The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1920. WAIKATO SWAMPS DRAINAGE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 560, 24 August 1920, Page 2

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1920. WAIKATO SWAMPS DRAINAGE.

There is no paper.in the Dominion wdiieh has devoted anything like as. much the problems of imitation of the Waikato River and tributaries and the drainage of-the swamps adjacent thereto as has "The Franklin and Pukekohe Times." For years past we have dealt with these matters in oar leading columns,. by special/tirticles, by reports of the proceedings of the Waikato River Board and the Commissions which have enquired into the works and projects pertaining to this great national waterway and the swamp lands adjoining. At times we have felt constrained to criticise adversely and in no measured terms, the policy adopted,' especially in regard to navigation. IM whatever our opponents • to "the contrary, we have always been prepared to give credit where we thought it was du&; Just now we wish to commit on a drainage scheme which is rapidly coming to a head. Our readers will recollect that "some months ago we published a special article by a staff representative of this paper in reference to a proposal to drain approximately 11,000 acres of swamp land radiating from Lake Waikare. The scheme included the blocking up of the Oneta stream in order to prevent the river flooding up that waterway and inundating the surrounding land; also, a canal was to be constructed to carry the catchment water down to the Whangamarino .stream and so out into the river. This scheme is a feasible one, and is fathered by Mr. -J. B. Thompson, Government Drainage Engineer. There is-•a fall of Sft (Jin. within a distance of four miles, proving conclusively that towards the Whangamarino is the natural outlet for the drainage of the Lake Waikare basin. We pointed out at the time thai this scheme was only part of the larger project having for its ultimate object the unwatering of the swamps- "lying, roughly speaking, in a triangle bounded by the Waika,to"'Krver, the Waikare lake country and the Maramarua stream. The present movement is designed towards the carrying out of the two schemes concurrently, so that no additional Hooding of swamps about the Whangamarino and Maramarua will take place in the meantime. The plans for the more southerly work are based on the blocking up of the Whangamarino stream where it junctions with the Waikato River, by utilising a bluff headland close by as spoil to block the passage, to erect a Jow stopbank to prevent the river overflowing, and to get rid of the rainfall surplus by pumping. This, we believe, is a workable plan, and will guard against all but very high floods, and will no doubt have the approval of Mr. Thompson, who is at present on a visit to the United States investigating drainage works there and the machinery used in that connexion. Fortunately, the present policy is championed by men who have had some experience of drainage works on a large scale elsewhere, included among whom are Messrs. McCutchem Bros., late of Rangateike, the drainage of which swamp increased land values by as much as from K'2 10s to V.40 per acre in some instances. A meeting of all those interested is to be held at Mercer next Saturday, and we trust that it will be largely attended. The probable gain by effective drainage will he out of all proportion to the cost, estimated at fOO.OOO. As there are about 2(i.OOO acres to be benefitted, this would work out at less than K:) per acre. Moreover, as the Government is the largest landowner, and as the increasing of production is inseparably hound up with the welfare of the Dominion it is only logical and fair to assume that the Slate will do its share of the financing. If the project, on further analysis, proves as promising as it does on the face of it* the support of the "Times" will he readily forthcoming; it is on the lines we have advocated on various occasions, but the promoters will be wise not to count on preventing the highest floods from overflowing, as sue!) an attempt would probably cause a bursting through somewhere. The Waikato River is notoriously averse to being rigidly confined, but moderate success of great practical value may be confidently hoped for. If put into on ration the present scheme should act as a guide for similar works at TuaIcau and lower down.