WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 37, 22 October 1912, Page 3

WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Another Ratepayers' Meeting. Huntly and Aka Aka Lands. Exclusion Practically Agreed Upon. "All the lands carrying grass and stock all the year round to be excluded from the rating area." i' There were some twenty people at iceetirg of ratepayers in the WaikUu River Board'q, area, held at Mercer on Saturday. Mr J. P. Bailey was in the chair. PURPOSE OF MEETING. The purpose of the meeting was to hear the report of Mr Glass, chairman of the Boatd. It will be remembered that at the previous meeting the following resolution w is tarried:—"Tbat this meeting recommend the Minister to amend th: •River Board Act, 1908," by add ing a clause providing for a 4th C!a*s if land as in the Lard Drainage * ct, allowing all propertit s not benefited by the proposed works ti he absolutely excluded from the ttiver Board's District; slso a clause giving Rivtr Boards authority to borrow on a classifi'd ic.-le upon a poll of ratepayers to the exteit already in fie original Act." In an endeavour to have effect given to this resolution Mr Glass visited Wellington and be had now to revort to the ratepayers. WHAI MK GLASS PIP. Mr Glass said that ?o Jar as lie cL'uld -ce "he d t!freuct- were r.ow pntf. wet' «*-.;;. d. and he was at it « exp:;i':i Ro> the mist-lice i rr-.d far as Aka Aka tu: »c:ntd. AL.er a ccr.veisauon with Mr Hull, rhaimaa cl the Aka Aka Drainage Board, be was satisfied tbat Aka Aka wes right, and the Board was right. The Prime Minister bad said: "Supposing the Aka Aka ratepayers were excluded from the area." Mr Glass replied tbat they had never protested inclusion. Mr Massey said a petition for exclusion had been sent from Pukekohe, and that petition bad killed the Bill. Mr Massey said he would spend a day going through the records and be did so with his two secretaries. Mr Lang spent two hours, and Mr Kh< des worked with him (Mr Glass) all the time he was in Wellington. The upshot was the dis covery of a petition of protest sent by the Aka Aka ratepayers before the Board was formed, and in reto the petition Aka Aka "fcople had bad no enquiry, although they were undoubtedly entitled to it. This pe ition was mislaid, owing to the death of the Under-Secretary, Mr Pollen, during the pre partition of the Bill. Upon the petition the pe.ple were entitled to air enquiry , and if the then Drainage Board could not prove that they would be benefited tbey were eo'itled to be struck out of the area. As Aka Aka had never been heard he suggested, if the Board agreed, that tt.e chairman should investigate, and if he wtre satisfied that these lands wculd rot »be benefited they should be excluded, lhe way to get them out was hy petition, sigr.ed bv four-fifths of the ratepayers, and if his (the chairman's) signature were attached their exclu--Bion woild be granted. Huntly people wera in the same position. Next came the high land?, wlich we-e in a more complicated position. The Prime Minister thought, and Mr Glass agreed, that if Aica Aka and Huntly were struck out now the wh le matter would be settled. If the hill districts could prove that , thty would not be benefited then they wculd go out also. A new Bill for this purpuse wjuld be prepared for next session. Mr Hill explaine*d that with regard to the original protest frcm Aka Aka he spent with Mr Pollen some five hours looking for it, and the decision was that none had been received. This petition, it appeared, was made before the River Board wss created at all. Mr Wily made an explanation about the sending of the petition, and no reply being forthcoming to later requests. Mr Glass said if the Board gave him authority he would sign for the exclusion of Aka Aka and Huntly. provided suitable boundaries could be agreed upon. Of course, co swamp lands would be excluded. Referring to the Commission that bad been appointed, this was purely a Departmental Commission and nine months would be occupied by it in taking levels all alorg the r jv<?r, determining the sites of the proposed canals and so on. The Commission woe Id have nothing at all r to do with the classification of the lands. A GRANT PROMISED. He asked Mr Maneey for a grant of £3OO or £SOO, and the Prime Minister hud agreed lo put a sum on the Estimates to enable the f cc"" t'oyne to be put in. No. 2 groyne bad to be proceedtd with at once. fcii-te lis return he had found that where the water was only 4f'- Gin Lelore it was 6ft. now, with the wa er lunniijg hard. Therefore it would cost a good deal more to construct the groyne m w, •heavier piles being required. He w ired the Prime Minister thU £?0() would be no good and asked for £SOO. He did not know how much Mr Masse.y would give, but he had promised something. A NATIONAL UNDtR ! AKING. Mr Glass said he alsu asked that the Prime Minister ct nsider the question of making this work a national and when the f Commission's report is ready he prepare a Bill for this purpose, making ratepayers pay a share of the expense according to the benefits leceived. He bad always held the view ihat the river scheme ought to be a national undertaking. |j c * a s glad to tay that the Prime Minister ar«l Mr Ihompsou were MML, U ct as ei thusiastic over the the , had » f.. Minister ; t.i. V . r; t f •! : lant- •• J.. i . , at V'.r. fti'g ( ; , ris and .■,rc.t,;i.. • ', r .u.aaoie lands

adjoining; the grart to be stent the supervision of the chairman of the River Board, the> £ka Aka and Otaua Drainage Boards. Mr Wily: Has the money hi en granted? Mr Glass: Yes, £2OO has been granted already Mr Wily: A very good idea; 1 applud tbat. 1 can remember when 1500 acres of that country was good grass land. Mr Glass said it was a disera>e to see the sand drifting over the valuable land* and blocking the river. Mr Massey, said Mr Glass, declared himselr thoroughly in accord with the Board, and it was aplen id of him to do it. (Applause). THE MAUNGATAWHIRI RIVER Mr Glass said that with regard to the Maungatawhiri requst he suggested that the Government should give a subsidy of £2 for £1 up to £IOO for the purpose of killing the willows on the Maungatawhiri river rurnirg through Pokeno district, to be spst t under supervision of the chairman of the Kiver board and two residents of the district to h' elected by themselves. •'THE TIMES" THANKED. Mr Glass *sid he desired to particularly thar.k Mr Eaaei for the energetic and straightforward way in which he had brought this matter to a held; by the fall and fair reports that taa been published the editor of the "Times" had doi.e more to clear up the matter than everyrne else in the district. At first they thought be was against them (the Board), but they were sure row tbat all he was anxions to do was to bring out all the facts, l'htte remarks were given the form of h motion, wfr'rh *vn<i hv a. lamation. MR WILY PLEA.-t'P. Mr Wily said he *>i« • luhtcu 'here w-« n<»A -'.m.o ' to of settling tPtir ditierenr r " .*t hi y further fighticg, ar. J i. u 1 that the eettiemeni cooi.i tie ciultd without draggled feathers. They were now on a fair way to an understanding, ar.d in a fair way to have the orderstar.ding carried out. (Applause). WILL A KATE BE STRUCK? Mr Glass said the question of strikirg a rate would be settled by the Boarf. But if a rate were struck this year, and he did tot know whither it would be or not, it would not be collected on the high lands. The rate already struck would have to be paid. FIXING THE NEW BOUNDARIES. Mr Bailey arranged the new line tor the Huntly end. With respect to Aka Aka it was determined: That a'l

lands carrying grass all the year round will te excluded. It was understood that where properties are partly swamp and partly grass°d lands these will be kept in the Board's ares, the grass lands lo be subsequently classified in the exempt class, and the swamp lands to be rated. *

On Mr Wily'a suggestion Mr W. J. King, of Waiuku, is to be asked to act with the chairman, who will be furnished with evidence by Mr Mell sop, the clasiifier. It is expected that th? Aka Aka properties will be inspected and the new boundary determined in about a fortnight's time. Hearty votes of thanks were accorded to Mr Glass and to the chairman of the meeting, Mr Bailey.