MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3513, 20 July 1926, Page 2

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD SCHEME.

DISCUSSED BY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Cr. McMurray reported on the deputation from the Manawatu-Oroua River Board which waited on mem-bers-of the Council last (Monday night at last night’s Council meeting and outlined the scheme as previously published in the “Herald.” He urged the Council to support the scheme as it would be of great benefit to the port and Foxton generally. Cr. Walker said he was opposed to the scheme. He failed to see how it would benefit Foxton. Cr. Thompson: It will only benefit the big farmers. It was a case of making “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” The Mayor said that he would not recommend the Councillors to support the scheme. Cr. McMurray: We are already cited. The Mayor: We will have better grounds for objecting to being included in the area before the Commission if we do not support the Manawatu-Oroua River Board’s proposal. Cr. Woods said that he was greatly in favour of the scheme as a farmer, but as a Councillor he was opposed to it. .The Council was cited, however, as a contributing body. Cr. Rand expressed regret that the Board’s engineer (Mr. F. C. llav) was not present at the meeting. He had told the Councillors, last week that the bar would improve as a result of the scheme, but he (Cr. Rand) did not think there would be any bar at all during the live years of the Board’s operations if the scheme eventuated. A pilot ~ut was to.be put in and all this spoil would simply sill up the bar. If the cuts were put through Foxton would lose, the flaxmills which would be unable to carry on with the present river diverted from its course. Foxton could il atlord to lose its mills. Cr. Winstanley spoke at some length in opposition to the scheme, and referred to the Ratepayers Association formed in Palmerston N. to object to the proposed cuts. Foxton could not stand being burdened with extra rates. If the scheme went through it would cost the Council £30,000, he said. The Clerk: More like £3,000. Cr. Winstanley: Five times that. Cr. McMurray said the matter was a serious one and needed a good deal of deliberation. He suggested that the matter should be held over until next meeting when some duality should be reached. The suggestion was adopted and the discussion closed.