PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2207, 3 June 1870, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

This Day. Mr Allan presented a petition from certain landowner.-! in the Saddle Hill and Greytown Road Districts, -which was received. Mr Thomson brought up the report of the Select Comraitte on the Taiori Plain floods. The report stated that a great amount of evidence had been taken. Objection might be taken to some of the witnesses on the ground that they were interested ; but the Committee could not act 'otherwise as they wished to be informed fully on the matter, and old settlers could give the necessary information. They had also them witnesses wholly disinterested. : The evidence went to show in regard to ordinary floods of the Taieri, that the river rises more rapidly and to a greater height than it used to do. This was owing partly to the burning of rank vegetation and the packing of the ground by stock, and partly to the depositing of sludge in the river below Outram. As to the action of water races up-country, it did not appear that they had much, if any, effect in raising the river ; although in the case of ordinary floods the r.vor is more liable to overflow its banks than it used to be, and consequently the danger to settlers was greater. The Committee are of opinion that heavy floods are not to any appreciable extent caused by the diggings. There could be no quest : on that, owing to mining operations, the silt in the bed of the river will go on increasing, and thereby cause ordinary and extraordinary floods to bo more injurious than they have been. The Committee thought something ought to be done to lessen, if not entirely remove, the evil. While generally approving of the scheme of Mr J. T. Thomson, it involved such a large expenditure of money as to be practically beyond the reach of the Province at present, One witness suggested the embankment of the river; apd according to some of the evidence it would cost less than any other scheme. But it was inconsistent with the evidence of other witnesses, and therefore they could not recommend it. They also made enquiries as to the scheme for enlarging upon Lake Waipoi'i, and found it to be impracticable. Under all the circumstances, the majority of the Committee were of opinion that should the Government after making further enquiry be persuaded that the expenditure of L 50,000 would remove the evils complained of, they diould take steps to carry out the necessary works., The Committeee had under consideration that, as any works that might be rendered necessary are to a certain extent rendered necessary by mining operations up-country, it was only fair that part of the cost should be borne out of the public revenue, and a part by the owners of land beuelitted by the works. In the event of the Government seeing their way to spend the sum, the Committee recommended the money should be raised on loan, the interest to be borne in equal proportion by the Province and the district, and the sinking fund entirely by the district. In the event of the Colonial Legislature not granting the loan, the Committee suggest that the same should be carried out on the security of rates in terms of tifC Hawkp'g Ray Riye-rg Act. The Committee Tecoinrhepcl taking tfle inundations of Lake Waippri into consideration with a view to devising a remedy! and express the opinion that the more rapid rising of the Olutha lately is owing to the destruction of rough vegetation for the sake of depasturing stock. Most witnesses thought the scour was so great, that very little matter was deposited in the river.