WAITOA DRAINAGE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4364, 23 January 1909, Page 3

WAITOA DRAINAGE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I notice by the report of the Waitoa Drainage Board meeting of Tuesday last, in which it is reported that, “ The Board aie to request the Piako County Council to be good enough to hand over the balance of the money for roading the block, which amounts to £3.000, and further request that the Council refund to the Board half the rates collected annually, for the upkeep of these drains that the Board propose | to make.” Did ever anyone hear of | such a piece of cheek ? I never did. How do the Board expect that the Council are going to make the balance of the roads on half the rates ? or do the settlers down in that part of the County wish to go on in the same depth of mud as has obtained for the last two or three winters ? It seems to me that the Board are geing beyond their position, and forget that they are a Drainage Board, and the other body is a County Council, whose works are totally different. What legitimate rights do the Board think they are advancing when they decide to take up this position. I would certainly like to hear their iChairman explain matters, for I cannot see how the Board can expect the Counail to fall in with their views Did not the Council fight the case on behalf of the ratepayers, with the Bank, and tiualiy decide to take £5,000, and carry' out the necessary works P And did not the expenses come out of the general County funds to defray the cost of litigation ? Then, therefore, why should not the Council reap the benefit of what there is to be gained in having the honour of spending the money and making the roads so far as the money will go and let the Board go on with their drainage scheme. lam quite sure if the Board gets hold of the £3,000 the roads will not be much benefited, and the settlers will be in the same plight as they have been for the last three years. Now, Mr Editor, I think I am in a postion to speak with authority on this matter, having held the position of County Chairman in another part of the’ Dominion for a

number of years, and have often gone into the Acis dealing with such matters as the above. The position, sir, is this, that now a Drainage Board has been formed on the Waitoa Block, it is the Council’s duty to advance money on making any large outlets, but clearly not the Board’s duty so to do, and rate the County to the amount of the benefit

derived from such operations. This Coim|y appears to work matters tot dly different, in the matter of private drainage to where I came from. The rad _ drains have been cut and the settlers have had the use vof them ever since, 2 without in many cases, paying for the benefit they have derived from such. Moreover, no arrangements have been made before they were allowed to open drains into the County Road drains,

which is according to the Act illegal No person has the right to cut into a road drain without the authority of the local body who has the jurisdiction over such

drains. But this has been going on for years in this County, hence the precedent has been established, and it would be a difficult matter to stop it now that it has gone on for such a length of time. But this is not the case with the Waitoa Block, for when the Council assumed control of the roads there was a thorough system of dra ; nage in the district, and had it not been for the Drainage Board having been formed it would probably have been nee. star yto enlarge some of them, which could have been carried out when making up the roads, but certainly would n t cost anything like £3,000, which the Board are asking for Now that the Waitoa Drainage Board has been formed it is manifestly the Council’s

duty to go on and make the roa s, cleaning up the necessary drains that are required for each road’s drain ■ ge, taking care not to go further away from the r< ads than is necessary to cany the water clear off th-in and drain them efficiently, and the Drainage

Board’s duty is to make their main drains in such positions as will give the most fcei efit to the area each drain is proposed to drain, and if carrying out such opera* ions proves to be a benefit to the roads, then the area contained in the roads should be then classifii d when the rest of the lands are being dealt with and the Council rated accordingly. There is a vast difference between what might be termed public drains and road drainage A public diain becomes so when the Council allows parties to cut into road drains and this drainage is then carried away below the roads in road outlets, then the Council are liable for their maintenance for all time. While what is termed road drainage means drains that are dealing with road wa'er only. But Ido -not consider the above would apply on the Waitoa Block, so far as the road drains

are at present cone erne!, where prac tically all the water of the block is dealt with by means of read drains, as the system was in force when the Council assumed control of the roads, and this fact should not constitute the present drairs under tbe meaning of the Act, as public druius The Chairman of the Drainage Board is certainly a very able man, but I do not think that the Council will agree to his proposal, which I cousider is a wrong step to take, and will probably culminate in a deadlock which would be detrimental to the advancement of the dis-

trict. Trusting, Mr Editor, that you will allow me space-to insert this, and thanking you in anticipation.—l am, etc.,

Ratepayer,

[To the Editor.] Sir, —I should like to draw the Piako County Council’s attention to the number of horses and cattle that are turned on our main roads to graze. I think it is time a ranger was appointed to pound everything that is allowed to roain at large, as it seems a usual thing with some of the small settlers, close to Te Aroha to turn half-a-dozen horses on th road for weeks at a time, thereby being a source of clanger to the public. Hoping that the new members will take this matter up.—l am, etc., Rath payer,

To the Editor. Sir, —In Tuesday’s issue of The News I notice a letter from Mr H. O. Cooper, in which he attacks the County Council. Now, Mr Editor, I have always recognised that it is a simple matter to criticise, but it is quite a different thing to offer a solution of the difficulty, or propound a wiser policy ; it is so in this case, and when I propose a remedy, whereby we may have more efficient work done, and at the same time alleviate the sufferings of the ratepayers, he criticises that also in the following terms.—“ Then we have Mr T. Hanna telling us if returned he would by some

means or other work an oracle, reduce the rates, reduce the great overdraft, and improve the roads. How ? By the ! simple process of borrowing more money. I think We will want a large pinch of salt Mr Hanna to make your medicine go down.” Well, as far as I can see it is not salt that is required, it is brains. I was very much surprised, and I may say disappointed to hear Mr Cooper condemn the system of borrowing. What would we think of Sir Joseph Ward or any statesman who tried to develop the country on direct taxation, and eschewed borrowing ; the taxpayer would soon have the life crushed out of him, and the country would be in a state of retrogression. I am sure Mr Copper could not have given the matter serious thought, or he would not have condemned borrowing, especially when we can obtain such advantageous terms as under tie Loan to Local Bodies Act What fanner, who is worthy of the'name, cannot get a better return for his money, when judiciously expended in farming operations, than 3 j per cent., which is the amount of interest the Hungahunga Drainage Board is pajing on their recent loan, and the 3£ per cent, not only pays the interest but forms a sinking fund, whereby at the end of the term the debt is wiped out. —I am, etc., Tiros. Hanna. Waiata, 21st January, 1908.