C.—ll.

1943. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND SURVEY. RANGITAIKI LAND DRAINAGE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1943.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly in pursuance of Section 10 of the Bangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910.

Department of Lands and Survey, Wellington, Ist May, 1943. Sir,— I have the honour to submit herewith the report of the Chief Drainage Engineer on drainage operations on the Rangitaiki Plains for the year ended 31st March, 1943, pursuant to the provisions of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910. I have, &c., R. G. Macmorran, Under-Secretary for Lands. The Hon. the Minister of Lands.

REPORT OF THE CHIEF DRAINAGE ENGINEER. Sir,— In compliance with the provisions of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910, I have the honour to submit the following report on the work carried out during the year ended 31st March, 1943. The call for men for service with the armed forces is causing increased difficulties in carrying out drain-maintenance work, which is essential if farm production from the Rangitaiki district is to continue. The main industry is dairy-farming, and an idea of its value can be obtained from the fact that the yearly output of the Rangitaiki Dairy Co., which handles a large portion of the production from the district, has exceeded 5,000 tons for a good season. Farm production for the 1942-43 season is expected to be of normal volume. The most important of the 158 miles of maintained drains and canals have been cleared of growth at least once during the year. Though the normal programme of work, which includes reconditioning and removing silt from some drains each year, could not be carried out entirely, much benefit is being derived from the extensive maintenance dredging of main canals which has been carried out during recent years. The summer was dry with useful rainfall of about 3 in. per month, heavy rainfall during four winter months causing' wet conditions in the spring. After one storm early in September the rivers rose to exceptionally high stages, causing some local flooding, which would have been more extensive if the flood crest had not been exceptionally brief.