MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER DISTRICT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3517, 29 July 1926, Page 3

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER DISTRICT.

Wellington, Last Night. The abolition of the ManawatuOroua River District is asked for by a petition to Parliament of 197 ratepayers of that area. It is stated that when the Act forming the district was passed, the ratepayers were not sufficiently acquainted with the powers and authorities to be vested in the district, nor did they know what the proposals were in regard to draining and the carrying out of river work. The proposal work of the Board is unlikely to be of benefit to the ratepayers, it is claimed, and the cost would be extraordinarily large. Much of the work would be experimental, and the’risk of compensation claims to properties was great. While the rates of this Board would be very heavy, the rates of other River Boards in the district, and the County rates, would suffer no reduction. Many lands included in the Board’s area should not have been included at all, as the occupants will derive no benefit either directly or indirectly. The majority of the ratepayers desired the abolition of the Board, and as there were no special loans raised in connection with the flood protective or drainage work, the abolition would be simple.