MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD’S SCHEME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3918, 14 March 1929, Page 3

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVER BOARD’S SCHEME.

NOT FAVOURED BY FOXTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Had Mr. F. C. Hay, engineer of the Manawirtu-Oroua River Board been able to induce the Foxton Borough Council to pass a resolution in connection with his Board’s modified scheme when he met Councillors at a special meeting held locally last month, he would possibly have had them ranged definitely on side with the board, but with no motion passed at that meeting and the lapse of several weeks until their next meeting, the engineer’s persuasive eloquence apparently lost its potency and Councillors got back into the old way of thinking that the scheme would not be to the benefit of Foxton. At Monday night’s Borough Council meeting a letter was received from the River Board thanking the Council for receiving Mr. Hay and asking theta to elect a representative to the delegation to the Government to ask for a £1 for £1 subsidy to have the work carried out. Mr. J. Chrystall who is an opponent of the scheme, was present at the meeting as a ratepayer to listen to the deliberations of the Council on this controversial Subject. THe~Mayor (Mr. M. E. Perreau) said that he had not reeoanlmended the Councillors to pass any resolution in connection with the matter when Mr. Hay was present as he thought it only a fair 1 thing for them to have time to .think the matter over, although at that meeting they ■appeared to have been converted. Cr. Walker: Not altogether. iContinuin'g, the Mayor said that now a reasonable time had elapsed he would like to know what decision they had arrived at in regard to the matter. .Cr. Walker said he had not been present at the meeting attended by Mr. Hay and consequently was not converted. He was still of the opinion that the scheme would not be of any benefit to the borough of Foxton. It might benefit a number of farmers but the cost of carfying out the scheme would be so great that the farmers would be compelled to vote against the proposal. The scheme could not be carried out for the amount estimated and the Board would ultimately find itself iu difficulties and approach the local bodies for assistance.

Cr. Thompson said he did not know that he had been “converted” but he admitted that he had almost been persuaded,to take a favourable view of the scheme. He was glad that’ the Council had had time to consider the matter before passing any resolution, as he for one had changed his mind on the matter. The engineer had not given-one instance where flood control had been successfully earned out. In his opinion the Council should mind its own business and should not be used by the River Board as a means of persuading their own ratepayers that other local bodies favoured the scheme.

Cr, Cowley said the Council should give the liiver Board its moral support in approaching the Government for a sulhsidy. He did not know what use the guarantee offered that the local bodies would not be cited as contributing bodies would be though. He had been in conversation with a \yiiirokino fawner recently who had informed him that one Hood alone had cost him over £2OO. Surely that sum would pay a lot of rates. He understood that it would only be a ten foot Mood which would come over the spillway, so there should be no fear that much detriment to the river resulting from the scheme. (Otr. ltand said he had always been against the scheme for the reason that it meant the end of the ilaximills for h'oxton. The cut would mean the closing up of the loop of liver between Rush Flat and the wharf and the resulting lagoon would become a “slush hole” and “stink hole”, into which would be discharged the septic tank. In regard to the spillway he was of opinion that a good flood would go over the whole country just the same as it did in the past. Cr. Lucinsky said he was of the same opinion as the previous speakers. The Moutoa people, who were most interested, had turned the scheme down.-

,Cr. John Boss said he was pleased Mr, Hay had explained the scheme to the Council, in his opinion the scheme would do a certain amount of good but once a,cut was put through Matakarapa it would be the eud of Foxtou. All the sand and spoil from the cuts would be dumped on the bar and a delta formed. It was not a fair thing that ivoxton should suffer to relieve the top end of the district wheu there were other ways of overcoming the diffi|eulty. , Ci\ Roore liangiheuea said it was not in the best interests of the country that a hanking war should obtain. By looking at China they were able to see tbe evil result accruing from this procedure. The river bed was gradually raised until it was much higher than the surrounding country and they did not want to see that obtain here. He was not opposed to the scheme and took up the view that if the scheme was carried out closer settlement would obtain and the more people there were in the district the easier it would be for them to bear the burden of taxation. One thing he had noticed, however, was that the engineer had stated here that the rate would be 3/9 per acre but in Palmerston North he had stated that the rate was not a flat one and under the circumstance® the

rate might be anything from 1/0 to 10/- per acre according to the classification of the land. He was of opinion that a delegate should 1;<; sent with the deputation but that the Council should take no action, although he was afraid that in the long run the Council would be cited as a contributing body. , The Mayor said lie was sorry Or. Rand had not received satisfaction frohn Mi'. Hay. He thought he had answered all questions put to him very fully. Personally he had not changed his opinion. He thought the Council should send a delegate to the deputation. Ur. Walker moved and Cr. Thompson seconded that the Council having again considered the Ma-unwatu-Oroua River Boards scheme is not prepared to send a delegate with the deputation to the Government asking for a subsidy to have the scheme carried .out. The motion was carried, the Mayor and Crs. Cowley and Roove voting against.

Mr. Chrystall at the request of the Council voiced his opinions'on the scheme after the 'motion was carried. He condemned the proposal which he styled the best method of killing the port and aggravating the flopdf nuisance on the Whirokino road. He said he was delighted at the good sense displayed by the Councillors in considering the matter.