RIVER MATTERS.

Otaki Mail, 31 March 1923, Page 3

RIVER MATTERS.

VISIT TO HUTT RIVER BOARD. At the meeting of the Otaki River Board on Saturday night Mr Harper (chairman) submitted the following report on the recent visit to the Hutt district: — "As you are all aware a visit ivas paid by the members of the Board to the Lower Hutt on the 20th instant, ' fur the purpose of inspecting the river works of the Hutt River Board, and, generally lor obtaining information as 7 o matters pertaining to the management of the Board. I beg to report 'hat I had a long conference with Mr : . D. Avery, clerk to the Hutt River Board, and for your information I ivould like to put on recrod some of the infom-. - 'ben which I obtained from that discussion: —

Classification —The Hutt River Board collect a small general rate for maintenance purposes on a uniform basis over all the lands in their district. The consent of the Minister of Internal Affairs was obtained for this purpose. It is to be noted that practically the whole of this rate is expended in administration—not in repair* or maintenance:

Sale of Shingle—No shingle or sand or other similar material is allowed to be removed from the river-bed, or from the streams in the River District without a permit granted by the Clerk. This restriction applies even to people i owning land on the banks of tho River. The Board exercises no direct supervision over the removal of shingle, but a pretty close watch is kept by their workmen* and officials. The permits to remove shingle are of two kinds. .The ordinary permit allows the removal of a. stated number of yards of material, which must lie taken out before a date mentioned in the permit. This is issued to any persons requiring material for themselves and not regularly engaged in the business. The rate charged is Is (id per cubic yard payable on the issue of the permit. There is another kind of permit issued to people who make a regular buincss of supplying shingle from the river to their customers. A general license to obtain shingle is issued in this case and the royalties are payable monthly:

Loans —The Board have raised several special loans. Some of these have been raised from the Public Trust Office by debentures bearing interest at 5i per cent. There are no separate special rating districts in the river district; the whole of the special loans be ing charged on the whole district.

The rates providing for payment of interest and sinking fund are raised on a graduated scale of three classes. The classification is based on the old system now repealed whereby the degree of danger formed a basis of classification.

River Protection Works —As all the members of the Board who visited the Lower Hutt had a good opportunity of inspecting: the protection and contro 1 of work.--, I do not proposo to repot upon thi?, but the figures given me bj the Clerk in connection with the erer tion of the pole groynes may be of in terest

According to the information given, labour averaged £•" 10s for each bay erected, a buy comprising two piles with three boom? attached. The cost of each piece of timber either for a boom or for a pile is £1 10s. Tinboom? are secured to the pile? by V. bolts, costing ."5s 9d each. The pile?. are twenty-four feet long, and are driven approximately eighteen feet. The pile shoe? cost 13s each. The. length of each bay is twenty-six feet. The erection of the groyne* is done by cooperative labour, full details of which system will be supplied to me by the Clerk: