THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1922. RIVER IMPROVEMENT COSTS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4398, 3 April 1922, Page 2

THE Hauraki Plains Gazette With which is incorporated THE OHINEMURI GAZETTE. Motto: Public Service. MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, & FRIDAY. MONDAY, APRIL 3, 1922. RIVER IMPROVEMENT COSTS.

The probability of the allocation of costs of the River Improvement Scheme being one o± the subjects that will be brought under the notice of the ActingMinister of Railways and Minister of Lands (Hon. D. H. Guthrie X when he arrives in Paeroa and Te Aroha induces us to refer to the subject to-day. As far as we can gather, it is likely that some districts will be asking for a re-allocation, and others to be let off Representatives of eVery interest are entitled to their own views on the matter, but ours remains substantially as it was on the first presentation of the report as far as the cost is concerned;'namely, that the cost is prohibitive, but that the best means of securing'a reduction is to try and get the scheme itself. reduced in total cost, which would automatically . reduce the liabilities of all parties. Iri fairness, we-must admit that the statement made by a representative of the Thames Borough Council at the recent meeting of the Reference Board puts a different complexion on the objects of the Thames Borough: It was stated that the Thames Borough Endowments are now' rated by • the _ Piako County Council (which is correct). and also that the Council will levy a proportion for River Improvement costs in due course. If this is so, then it woqld be manifestly unfair to tax Thames a second time. But -the position of Thames is an anomaly, and this case cannot be taken as a parallel for any other party, if the Government could be induced to bear a greater share ofj.the costs, well and good, but advices from Wellington are to the effect that the cost of the scheme, and its fifty per cent, allocation, put the Ministers into a state of mild consternation.; it would probably be extremely difficult to get the Government to take on a heavier burden, but we shall not be challenged when we state that the Government has asked for a less costly scheme to l?e evolved, and in this respect is on the side of all the other parties interested. If all the representatives press for the proposed conference, with a view to having some such scheme as recommended by the 1919 Commission adopted, the results would in all likelihood be more .satisfactory than aU attempt to have the allocations reduced. It may alsb be practicable to have the payment spread over a much longer than the time taken to complete the work, and this in itself would make the payment easier. Unity of demand will achieve more than dis-< union.