The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1883. County River Boards.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1035, 30 August 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 1883. County River Boards.

In our yesterday’s issue we published the new clauses which were added to the Counties Act Amendment Bill on the motion of the member for Ashburton, and no words of ours are needed to draw attention to their importance. The immediate cause of Mr Wright’s action in this matter was doubtless the difficulty which the Ashburton County Council experienced in dealing with the encroachments made by the river during the recent floods in this part ol Canterbury. Those settlers in Wakanui and the Forks who suffered most severely were naturally anxious that the damage should be repaired as soon as possible, and they were perfectly willing to contribute a fair share of the necessary expense. But under the Counties Act Councils are not empowered to levy a special rate over one particular district, while it would be manifestly unfair to make the whole county pay for what would benefit comparatively few, especially when those few had no desire to shirk their responsibility. When the question was discussed, two courses appeared to be open to meet the difficulty. The Government could either give County Councils power to declare rating districts for river conservancy at their own discretion, or that these bod'es should, under certain conditions, be enabled to act in the capacity of river boards. For the obvious reason that the discretion suggested would be liable to be abused, the first alternative was abandoned as impracticable, but no such objection can be brought against the second, which Mr Wright has embodied in his amendments. When this Bill has passed the Legislature, it will be possible for a County Council, upon the petition of the majority of the ratepayers, to be empowered by the Governor ‘to exercise all the functions of a river board. This will enable a special rate to be struck over a particular district, and when any damage is caused by floods there need not be the same delay in repairing it which, under the present system, is inevitable. Had not Mr Wright brought forward his amendments there would have been no other course than to have appointed a Board of Conservators for each river in the county, which would have simply increased the legislative machinery at the expense of the ratepayers without giving any compensating advantage. All the work that such Boards would be required to do can very well be compassed by the County Council, which, indeed, is the proper body to carry it out. We have spoken of this matter especially in connection with this part of the colony, but there are other districts both in the North and South islands similarly situated that will have reason to feel grateful to the member for Ashburton.