon the whole subject, we liare begun to think that a glood. method of dealing with the sand dnft trouble of Horowlienua and Manawatu Counties would be to constitute a Sand Drift Board,. pos>

scssod of modified rating powers over a wide area of lands inclusive ol sand swept areas and areas that are only remotely threatened. Such a board, with only a very few hund eds of pounds to spend, could stein back for all time—by promoting natural protective growths—the encroaching sea sands which at present menace the prosperity of this fertile coast. We publish this suggestion in the hope that it will be discussed at least—and possibly acted upon. ■■■■" mm—oqgasam