Floods

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 420, 11 July 1947, Page 5

Floods

: . f ROM time immemorial floods have been among the earth’s recurring calamities, taking about the same place in history as famines. But in this matter, as in so many others, New Zealand lies out of the stream of history, having no famines and few floods calamitous enough to be remem,bered long. Our rivers do, of course, "often overflow their banks, but they don’t often cause such misery as the Wairarapa endured last week, and because they don’t it is difficult for those in other districts to realise what the situation was. In fact, it was just about as miserable a situation. as men and women can endure and still remain healthy and sane; and sympathy alone will not compensate them. But sympathy will go a long way with them if it is based on understanding. It will not bring back ‘their drowned sheep and cattle or restore their. fences and food supplies. But it will restore their mental and. moral circulation, steady their nerves, and keep their faith in farming from giving way under these recurring shocks. For farming will always be a life of adventure. It will never be stable season by season ~ or safe from harvest to harvest. It will-be safer than it is when science and forethought combine to cushion if they can’t forestall earth’s periodic calamities, But it will always happen at intervals that nature will defeat our plans, and even use them to our own confusion — as the flood last week used most of the stop-banks. Every intelligent farmer knows that a mine lies concealed in every gully and a booby-trap in every bush and tree, since the war with nature F 5pes on for ever. Though it is a var in which he is always a volunhe must not be forgotten Wilien reverses come or left to dress his own wounds. The Wairarapa calls to-day for practical and speedy help. But it calls also for that understanding of the country’s continuing tisks without which all the sympathy of the town is children’s talk that means nothing.