A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4543, 13 December 1930, Page 3

A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.

AT MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD MEETING. OV101! MANAMA TIT- OROUA RIIVER BOARD CLASSIFICATION. A difference of opinion arose at Tliursday night’s meeting of the Aloutoa Drainage Board over the Mannwa.lu-Oroua River ' Board’s classification and for a little while threatened to disturb the usual harmonious state of the meeting. The chairman (Mr. .T. Clirystnll) brought up the matter of objecting to the classification and said that where Moutoa residents bad been “scourged with whips” with the first classification the MnnawatuOroua. River Board was now “‘lashing them with scorpions." In the first instance the Board had suggested that 3500 acres of land at Moutoa be included in A in the classification. That was bad enough, but now in its adopted classification it had altered the. area to 0508 acres, or almost doubled it. Mr. WL S. Carter (chairman of (lie Manawatu-Orona River Board, and also member of the Moutoa Drainage Board) : Everyone has a chance to object to the classification.’ Air. Clirystall: Well the position warrants another meeting of ratepayers. If there is to be any objection it should be from a subdivision. Ah*. Carter: Sub-divisions have no standing with the Board. The chairman: That’s a rotten state of affairs. Afr. Carter explained that every individual had a perfect right to object, to his classification or the classification of his neighbour and could object to as many classifications as lie liked. Each ease would stand on its own merits and if it: was proved that the classification was wrong in any case application would he- made to the .Magistrate for a variation but a subdivision had no standing as far as the. Board was concerned. The chairman: Afost unjust. Why Alakerua is being rated at 2/3 while Moutoa is called on to pay (5/10. An absurd state of affairs. Afr. (Carter said that the Makerua people were prepared to argue that for less than it would cost them in rates under the River Board scheme they could make their properties absolutely immune from Hooding*. The chairman said that a large number of people did not know the position under the. new classification and he would move that the Board call a public meeting to discuss the matter. Afr. Carter objected to the Drainage Board calling a public meeting. He said any such meeting should bo 'called by an individual member or members and not by the Board. •The chairman: Why? The River Board first of all proposes to include about 3000 acres of Moutoa. land in class A and then turns round and puts double that area in. That is an injustice, and I cannot understand why it. was done. Air. Carter said that personally he had agreed to the alteration to try and get finality on the matter. In any ease as far as he could see it was very near a fair thing. The chairman: Well I’m going to •move that this Board convene a public meeting. Air. W. E Barber: I’ll second that AH. Carter: I will attend the meeting if it is called by mi individual or individuals but if called by the Board I am opposed to it. .Speaking impartially he said that taking the district as a whole' lie did not altogether ag*ree with the classification adopted, but a big area of Aloutoa could reasonably lie. included in class A. On (lie other hand there was a lot of land in Aloutoa on the very fringe which was hardly likely to derive any benefit from the scheme at all. -however, lie would not like to see any drastic alterations made in the classification. Mr. Gower asked if the matter under discussion was actually Drainage Board business. Mr. Barber considered that it was best, for the Board to put all its cards on the table and light the matter out. 'Speaking as .chairman of the Alanawatu County Council lie could say that that body liad not received anything from the Rivet* Board in xegard to its scheme and it was time it had. AJr. Carter: The Alanawatu County Council as a body has no standing' with the Riiver Board. Individually, members have. AIT. Barber: The River Board’s scheme provides for spillways which will cross the Alanawatu County Council roads in two places and the Council has a perfect right to 'know what cuts are to be made and what bridges erected. Mr. Carter : That will come in its place. ‘ Mi*. Barb'er: Yes, and it may affect the estimates. Air. Carter: The classification of land is a different subject altogether. Mr. B. G,.Gower (also a member of the River Board) said that it was considered that the time was not opportune to go on with the scheme but a classifier had been engaged' and unless the classification was proceeded with the money so expended would be wasted. The chairman: Well I hope that as the outcome of the meeting such strong arguments will be put up to •the River Board that it will listen to reason. The chairman then proceeded to move the motion calling for a public meeting to discuss the position, when AH*. Carter again protested and, said that it was unconstitu-

(ionnl and wrong for the Aloutoa Drainage Board to call the meeting. The chairman: Why? You attended the public meeting convened by the Board before. AIT. Carter (who was not a member of the Drainage Board at. the time): Only as a ratepayer. T am certain such action is wrong*. The chairman: Well I think I have had as much local body experience as you and I think it is right. •Mr. iCarfor: It is not a personal matter as far as I am concerned, hut the motion is constitutionally wrong. All*. Barber asked if Ah*. Carter would refuse to attend the meeting if the, motion was carried. All*. Carter: I won’t have anything to do with it. If the meeting is called by a ratepayer I will do all I can and attend if possible and lake all that is coming to me, but I am certainly opposed to one Board in the district calling a. meeting to blackguard another. With all respect to your experience on local bodies, Air. Chairman, you ought to know that such action as you propose is not constitutional. The chairman: All right (lien, the meeting will lie called by an individual and Alt*. Clirystall forthwith made arrangements for the calling of the meeting in liis own. name.