FLOOD CONTROL SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4486, 2 August 1930, Page 3

FLOOD CONTROL SCHEME.

GOVERNMENT WILL CONTRIBUTE £IOO,OOO. CONDITIONAL ON FULL SCHEME UNDERTAKEN. The following letter was received last evening from Hon. G. W. Forbes, Prime Minister, by Messrs .1. Link later, M.P., for Manawatu, and J. A. Nash, M.P., foi Palmerston: —“With reference to the representations made .hv the deputation which waited on me on the 23rd ultimo from the Mnnnwatu-Oronn River Board regarding the request for a subsidy of £1 for £l, on £300,000 spread over a period) of five years in connection with the deviation of the Manawatu river for drainage purposes, I have to iim form you that the question was submitted to Cabinet and it was decided to grant a subsidy to the Board of £1 for £2 up to £IOO,000 spread over a period of five years, conditional on the full scheme being undertaken.

“Payments will be made on eeeds, the first payment to accrue of the current year.’’ Yours sine ‘Minister. Talking 1 Icverything into account it must be admitted tliat the offer is both fair and generous. Requests have been made to previous Governments for financial assistance hut with the exception of a promised recommendation to Cabinet of £60,000 by the Hon. Mr. Ransom, nothing definite has been forthcoming.

The deputation which recently waited upon the Government asked for a subsidy of £1 for £1 up to £300,000. . The original scheme of flood control, prepared for the Mana-watu-Oroua River Board, was estimated to cost £574,000. This was submitted to the Government, but the cost was considered too great at the time. The Board’s engineer (Mr. P. O. Hay) was instructed to revise the scheme and lie brought down a modified one, to cost £330,000, which embraced the features of the original scheme. This was submitted to the Public Works engineers who looked carefully into it to see if the

the above basis as the work pronot earlier than after the close f rely, G. W. FORBES, Prime money would be well spent, also whether it conformed to the general idea of the initial undertaking and whether that could be completed at a la tier date. The next slop will be the sanction of the ratepayers throughout the Board’s area to tlie scheme and to a loan to provide the balance required in order to claim the Government subsidy. In our opinion if this opportunity is not availed of by the ratepayers, the door will be closed to further appeals. .< The expenditure of £300,000 on this scheme will mean continuous work for numbers of unemployed, the circulation of money in the district and reelawning something like 00,000 acres of some of the richest land in the Dominion for closer sett lenient. 'lncreased population means increased prosperity for the whole district.

The Board and all interested in forwarding the scheme are to lie congratulated upon the success which at long lost has attended their efforts.