MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1785, 4 September 1888, Page 3

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS.

A meeting of .ratepayers for the purpose of discussing the advisability of forming a Board of Conservators for the porth bank of the Orari river was held in the schoolhouse, South Orari,-, on Saturday evening last. ; There was a good attendance of ratepayers, representing both sides of the river, present. Those from the south aide, hewever, took ho active part in the meetiag. Mr F. W. Badham was voted to the chair, and after stating the purpose for which the meeting was-called, asked the Hon. W. lolleston to explain the course that should be taken if the opinion of the ratepayers was that a Board such as proposed should be formed.

Mr Bolloston said he thought they would very Boon be forced to go in more systematically to keep the rivers of the district within bound*, or if not eooner or later they (the ratepayers) would he the sufferers. The question was one of thr general public good. ; Millions of toil# of shingle were being -washed down the various rivers, a ~ Very great deal of which was not find- ' ing its way to the sea, and something would have to be done to prevent the rivers that were thus being silted up frem cutting a new course for them- ■ selves through the land of the settlers. Mr Xolleston explained the steps that .would need to be taken if those present decided to form a Board. He went bn to say that be would like to see the - Board constituted. He thought that in time they would have to form larger districts, taking in L two or three of the small streams, B uch a district, for instance, as the • whole of the Geraldine County. He • thought reserves of land should bo Bide along the riverbeds that could iot be alienated, and these reserves ahould be an endowment, the proceeds of which should be kept for the conservation of the rivers. If that was done there might be considerable funds raised to work with as they were wanted in various parts of the district. He hoped to see the matter taken up

zealously, so as to prevent as far as possible a repetition of the disasters which had occurred. He thought the meeting knew pretty well the scope of the Act and duties of the Board, from the fact of having a Board of Conservators on the south side of the river.

The Chairman thought the Board on the south side was under the old Act.

Mr Eolleston said the Act of 1884 consolidated all the other Acts.

Mr Murray was strongly of opinion that a Board should be formed. He thought th® district should extend from Burke’s road, on the western side from Cooper’s creek, to the junction of the canal drain on the south, and the beach on the east. This he thought would about fairly represent the district. Mr Eolleston said the Act contained provisions for the annexation of other districts if such were found desirable, and the one Board might perhaps in time manage both sides of the river.

In reply to the Chairman, Mr Eolleston eaid the petition to the Governor to form a Board would have to specify the area that would constitute the district. If the necessity for protection works above the district laid down arose, tie Board could easily include a further piece of the district.

Mr Murray moved—“ That in the opinion of the meeting it is desirable that a Board of Conservators be formed for the north bank of the Orari river.”

Mr Prank Brown seconded the proposition. Mr Woulfe considered that such a Board was not necessary, and moved an amendment to that effect.

A ratepayer on the south side seconded this, but was ruled out of order. Mr Brenton then seconded Mr Wolfe’s proposition. Mr Eolleston said he would like to hear the question fully discussed. He did not see how such a Board could he said to be unnecessary. A great deal of money had been spent upon keeping these rivers in their place, and he thought tha time was coming when the Government would not find this money, and then it would devolve upon the settlers to maintain these rivers in their course. If there was no properly constituted authority to do that great difficulties would arise, and they would all more or less suffer from their inability to deal with the rivers.

Mr Woulfe said he had had a good deal of experience in protection works on the South Eakaia, where some seventeen or twenty thousand pounds were spent in protective works, and the whole of it was useless. In the second place, there was no land unappropriated along the river, and it would put the ratepayers to the expense of buying land whereon to build protection works, and he didn’t think the settlers upon the river were in a position to buy such land. The Board would mean an additional tax of from 2s 6d to 3s per acre upon the land, and he did not think the people were able to raise this money. He also believed that it was for the benefit of a -very few, and that all the Board could do would not keep the river back. He considered that putting up embankments was about as good as baleing out a boat without caulking the bottom. The Chairman was about to put the amendment when Mr Brenton asked to be allowed to withdraw his name as seconder, as he had misunderstood Mr Woulfe. For his part he was in favor of a Board being formed. 'J he meeting considered the amendment seconded proforma. The amendment was then put, only three voting for it. Upon Mr Murray’s proposition being put it was carried unanimously. Mr Murray then moved that a Committee, consisting of Messrs Brown, Bissett, Badham, Wolfe, Ashby, Kelman, and the mover, be appointed to go thoroughly into the matter of boundaries, etc., and report to a subsequent meeting. Mr Greenaway seconded this, and it was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the Hon. Mr Eolleston for attending, and also to the Chairman, terminated the meet* ing.