CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1916, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

THE DUTCH DYKES. The bursting of the'Zuyder Zee dykes is a serious thing for Holland Tim Zuydei Zee is a land-locked inlet on the coast of Holland, bounded on the north by the chain of the Friesian Inlands. It is about S3 miles long from north to south, ajul from 10 to 45 miles broad, with an area of -2027 square miles, and contains the islands of Marken, Sehoklarnl, Urk Wieringen and Griend. In the early centuries of the Christian era the Zuyder (Southern) Zee was a email inland lake situated iu the southern part of the present gulf and called l'levo by Tacitus, Pliny and other early writers. It was separated from the sea by a belt of marsh and fen uniting Friesland and North Holland, the original coast line being still indicated by the line of the Friesian Islands. In time, however, and, especially during, it-he twelfth century, high tides and north-west storms swept away the banks of the largest of the )"»tierous streams that discharged their waters into this lake and submerged grean tracts of land. In 1170 the land between Ctavoren, Texel and -Medom-blik was washed away, and a century later the Zuyder Zee was .formed. The open water-way between Stavoren and Enkiiuizeu, however, as it now exists, dates from 1400. In the nineteenth century the advances of engineering and mechanical science, suggested the possibility of draining the lake. From 1840 onward investigations have been carried out with this object in view, and about 1390 an eminent engineer, M. Lely, took over 2000 borings to prove that a large proportion of the soil would be good agri cultural land when drained. Iu 1001 this same jr. became Minister for Public Works, and he at once introduced a Bill for- the drainage of the south-west portion of the Zuyder Zee. But the Cabinet of which he was a member had a very short life, and it was not till August, 1913, that M. Lely was in office again. Within a month he had prepared. another -Bill to carry out his longcherished project. The Netherlands Go- | vernmcnt had under consideration in [ 1914 a scheme for draining a portion of the Zuyder Zee, involving the reclaiming of 815 square, miles and the conversion of 557 square miles into a fresh-water lake. The cost \vas estimated at £15,7'00,000, which would include the construction of 18 miles of concrete embankment between Weiringcn, on the opposite side of the Zuyder Zee, and Bctilt, on the Wamer. The embajikment tyill carry a double line of railways and a carriage road. It is expected that the land gained will give the State a rental of £1,250,000. By these' draining operations it is expected to win not less than 500,000 acres of fertile land, which will support a population of 200,000 persons, including 40,000 farmers and 50,000 traders, artisans, etc. As the present Zuyder Zee fisheries maintain in none too prosperous conditions only 3100 fishermen and their families, with ,'iOOO boats, the gain will be enormous. In fact, the present income derived from fisheries amounts to about £200,000. When the lake is converted into dry land it is calculated that it will support a population of 200,000 persons, and the estimated yield is put down at £5,000,000 per annum.