DRAINAGE BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 6

DRAINAGE BOARDS.

QUESTIONS OF LIABILITY. AMENDED LEGISLATION ASKKD FOR., An amendment of the drainage law. on the lilies of. tho Taieri Land Drainage Act, was asked for by 'a deputation which interviewed tho Hon. 11. D. Bell (.Minister for Internal Affairs) yesterday. It represented five dTaiuage boards in the Manawatu district and was introduced by Jlr. D. Buick, member for I'almer.ston. Mr. Greig, who was tho first speaker, said that the various drainage boards had long felt that tlio present Act was so imperfect and contained so many contradictions thtit it should be altered. 'Die matter .had been brought under the notice of Jlr. Biuldo some time ago, but he had taken no action beyond referrine it h> Sir Joseph Ward, who had written them a letter suggesting that the boards interested should introduce ii local Bill on the lines of the Taieri Act. In the present instance they were concerned not so much with' the rivers as with the land drainage. They could not see whv drainage boards should be burdened with greater liabilities than county councils and similar bodies. Ho referred especially to tho question of compensation for damage caused in connection with maintenance which would pormit of claims being "lit in over a continuous period. He thought they jshouM. remove tho provision enabling ratepayers to bring actions at law in conviection with maintenance. Mr. Bel! interjected that ho thought that might be asking too much. They must remeulbcr-in that respect that they had to coiivinco a lawyer as well as a Minister of tho Crown. (Laughter.) Mr. Greig said that they wanted the Act brought into line with the Public Works Act in this , matter. Mr. Bell: The converse may be the better way.

Messrs.'Gower and Gray ' olso spoke briefly. Mr. Bell, in reply, said.that a board should lx) liable only in resnect of drains it had itself made, and should bo no more ■liable for keeping in order water-coursea than a county was liable for not properly metalling its roads. On the other point ho must say that he did not agree with them. If they foiled to keep in order tho drains that they had' made, and thereby caused injury, those suffering injury should. ba entitled to compensation. "IS he found, upon examination of the papers .that had been put before Mr. Bmldo, that the difficulties under which tlie boards laboured ought in his view and the view of tho Attorney-General to bo removed by a special'enactment rolatrni? to the district, and if lie was able within the short time available.to satisfy himself that the Bill as prepared wns in its detail as well as in its proposed effect satisfactory, . then lie would ask the : Government to propose it as" a measure toParliament tlijis ..session. ■ If. not, tho . matter would'have to whit till next session. Mr. Bujck, then brought ..under ■ Mr. Bell's notice, the necessity for .tho settlers getting further information regarding the state of the fivers when floods were threatened than they at present obtained. At' present they received telegrams from Woodville. They would nlso like to set information from Ashhurst and Feilding regarding the Pohangina nnd Oroua Rivers. On some occasions tho information received from WoodyiUo had apparently not been very reliable. Mr. Bell suggested that the boards should place gauges in the riveTs; in which case they could get accurate readings instead of tho opinion of the postmaster. He would draw the attention of thn Post-nia-stor-Genera! to the matter, ami he felt .sure he would agree :in the supplying of the desired information.