FLOOD CONTROL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4424, 8 March 1930, Page 3

FLOOD CONTROL.

RIVER BOARD TO SUBMIT MODIFIED SCHEME.

FOR RATEPAYERS APPROVAL

The monthly meeting of the Ma-nawatu-Oroua River Board was held at Palmerston North on Thursday. Mr. W. S. Carter presided and there were also present: Messrs H. Barber, B. G. Gower, J. Harrison , H. J. Hume, D. Rowlands, A. Buchanan, R. Law, C. Speirs, P. E. Baldwin (solicitor) and F. C. Hay (engineer). Lengthy consideration was given to the modified scheme proposals. Mr. Hume in proposing that the modified scheme foe presented to ratepayers for a poll on the question, said that the time had arrived when something concrete would have to foe decided upon. The proposal had been held in abeyance tor a lengthy period. As the Government subsidy could not be obtained the modified scheme shoqld be put to the ratepayers of the district so that a definite idea of whether the work should go on could be ascertained.

Mr. Baldwin suggested that it would, lesson the) total expenditure if the land in Moutoa area were not purchased but paid for by way of compensation subsequently.

After some discussion Mr. Hume said lie would foe agreeable to alter fois proposal to read tliat a re-clas-sification foe made over all the land in the hoard’s area before the modified scheme was presented to the ratepayers for consideration. Mr. Gower maintained that the suggestion made by Mr.- Baldwin was not right. The question of the betterment of the land would have to be over the whole'of the board’s area.

-Mr. Baldwin said the position had apparently been misunderstood. The Whole of the district would benefit by the removal of the Hood waters but as the Moutoa area was suffering more severely the betterment there would be greater than in the Makerua and would make up the difference. Mr. Hume then moved that the modified scheme be presented to the ratepayers for approval after the whole of the land in the river board’s area was re-classified. This was seconded by Mr. Buchanan.

The chairman asked if alternative schemes could be presented to the ratepayers. The first could take in the two lower cuts and the other the main cut without the lower ones. -There was no doubt that something would have to be done and he felt that the land could stand the rate profitably. The ratepayers would accord the proposal a measure of support and it was only right that the modified scheme should go before them in order to give them the chance of reaching a decision. The Government would probably lend its assistance if it were decided to proceed with the work as it was in duty hound hut the trouble in the past l ad been that the project was too big. The speaker felt the work should be done as a whole but if this could not be accomplished it should be done in stages. The lower Moutoa area was suffering heavily with every flood and was practically at the stage where it was forced to bank. This, if carried out, would cause competitive banking and with an insufficient outlet the position would grow worst. Mr. Barber said tha tthe modified area covered the taking over of that portion of the Makerua hanks that would be of value to the I. g scheme and this question would have to be considered. He suggested that in order to obtain the Government subsidy it might be possible to do the. foundation portion of the work and then special areas could be formed to do the remainder piecemeal.

Mr. Hume moved and Mr. Harrison seconded a motion which was carried to the effect that the whole of the board ,be a committee to go into the matter of selecting a classifier, or classifiers, for the land in the board’s area and to go into' the ether matters pertaining to the loan to he submitted to the ratepayers.

[Details of the proposed scheme will be published in our nert issue.]