TO PREVENT FLOODING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2118, 22 April 1920, Page 3

TO PREVENT FLOODING.

MANAWATU AND OROUA RIVERS BOARD TO BE FORMEII The meeting of owners and occupiers of (lie land within the Hooding area of the Manawatu and Oroua rivers, held at Palmerston on Monday, with the object of forcing a River Board to effectually deal with the channels of the two rivers in order to protect the adjacent land against floods, was well attended. Keen interest was evinced in the movement, Mr Baldwin', bon secretary to the Manawatu River Committee, set out the proposals. He said, when the proposed River Board was formed it would have statutory powers and a definite scheme to put before the ratepayers for their consent: or otherwise. There were three different cuts proposed as the basis of the scheme, each of which would provide a waterway about 25 miles shorter that the present river. The routes had been brought under the notice of the Government, and had been inspected by Mr Burkett, of the Public Works Department, who saw no considerable engineering difficulties,m the way of constructing one or other of the routes. Some people connected with the affair imagined that the rales would not he decided according to the benefits received by individual parties. That was not so. A man who got little benefit fromjhe scheme would not have to pay in the 'same proportion to the man who was directly benefited. The ratepayers would ho divided into four sections —A, B, ft, D —according to the amount of benefits received, and rated accordingly. The Minister of Public Works when made cognisant of the existing slate of affairs had urged the immediate formation oflfca River Board.

Mr 4. Chryslall, Mayor of Foxlon, expressed bis approval of the proposal to form a Board and evolve a definite scheme. He moved in that direction.

Mr Bell wanted to know the exact mute first. A River Board would, if formed, have power over private works in the area it mint rolled, and before that happened he would like to know how il would aliee! his company's property. The Chairman sabl (hat there should, be some provision made so that private people could spend money on riverbauk improvements wiihont being dictated to by the fbiavd. There would have to be some saving clause, otherwise Furliamentary protection would have to he sought.

The Chairman said that no one would lie prepared to join the Board if it was going to prevent them cairying out work to protect their ov. u land,

Mr C, Craw asked if in the event of the River Board being formed, and a cut put through, thus shortening the river by 25 miles, would that n! U cope with the flood water aboc'ether, and render unnecessary the forming of any banks? H that were so, if would be belter to spend the money on the rivers instead <>l: on hanking. He would vole ior what was Hie best thing procurable, and if the cuts would prevent Lie land fi-,an .Hooding it would bo no use spending so much money on bancs. Mr Beam; said it would be a good' insurance having banks, and Ids own opinion was tliat they should bank Hie land against weeds. The chairman said that at Mal-.e-ma they would have to bank to keep out goatsrue, ami in otner places !hev would have to do likewise. 'The Makerua Drainage Board could not (leal with the beds of the rivers, bin a River Board could do so. In reply I<> n question, the chairman >aid that it was a matter for the engineers to say if flanking could lie done without. Mr Jiekell said that Hie people concerned could not allow Makerua !o be Hooded, as otherwise it would be only a short time before the laud was covered with rubbish, especially goatsrue. If banks were not put up the binds in two or three years would go back to their primeval slate. Mr Furkel (Government engineer) bad said that the banks would have to go up. He believed Hie cut would lie a good thing, but it would take years to construct, and the Makerua owners had made up their minds to protect themselves. The cut would help them, but the banks had to go up, and the position was urgent. The Makerua people wore doing the right thing, and the other people should do likewise. Mr O. Monrad asked if the River Board would control the bed of Hue stream, decide where straightening was necessary, the height of the hanks required, and lay down a definite scheme to he supported by (he live ridings, and that outside of that Hie five ridings would have control of their own districts.

The Chairman said that a River Board would control the whole district, and could prevent people- goingon with'the banks. I hey (the Alakerua people) did not intend to have that; they must protect themselves so that the River Board could not imevent them putting up banks. Air A. Seifert said there appeared to be some doubt in the minds of

people whether the petition for a River Board would interfere with the work now under way. He >ugge.- t-

od that plans of the work already agreed to ho done might be submitted, and that it be an understood tiling that this work could be carried out. Any alterations to be made would he minor ones, and if a scheme could he submitted and adopted he thought it would lone the hearty support’ of everybody. He recognised that the .river could only he dealt with by one Board. Mr Pearce said'he did .not sce-that tlie Hiver Board to he ionued would take away any power’ from any iud 1 ,-

vidua I or from any Drainage Do.iru: it .vould only be to control ami straighten the river. Mr Baldwin .said that an addition could be made to the petition to provide for the carrying out of work under weigh as suggested by Mr Seifert,

A& Bell said .that the people at Makerua did not want to do anything to affect those on the other side of the river, hut they alsj* wanted to protect themselves. They were compelled to protect their own property, hut at the same time the existing legislation might prevent them completing the work on which they had spent a considerable amount"of money. If they could word the petition in such a way that it would he for (lie good of the district as a whole, and would'protect the Makerua people, the latter would he with them.

The Chairman said that the late Mr Armstrong’s idea was that if they put the cut through it might be filled up in a single night. Mr J. Chryslail: Fill up the cut? The Chairman: Yes. Air Chrystail: Oh, what nonsense! Air A. Seifert said he understood that if a cut was made the old channel might he filled up. Even if the whole river was filled up they would have to gel drainage, which could he obtained by spending a few thousand pounds. The chairman said that it would ho necessary to gel all in the proposed district to sign I lie petition. They did not want to start with any antagonism. Air Chrystail: Fifty per cent, and one over would do. The Chairman said they should frame the petition in such a way that they would get the whole of the signatures. He suggested that a special clause he inserted Ucprotect liaise proposing In do hanking work.

Mr Chryslall said that (lie meeting had no i?ower to barter away the powers given by 1 ire p/csent legislation. He would sooner take the chance of forming a Board without the assistance of the Makerua Drainage Board. He complimented (he Makerua settlers on what they were doing, but said (he Moutoa settlers had also to be protected. Mr Baldwin moved-that "The pctilion to contain a clause providing that Hie River Board’s powers be limited to prevent interference with any protective or designed work now constructed or in course of construction and approved.” Subscriptions were taken up in the room for preliminary expenses, and over £SO was obtained.