FlOating Timber on Rivers.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 139, 18 May 1885, Page 3

FlOating Timber on Rivers.

[Correspondent of Telegraph]

Over two mouths ago I mentioned that a quantity of posts flouted down the river from the Makaretu district. Th«'se posts are still ou the river bed, or at least some of them, as two ii eshe> have occurred m the tneantitne whicli have lessened their numlx?r considerably. I am told that they represent eii{ht month's, hard | work, which is hardly cvtxiibU*. m : view of the delay m shif»inj» them out of tbe way. This remind* me to nay for the honvlit of all concerned that this system of floating timber is illegal and exposes the senders to heavy penalties, a fact not generally known. Last session an Act was passed controlling the business, ft provides a course by which a license to float timber may be obtaiued, which is: very costly and difficult to work, but such license would enable the owner of the timber to follow and remove it from any private lauds on which it niay be I lodged. I copy section 15 to inuke good my first assertion. "Any person who without tieing the owner of a license under this Act shall r,aft,. float, or drive or cause to be rafted, float ted, or driven, j either by himself or his servants or workmen, any logs, timber, lumber, firewood, podts, rails, or other wood, substances, or materials', down or alpng the course of any river, stream, or . tidal creek ; or without special authority m suah license, shall construct thereon, atjy dam m any place where none previously existed, shall bo liu Mo to a penalty of not more than £5 for every day on which he jJiall ruft, float, or drive, or cause to b« ; rafted, floated, or driven " There is a further subjection whicl: is also, important, which says : - u ThB provUiontt of this section are without prejudice to all rights and ivtuedies conf»iire<l by (hi« Act upon the own. i'rs, lessoeu, and occupiers of lands on the bank- or tilong* the course of any such river, &c. Ido not thiuk anyone is likely io lay an information uuilei* this Act to injure pour itieu, lull it wiuilcl he the saJest way to clear those posts at once.