DICTIONARY OF TERMS FOR CATCHMENT BOARDS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5315, 30 January 1947, Page 3

DICTIONARY OF TERMS FOR CATCHMENT BOARDS

ACCiE'LERATED PROBLEMS OF SOIL CONSERVATION. Catehment boards, comparatively recent in New Zealand, will have their own "dictionary," giving- a definition of hydrologic and associated soil and river engineering terms. Many of them are new and have been created by special circmnst^nces govern^ng this class of work.

A glossary of the suggested terms for use in reports and special papers has been compiled by departmental experts in Wellington and a copy was before the Rangitikei Catehment Board at its monthly meeting in Marton. "With the aecelerated pablic appreciation in New Zealand of the problems of soil conservation, flood control and river engineering since the passing of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act, 1941, it is desirable and necessary at this early stage to publish a bulletin setting out standard interpretations of the terms which will be used by geolog'ists, meteorologists, agriculturalists, soil . conservators, engineers and others working on these problems," stated the cilairman of the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Council, Mr. W. L. Ne'wnham (Wellington), in aii accompanying letter. The glossary of terms, however, was provisional only, as constructive critic'ism of definitions was lequired before piublication in its final for.m. . "By the issue of such a glossary, any New Zealand woriker in soil conservation and' allied work will be enabled to use a term with a standard meaning, knowing full well that those reading his reports on papers will have a 'clear understanding of *the sense intended, while the public generally will be enabled to read intelli-g-ently, not only 'New Zealand publications, bu.t aiso copious literature from overseas, popular and' technical, covering soil conservation, flood protection, meteorology and kindred subjects," 'Mr. Newnham added. "This is really a dictionary for the use of catehment boards," said the chairman, Mr. K. A. Williams (Marton). Much of it is technical. Dr. L. I. 'Grange, director of the Soil Survey Division of the Department of Scientific -and Industrial Research, said the provisional list of terms and definitions before the board was prepared by department officers in Wellington. The glossary was referred to the board's consulting engineer, Mr. H. R. Farq'uhar (Palmerston iNiorth).