HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5026, 13 September 1926, Page 3

HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

SCOPE OF COMMISSION. " MR. T. W. RHODES COMPLAINS. On the introduction of the third Imprest Supply Bill, which makes provision for appropriations, for £1,252,600, Mr T. W. Rhodes (Thames) complained that he had been badly let down by the Minister of Lands (th© Hon. A. D. McLeod). He had, he. said, been led to believe that a Commission would be set up to inquire into matters affecting the Hauraki Plains, and the Minister had recently indicated for the first time that the Commission would only apply to district, which was in the Ohinemuri constituency and not in Mr Rhodes’. Subsequently the Minister agreed that one small matter affecting drainage in the Thames electorate should be inquired into, and during the election the Minister had repeated that he was about to set up a Commission. He (Mr Rhodes) did not want to misrepresent the Minister,' but he wished to know why he had been let down in this manner. It was not right. A Minister of the Crown had gone back on his. word, and he. revetted it was so. He had always beo?^ -eady to admit that any statement rrom a Minister would be'fulfilled, but in this instance he could not do so.. He wa§ very disappointed with the present position. He received on the 27th of last month a letter with particulars of thq order of reference. MINISTER’S REPLY. The Minister of La.ndsi (Hon. A. D. McLeod)' stated that he had always regarded Patetonga as being in the Hauraki drainage district. He had no intention of slighting anyone, and he had acted in good faith in proposing to set up the Commission of Inquiry immediately. A' statement was made in the House! that the Commission was not wide enough, and he had asked the member for Thames to inform him of othejl questions that might be included in the. order of reference. Suggestions had been made which would have taken the inquiry beyond what was intended. . MR SAMUEL SATISFIED. Mr A. M. Samuel- (Ohinemuri) stated that at a meeting in his elec- . torate the promise of. a Commission .had been mentioned and oh making representations to the Minister the Commission had been set up. The Minister’ had fulfiilled his promise 'and that was. all. Whether that promise should have beeh extended to other electorates was not his concern.