THE RIVERS COMMISSION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9395, 16 March 1909, Page 5

THE RIVERS COMMISSION.

The Commission to inqnire into the drainage of Pobangiaa, Orona and Manawatn Rivers has made its report which will be referred to the local bodies for obusjderation.

The instrnctions to the Commies ion were to report upon the desirability of instituting one or more united Land Drainage districts instead of the four now existing and to formulate, if practicable, a comprehensive scheme cf drainage for the three rivers, so that, they might be made more effective as means of,drainage and less injnrions to the lands through whicn they flow. THE RECOMMENDATIONS. Pour schemes were considered by the Commission, who’ recommend the cutting of a now channel for the Manawatn tver, starting at Fisherman’s point, then cutting into an S almost straight line for Poston, through the flats to the returned bend of the river, which it will cross, then catting through the point at Matakarana immadiateiy opposite’the wharves. Crossing the river it would come out a little to the east of the wharves, and bagging the foot of the dryland on the extreme west side of the Moutoa low laud, join the river at the Montoa Maori Church. This would reduce the distance from Foxton to the Heads by two miles. Its cost would be abont £35,000. The report discusses the question of who should pay for carrying ont the scheme. No doubt, it states, the whole of the 70,000 acres subjected to flood should contribute, but it bad also been .urged that the whole watershed ana the towns which would benefit commercially from, the increased productiveness of the relieved area, and the Government itself (by subsidy or endowment) might help to bear the burden. The Commissioners consider it would be unfair to levy on the owners of land in the upper watershed, as they only do what they are entitled to do in the ordinary course and the waters get into the river by gravitation only. Therefore the Pohaugina, Kiwitea and Orona Counties should be excluded from the rateable area. The towns should also be excluded, as the'benefit derived from the scheme would only be enjoyed by a few merchants. As the works would benefit the whole country by increasing the productivity of the land and its capacity for taxation, the Foxton Railway would be protected from flood and the Manawatn bar would probably be so much improved by the scheme as to result in increased shipping and consequent wharfage collected by the Government. the Commissioners are of opinion that the State should bear some portion of the cost. The report continues that the 70,000 acres of land affected would be enhanced in value by £lO to £l2 an acre and would be able to bear an annual acreage rate of 5s per acre. The rating should be upon an acreage, rather than a valuation basis and the lands should be classified, as those now of least value will benefit most by the scheme. The scheme recommended deals only with the Manawatn river below the Longhorn- railway bridge and the Orona below Awahnri bridge, the Commissioners being of opinion that the difiionlties in the areas above these points are only those of erosion, which could he effectively dealt with by Boards set up under the River Boards Act. It should be made an offence punishable by a substantial penalty to allow stock to damage either public or private Jproteotive works. The constitution of a Lower Manawatn River Board is recommended to control the Manawatn river from the termination of the proposed cut near Fisherman’s Point.to Longburn railway bridge arid the Orona river from its junction with the Manawatn to the Awahnri bridge. The excellent character of the land and its severe handicap through floods is noted ‘by the Commission, which is of opinion that it would amply repay the settlers and the Dominion to undertake the straightening of the river by patting in the first ont from Foxton to Moutca from the three mile to the nine miie point. This would, by considerably relieving the flooded area, give such evidence of its value as to convince the settlers of the advisability cf uompleting the whole scheme.