LAND DRAINAGE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1921, Page 1

LAND DRAINAGE

A PROGRESSIVE POLICY

fnv TKI.UOIiAPIi —PKIt Pit ess association] WELLINGTON, January 22. The increasing importance of swamp drainage in New Zealand and the desirability of obtaining the best available machinery tor the works undertaken by the Government caused the .Minister for Lands (Hon. D. H. Guthrie) last, year to instruct the chief drainage engineer (Mr J. B. Thompson) to visit the United States and Canada and other portions of America where large drainage works are being conducted. The engineer was directed to study the methods adopted bv the engineers in those countries and also to inspect the machinery used there, with the object of selecting tlie latest and most effective types. Mr’Thompson left here last April, and ho has spent six or seven months in the Work of inspection. Ho is due back in New Zealand within the next few weeks. One result of tl*e engineer’s visit, stated the Minister of Lands, has been to prove that the methods adopted in New Zealand are not behind the methods adopted in the countries lie visited. Mr Thompson has been much impressed with certain styles of swamp ,M'eas in this country, and the work will he expedited by the use of the plant ho has procured. The Lands Department has very large drainage works in progress in both islands at the present time. Mr Thompson commenced his American tour in British Columbia where he found that no big works were in progress but in Albert, land drainage was about to be seriously taken in hand. There “dipper” dredges were in favour The swamp lands were much firmer than those in New Zealand. In Canada, Mr Thompson received a very friendly reception, but found that in the matter of land drainage New Zealand was in advance of Canada. .Here as elsewhere the question of maintenance of the ,bains was the difficult problem. In his first report from the United States Mr Thompson wrote that there also the question of maintenance had not been solved, and that we in Now Zealand were not behindhand in that respect. At every turn he saw engineers wrestling with the same problems as in New Zealand—eroded banks silted un channels, etc. “t?o far,” he adds, ‘‘l am proud of our Dominion’s work and consider it will take a lot of bleating.” Maintenance, he says is practically a dead letttor in all the ■States and’no machine has yet been, devised to cope with it. The practice, is to dig oversize ditches and to redig them a few years later. This practice, however, was now thought to be unsatisfa- tory. Practically all the drain age projectst throughout the l. tilted States wer being recast. Mr Thompson’s last report is dated from New York on October Ist. lie bad during tbe time he was in Ann*, riea travelled a groat deal and had acquired most valuable information, both in regard to machinery and the various methods of working. In one part of the States he saw much land that was being further drained. Generally, he says, all open laterals are giving place to large tile drains up to 36 inches in diameter. Land was bosoming too valuable for open ditches, and by" the tiling method maintenance was being avoided. “Unquestionably,” J'O adds? “we shall come to this in Non Zealand.” Mr Thompson had placed orders for £74,000 worth of dredging machinery for the works the Government Lave in hand in the Dominion _____