A THREATENED INUNDATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8086, 17 April 1906, Page 2

A THREATENED INUNDATION.

STONY RIVER BLOCKED. Mr Corbett, chairman of the Okato Road Board, recently wrote to the Taranaki County Council that the Stony Rivor threatened to change its course, and that this would result in the Hooding of a large area of country. He looked upon this as a mattor of urgency, and asked the Council to consider tho matter of confining the stream to its own channel. Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., was also approached in connection with the threatened danger, and he immediately made application to the Government for a grant towards the cost of the work.

On Saturday afternoon a committee of the Taranaki County Council, consisting of Mr G, Y. Tate (chairman of that body) and Crs. C. Andrews and .1. R. Hill, met at the County Office to consider the position. There were also present ■. Messrs E. M. Smith, M.H.R., A. Corbett (chairman of the Okato Road Board), J. Skinner (County engineer), and J. F. Eustace.

Mr Corbett, who had evidently made himself thoroughly acquainted with the subject in hand, said the whole cause of the trouble was a huge log in the river-bed, which had now collected boulders and dammed the stream. This obstruction had now bocouie so formidable as to threaten to turn the course of the river In fact, during a recent fresh, leaves and twigs hud been washod on to neighbouring lund. Several acros of land, he had heard, had also been washed away and but a little more of this was ueeded to allow the river to break away. In the event of this taking place, hundreds of acres would be inundated. The Hood waters weuld probably cross the Saunders road into the Kaihihi River, which runs past the Okato dairy factory. It was quito plain that in such a case incalculable damage would be done to private property, and, besides this, the Kaihihi bridge on the main road was threatened, and the Stony River bridge would be rendered useless.

In the discussion which followed it was mentioned that the river had considerably changed its course during th« past ten or twelve years. The islands which once abounded in the river-bed had been washed away, and the water seemed likely to wash away portion of the Saunders road at a point some ten or twolvc miles above the South road. After considerable discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Tate, seconded by Mr Andrews, " that the threatened deviation of the Stony River having been reported to the Couucil, the County engineer bo instructed to visit the locality, and that he be cmpowered to take whatever steps he deems necessary to prevent the deviation of the river from its original course; the work to be carried out by the Okato Road Board, under the supervision of the County engineer, the cost of such work to be shared by the Okato Road Board." Mr Skinner has, wo understand, already gone out to Okato, in order to out away the obstruction at once, if necessary,