THE NORTHERN FLOODS.

Wairarapa Age, 30 March 1920, Page 5

THE NORTHERN FLOODS.

Settlers' Serious Portion.

MUCH DAMAGE REPORTED.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. Full details are not yet available regarding the North Auckland floods, and it is still impossible to estimate tlied amage. The Herald's Paparoa correspondent, telegraphing to-night, says that widespread damage has been done to the Otamatea County roads and bridges. A heavy loss has been suffered by farmers, who have had their fences carried away by slips and their stock killed.

At the Waipu Gorge all the original wooden bridges, numbering twenty Or twenty-five, were carried away, only one large concrete bridge remaining. Conflicting accounts have come to hand regarding the motor accident in the Gorge. It is now stated that the party was overtaken by the flood. They moored their car to a tree, and were rescued from the top of the car.

A special meeting of the Otamatea County Council will be held to-morrow tb consider urgent works to afford temporary acess to the isolated settlers. > Vehicular traffic cannot get through to the back districts, and this renders the carting of food supplies <at the present time impossible. Government aid is urgently necessary, as the local bodies' resources cannot cope with the expenditure required to repair the damage, the cost of which will run into thousands- of pounds. -/ 1