HEATED INTERLUDE AT BOARD MEETING

Chronicle (Levin), 24 October 1946, Page 3

HEATED INTERLUDE AT BOARD MEETING

DISPUTE OVER ABOLITION OF RIVER BOARD There was a heated interlude at the monthly meeting of the Manawata Catehment Board in Palmerston North last week when the chairman, Mr. J. T. J. Heatley, peremptorlly ordered Mr. W. McKay to sit down, refused to let him continue speaking and later refused to accept a resolution from him. The trouble occurred when the board was considering the changed circumstances in regard to the move to abolish the ManawaraOroua River Board. By a resolution in July, 1945, the board decided to seek the abolition of the river board which operates under a special Act of Parliament. At the last session of the House, a local Bill to effect the dissolution of the River Board failed to become law, and, instead, the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act was substantially altered, changing the method by which catehment boards can abolish internal . boards within tfieir districts. After the clerk (Mr. L. J. Hagan) had outlined the new procedure for abolishing the river board, Mr. Heatley tabled a resolution to set in motion the necessary machinery to give effect to the board's incentions. Mr. M. O. Grainger rose to a point of order, declaring that the resolution should be put forward in the form of a notice of motion, in order to give members a chance of studying. the new procedure. ■ "This is purely a machinery resolution and does not require a notice of motion," said the chairman. Supporting Mr. Grainger, Mr. McKay was on his feet and expressing the opinion that the board had act'ed hurriedly before and had not made the proper approach to the authorities, when the chairman demanded that he should sit down. "I have the floor at the ; moment," said Mr. McKay.

I "Sit down," demanded Mr. Heatj ley. "I rise to a point of order. Sit down. I'm running this meeting, j not you." | Mr. McKay: Very well, Mr. Chair- ' man. "I am not going to accept any criticisms of this board's earlier actions," said Mr. Heatley. "You agreed to abolish the river board. That decision is not altered by the changed circumstances. Mr. McKay (not rising) : It was done in ignorance. It was rushed on to us. We did not approach the | matter in the proper way, and | the river board was ignored. I felt a damned fool when a deputation from the river board waited on us to put their case, and after listening to their claims we turned round and told them w;e had already decided to abolisli their board.

The catehment board had not been as diplomatic as it might have been, said Mr. S. W. Barber, who thought members should have a chance to stady the new Act before taking any further action. Mr. J. B. Chrystall said he aeplored the fact that there had j been much misdirected opposition | to the move, and suggested that i many misunderstandings might I be eliminated if a conference i between the two boards took place j before application was renewed for i the abolition of the river board. | Mr. Grainger asked the board to ireturn to his original point of , order. I Mr. Heatley said the board by i his motion would not be attempting to do anything new. It would I be merely following up the implejinentation of a previously decided Ipolicy. If there were any objectors ito the abolition, they could state i their case to the commission to be set up. Mr. McKay said he was in sympathy with the remarks of Mr. Chrystall, and had been leading up to his suggestion when ordered to sit down. . He asked the chairman if he woud accept a motion. Mr. Heatley refused to accept a resolution, and himself moved thar, / tjie matter be held over for one month. This course of action was agreed to.