WAIKATO RIVER BOARD

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 562, 31 August 1920, Page 2

WAIKATO RIVER BOARD

TO BE OR NOT TO BE ?

RATEPAYERS SAY "CARRY ON

("Times' Stall' Reporter.;

The Waikato River P.oard has been Wading ifitougli siininfriiii" and si/. zling waters of late, and its demise lias "been freely predicted, but the board seems u> have secured a new lease of life (not gn ally valued by some of its members), as a result of a very well attended meeting of its ratepayers (and some that don't pay their rates) at Mercer on Saturday afternoon.

Mr. A. C. Glass (chairman of the board) explained that the object of the meeting was to decide whether or not. in the opinion of the ratepayers, the board should "carry on," or dissolve. He called for nominations for the position of chairman of the meeting, and after sundry explanatory and conciliatory speeches by various members of the audience Mr. Glass agreed to take the chair. Having taken the chair, Mr. Glass then "took the floor," and in a vigorous address, endeavoured, while freely admitting that the board had made mistakes, to justify the existence of that body. Great Rise in Values.

Dealing with land values as affected by the board's drainange works, Mr. Glass said that at Rangiriri values had risen from £7 to £2o per acre. The Government valuation of Mr. Stead's property before drainage was £8000; after drainage it rose to £24,(100. These were typical cases, and spoke volumes for the hoard's work. The next broadside was hurtled at those who dared decry the quality of *he swamp lands in tbe Mercer district. The speaker quoted figures in reference to Mr. Henry Coultas farm. This contained 100 acres, 17 being high land, 80 in grass, and the balance rough feed and liver flats Last season Mr. Coultas received j:471 for butter-fat, £65 for calves, £6O foi pigs, and £7O in bonuses, making a total of £666. Did these figures spell poverty of soil? Engineers Strafed.

The Government engineer said the board was wrong in erecting the groynes, but the board had authority from the Governorrin-Council. As far as he was concerned the board was not going to remove the groynes. He wanted a Royal Commission of the best engineers, and not one merely of Government service officials. The Jboard had had only a few days' notice of the last commission in regard to the eastern drain, and there

was even then no order of reference. The board's engineer was away in Japan at the time studying similar rjvers, and only got back the day be fore the commission sat. It was a

cowardly procedure on the part of the promoters. Mr. Glass traversed other aspects which have previously been reported in the "Times" dealing with the stoppage of payments to the board by the Government. Dredges could easily remove the million tons of sand that was supposed to be washed into the river annually; it was only a matter of the number and capacity of dredges required. Curiously Simple Remedy.

In regard to the late commission, i was composed of men who were al ways opposed to the board. Th< board had made mistakes, but hat simply got clauses put in washing-uj bills to correct them, and that pu things right again. The board owne< the dredge now, though the Govern ment thought it had a hand in it. Dual Control Not Desired.

A ratepayer complained that money had been spent on certain trttfotaries, the apportionment being unequal and inequitable. He thought that the board should concentrate its energies on the parent river and that drainage boards should be established to deal with the drainage of the swamps adjoining the tributaries. (The ratepayer alluded to above did not explain what expenditure he referred to. We understand that special woiks tarried out, such as the deviation at Maungatawhiri, have been done by means of rates specially contributed for loans by the settlers concerned in the respective areas.) • Mr. Glass held that the drainage and navigation control should be one. dual control would not be satisfactory, but wider powers were required. Mr. Glass said the two interests should be combined, but on a larger scale than hitherto. -

Mr. P. Henry, a member of the board, said the meeting was called for interested parties to show a united front to the Government, askiny

for extended powers, us promised by Hon. Wilford (former Minister oi Marine); the objects were to better the conditions on the river, provide stopbanks, and make certain rood* ul m !l!l ra ? that in re gard to the Hon. Wilford s promise, which wi: made conjointly aith ',;,. present Minister for Lands (Hon. Guthrie) iirespect to forming a new board of control, the Government be asked to «ive effect to this promise. Mr. Henry remarked that while some oi the groynes were in the wrong place, their cost was not altogether waste, as they would be utilised in connexion with a larger scheme later on. Mr. Glass had blen ine cause of giving so much publicSL^iiv 6 a,l J ato River Problems that all New Zealand now appreciated the magnitude of the work to be done, and the potential productivity ot the soil to be reclaimed. ii' m * A ' (chairman of the £Ht° Stopping Company) said the Hon 1. Wilford promised the board, and promised him personally, that a commission and subsequently a board of control would be set up. That promise had not K M n f„H:n„,' tl , ' ,

h«H «♦ tk ee " lUl,illed - The boaril had not the power or the money to clo anything effective. The Minister said there were no engineers to secure the data. Very well, the £. smeers should-be imported. The interested parties should send a C resolution to the Government. P I »lr. Hamilton sniri tk,» „i » ....

tflnti," ""'"• " saKI inat almost onetenth of the products of New ZeaI la.« cam, from the Waikato district. On the motion of Mr. C. H McCutohan the fomation of a vSlance committee, comprise ratepayers and representatives from Auckland Board - a »d vari-

"«, cnanmers of commerce was W*d upon, it. work being to en deavour t„ induce the Government to set up a board with powers and enBineering advice sufficient to fomm|«te and carry on a scheme for the .nprovement of the navigation of the over and for the reclamation of the I swanm lands. M 00 0,.=. a /, ,\. lne

anruiuu lanus. Messrs A I ' n 1 A. L Stevenson, R. Aylett, Parker Austin, Keyes, Fred. Harris (the later representing the Huntty West Road Board) were elected'on the committee, and it was decided to communicate with the various bodies

concerned and the ratepayers of the districts not represented to appoint their delegates. Mr. Glass was elect ed chairman, and Mr. E. Hallett (secretary of the Waikato River Board) secretary. '

Mr. McCutchan delivered a highly interesting address on the history of the river, ;nd advanced his ideas as to the causae of the present trouble and the remedies to be adopted, a report of which appears in another column.

The full vigilance committee is to meet again at Mercer on Saturday, September 18, with a view to bringing the combined pressure of ratepayers and local bodies to bear on the Government with the object of having the promised Royal Commission on Inland Waterways resume its functions,