The Southland Times. INVERCARGILL : TUESDAY, AUGUST 19.

Southland Times, Issue 1782, 19 August 1873, Page 2

The Southland Times. INVERCARGILL : TUESDAY, AUGUST 19.

It ia proposed to extend the provisions of the Canterbury Water Supply Bill, now before the Assembly, and to include within its operations any province or district into which it may be wished to introduce it, by enacting that it shall in such become law by the proclamation of the Superintendent. This Bill by its third and fourth, clauses provides that the Superin. tendent, in accordance with the advice of his Executive Council for the time being, recorded on the minutes of the Council, may " construct, complete, and maintain such waterworks as may be required for the purpose of supplying any portion or portions of the said Province with water." To carry out this provision, the Bill proposes to confer on the Superintendent the necessary power to enter upon and take lands, to divert streams, break up roads, open existing drains, and to do or cause to be done all other matters necessary to obtain and secure a water supply. He may also with certain preliminary forms, make and levy a water rate, from which any person may appeal to a Resident Magistrate's Court, such Court having only the power in respect of such matter of altering the sum at which the appellant may be assessed. The Bill in short proposes to confer upon the Superintendent and the Executive all the powers conferred upon Municipal Corporations by "The Municipal Corporations Waterworks Act, 1872," with other powers not held by these bodies. By the Act just mentioned, it is provided that Municipalities shall eive public notice of works intended to be constructed, and ratepayers may object thereto, and in case the number of such ratepayers so objecting shall represent two-fifths of the whole number of the votes of the Municipality, and they shall forward a petition to the Superintendent of the Province conveying such objection, the works cannot be proceeded with with out the authority of the Assembly. The Canterbury Waterworks Bill dispenses with this formality by placing the whole matter in the hands of the Superintendent and his Executive. To any who object to the passing of a measure which seems in any degree to confer additional power upon the Superintendents, the measure will not commend itself. The Bill will without doubt meet the necessities of some districts in which Municipalities do not exist, and in which it is necessary to take some action in reference to water supply. The vesting of the power of construction, with all the preliminary steps thereto, in the hands of the Superintendents and their Executives, will in many respects be an advantage, and particularly so in the matter of compensation. Public bodies have not always proved themselves beyond suspicion, and private interests rather than the general good have frequently operated to bring about a decision. In the matter of compensation especially, influences of one kind or another are often brought to bear, resulting in injustice either to individuals or to the public. Should the Bill pass the Assembly, extended as it is proposed to extend it, its introduction into any Province is not intended to be made compulsory. The necessity of a water supply for this Municipality is admitted, and with the work on hand the Council is not likely to grapple with the difficulty for a long time to come. The proposed Bill would therefore meet our own case.