HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS BILL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 29, 29 October 1919, Page 3

HAWKE'S BAY RIVERS BILL

AN IMPORTANT AMENDAIENT.

The Local Bills Committee of the Legislative Council yesterdny reported having further considered, the Hawke's Bay liivers Bill, luul taken the evidence of witnesses representing all' the interests affected l>y the Bill. The committee ! had no further recommendation to make —that is to fav, it still . recommended that the Bill bo allowed to proceed without amendment.

Tho Bill hud been referred back to oommitteo on the motion of the Hon.. AV. J. Getldis, who objected to the stipulation in it that thero should he a poll of the ratepayers before a loan could he raisell by tho Hivers Board for certain works designed to afford protection against floods. ' Mr. Geddis's contention was that the loan proposals, though absolutely essential to the safeguarding of many small farmers, were likely t(5 be defeated by tho majority of the ratepayers in tho district, as the majority wercs in 110 danger from flooding. AVhen Sir Francis Bell'moved tho sec'ooid rending of the Bill, ■ The Hon. Mr. Gcddis renewed his former representations. A competent commission which dealt with the _ matters touched by tho Bill had, he said, recognised that the protective works were, neceasarv, and tint tho raising of the money for. them should not be referred to a poll. ■ The desire of tho small farmers for river .works should bo sympathetically met by tho' Council. If .the Council passed tho Bill as -it stood, and so prevented the Hivers Board from getting necessary money, a commission might havo to be set up to compel tho board 10. carry out- protective works. Then the board would lie entitled to raiso tl-e requisite amount' without a poll. If a poll were' taken, tho Joan would be defeated, arid tho lands adjoining the rivers 'would remain liable to flooding. ' , , Sir' William Hall-Jones suggested that tho difficulty might lie met by striking out the Hastings borough and that part of tho Napier borough included in tho Bill, so that only those who were interested in tho provision of the protective works should bo liable to furnish tho nkmev required for the works. Tho Hon. J. B. Crow pointed out that the injustice of holding a; poll lay in tho faofc that those who were liable .to contribute least possessed the greatest voting power. Air. Geddis's objections would bo removed if the voting power of each part of the Hawke's Bay district were proportioned to tho contribution, fot ■ which each district would bo liable. Sir Walter Buchanan considered that it would be-difficult to over-estimate tho value of the land for which the protective w.orks wore required, or tho danger to which those lands wero exposed. He hoped tlmt tho Bill would go through in some form that would ensure the taking of action as quickly as possible. Tho Hon. AV. Barnshavr thought that the clause should be restored which, in tho original draft 'of tho Bill, had provided tuat no poll should lie neccssary. (The clause referred to had . been struck out in tho Lower Honse.) Tho Hon; E, Moore favoured the passing of tho Bill without amendment. _ If there were at this stage of tho -session 'a disagreement about an amendment, the Bill might be lo3t. Tho second -reading was carried on the voices, i In committee on the Bill, The Hon. Mr. Geddis moved an amendment providing for the raising of a loan hv Spccial Order. 'Sir -William Hall-Jones said that of the ftvo wards of the Hawke's Bay district, tho Hastings borough had moro tlmn double the number of ratepayers tiwm any two of the other wards put together. He thought- it would have, been bettor to leave tho Hastings borough out of the Bill altogether. , _ Tho Hon. AV. Earnshaw said that Sir William Hall-Jones had been careful to omit any mention of tho fact that tho borough "in question would be called upon "to contribute only eight per cent, of the rata?. A 1 division resulted in the carrying of tho amendment by 17 votes to 9. Ayes: MaeG-regor, Hardy, Barr, 'Grimmond, G'oddis,' Alison, Fleming, Patuki, Garland, Gow, Hawke, Stewart, Earnshaw, Harris, M.aeGibbon, Simpson, Sinclair. Noes: 8011, Aitken, Buchanan. Paul, Triggs, Hall-Jones, Fisher, Thomson, Moore. The Bill was reported without further amendment. The -third reading of the Bill was made an order of the day for- to-day.