REFERENCE BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4419, 26 May 1922, Page 1 (Supplement)

REFERENCE BOARD.

; ANNUAL MEETING. CONFERENCE MATTERS DISCUSSED. , The annual meeting of the Thames ’ Valley Drainage Reference Board >. was held at Paeroa on. Wednesday. 1 Present: Messrs E. W. Porritt, presii dent, representing Paeroa Chamber of Commerce * C. W. Harris, chair- < man Thames Harbour Board, and r member Hauraki Plains ’ County (Council; W., <K. >McLean, Paeroa (Chamber of Commerce; G.W. Horn, i Elstow Drainage Board; A. A. WagWaitoa'’Drainage Board.; L. j-i. ! Kenrick'. ’Te.' Aroha; Chamber of Comi merce; R. Coulter, Te Aroha Borrough Council; J. W. Silcock, Nprtn- < ern S-S. Co., Ltd..; ’B. Dunlop, NetKerl ton Farmers’ Union; G. Death, Hau- ! raki Plains County Council; Geo. "Buchanan, N.Z. Cotop. Dairy Co.; Ltd.;

• W. , 'D. Keys, Rotokohu. Ratepayers’ Association; P. E. Brenan, Paeroa , - ’Borough' Council; D. Donaldson and J j; J. Ritchie, Waihi Borough Council; J R. Heappy, Hauraki Drainage Board. Apologies fjor absence were received :.f ram (Mr F. W. ; Walters, Pialco ( County Council; and H. M. Wynyard, 1 .‘Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Mr Porritt traversed tlhe discussion ,i'With the Minister of Public Works '((Hbn J. G. Coates) when op his last v visit to Paeroa. In’ answer to Mr Keys, Mr Porritt said the conference would go.into the n matter of the cost Of the scheme aa a vwhole,- but: not the individual alloca.tions. The Minister .thought that a ggreater burden could be placed on u unsold Crown lands, which would ; automatically reduce the burden , of j other contributories. Mr J. B. Thompson, Chief Drainage Engineer, supi portcri this iview. Mr Kenrick-strongly-advised that Ithe matter of. individual allocations . /should hot be brought up at the present., juncture. , Mr Donaldson disagreed. He would • not like Mr Firkett to, think that Waihi was satisfied ;' the - Commis- < Sion’s: report, from; tthe point ofj view of .Waihi, was a.' farce. 'He agreed, however, that ■first things must conie first, i If ■ the course was open to Lake. suggestions on- individual > allocatinos >Waihi .representatives reserve ) ed the right, to dp so; he believed ' the Minister reposed more confidence in his three engineers than in; the . three members of the' 1921 Cpinmlssion, j, Mr Porritt replied that it had been tacitly agreed?that only the alloca- . ■ tlons as between the combined bodies and the Government would i be discussed., a Mr Kenrlck:/ agreed with .Mr' Donaldson that np party approved/ of lhe individual allocations, but that .was a matter to be dealt with subsequently.' He moved thatjthe matter! of individual allocations be not discussed at the conference. Mr W. . K. - McLean seconded, stating that Waihi was the least dissatis-i fled party, but tihe ’ others said nothing (Laughter.) Mr Keys the Rptokohu Rate payers’ Association wished to bring in a proposal supporting • the taxation of mining silt put iiito the river. . (Mr Donaldson objected to going to the conference with his hands tied. Mr Porrlt,t said the conference would ■ deal i fjor‘ the■ most part with engineering and the total cost; the ’ mining ;Silt came* under the heading Of i a party question, and a. sub Allocation. >Mr Porrjtt. pointed out. ithat nonr .Repaying: bodies Should not have a -matter, of sub-allocations. Brenan supported, 'Ten gone by, , and yet nothing ' to remove the damage the .mining industry, even original’-commission was i■ deal with this problem. a determined at- ■*' the steamers, off the Mr the ?üb-alloqa-tlons at the conference afafrjjtfefoatters of improve- , ment cost were ■ disposed of. . The motion* mE|goHflnal form read as’fdllows, arid carried' unanimously : - « -wife X “That,, at the conference, .the only allocation to be be as to whether .the Crownrawwl ■ and - Native land cannot bear sr ! provportim of the total has been recommended by 4 Com- . mission, but Without pnbj#al<»jtp the

matter of sub-alloqation of the local bodies and mining interest properties being discussed at a later opportunity.”

Mr Pprritt recalled that the Minister had promised to put intended new legislation before the Board before submitting the same to the House ; also, that the injustice of the Betterment Clause would be remedied

Mr'Donaldson said that the Wailii Borough did not put an ounce of silt into the Ohinemuri River, and yet 60 per cent, of its revenue was filched to pay for damage it did not do. It took him all his time to'look after Waiihi Borough; the’mining interests could look after themselves, Mr Horn thought it unfair that a drainage board, which was vitally interested, and whose ratepayers •would . have .to pay substantially, should have only one vote, through the county council. Mr Wagstaff supported. Mr Dunlop thought there would be no voting at all at the conference. Mr Kenrick said there would be voting at subsequent meetings of the Board, when representations oh allocations might be sent to the Gpvernment .from the Board, Mb Buchanan supported the suggestion that the basis.of voting should be on the amount of .the burden. He did not think the Government would take suggestions from the local, bodies on the individual allocations; the conference would deal with tlhe total cost only.

Mr Wagstaff emphasised that there should be an equalisation of voting, according to the amount of the allocations.

Mr Donaldson: That would suit Waihi Borough. It was finally decided that the voting on questions of; sub-allocations should not be allowed to non-contri-butipg bodies. Mr Keys and Mr Dunlop brougnt up the matter of compensation for damage on areas affected by the improvement works, as did Mr Kenrick, the latter in reference to Williams' block /of 1400 acres. It was pointed out that in the Rotbkohu and Ngahina areas severe damage had'been .suffered -by private individuals, and more was in prospect.

Mr Porritt: You want matters of compensation to be settled before the works are carried out ? —Yes.

A motion to the" above effect,' by Messrs Keys and Dunlop, was carried. Mr Dunlop said he could name persons who had lost 30 and 40 acres of their best land, and had received no compensation.

Mr. Kenrick said he knew one block where 400 acres was inundated out of <560, belonging to one.; man, because the Department had not put in the promised flood-gates. ‘‘Our places were made a sludge channel of. during the last flood,” said Mr Dqnlop, “because the floodgates were not closed.” Mr Kenrick moved, and Mr Buchanan seconded, .the following motion, which was carried:

“That the engineers be requested to make a matter of urgency the putting in of. draips on> that part ol Awaiti known as Wiggins' block, which will complete one stage of the work, and enable the settlers to farm their land.” In respect to navigation, Mr Coulter. stressed the need of improving navigation. Te Aroha was assessed flor the cost of giving back navigation facilities which had been taken .away from Te Aroha. He would move that ■the engineers of' 'the '■ Department oe . asked -to make, a definite statement aas .to ,their attitude towards navigation.— Carried, Mr Porritt seconding. Mr.ilfeys moved,, and' Mr Deaths seconded, a motion which was carried unanimously,; to ■. the effect that' ithe •. conference express tlhe yiew that the protective works, be expedited by all means in the Government’s,'.power.

The outgoing officers were re-elect-ed, Mr E. W. Porritt, president; Mr Jas. Copper, secretary; and MriE. J. Curtiss, manager of the : National Bank of N.Z., auditor. "The usual votes of thanks to the officers were carried.