THE WAIPOUA AIVER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5003, 18 April 1895, Page 2

THE WAIPOUA AIVER.

THE QUESTION OF PROTEC- 1 TION, c About fifty people assembled at J ;he Temperance Hall last evening at 1 jhe Mayor's invitation, to discuss the , question of the Waipoua River en- J croachment, 1 His Worship tho Mayor said tliey 1 were aware for what purpose the meeting had been called. It had ! been pointed out that some action 1 must be taken, and it was for those interested to say what should be ' done, whether the river bank be ! protected by subscription, or whether a River Board be formed to deal 1 with the matter. He regretted that the meeting was so small, but invited discussion. 1 Mr A. W. Renall said ho was i sorry to see so few present, and as the metiting was not at all a representative one, he thought the best thing they could do would be to adjourn. Mr W. Cullen opposed this. They could discuss the matter. Mr A, W. Renall gave a detailed account of the action of tho old settlers with reference to the river. Before the large tract of land had been washed away the Hoods which visited Mastertou wero two feet higher than tho Hood on Monday, which had done less damage than any previous Hood ho had ever known owing to the altered circumstances of the river. Mr W. 11. Bono here appealed to the Chairman to call Mr Henall to order, and after a somewhat heated discussion Mr Renall ant down. Mr W. Cullen then advocated tho formation of a River Board, and the construction of an esplanade from the Railway Bridge to Queen Street, They could put in posts of railway iron and fence the river side with wire, afterwards planting willow stakes inside. His plan would leave no weak points. He did not propose to reclaim any lost sections, but to clear up the bank and lill in behind the fence. A 4d or 6d rate would pay off the loan which he would propose to raise. He did not purpose giving details that would be an afterthought. He would move that a committee be appointed to report on the formation of a River Board. Tho Mayor explained that Mr Gallon's motion had nothing to doj with his suggestions. It was merely < a question of obtaining a report. Mr W. R. Bone seconded the motion. In reply to Mr Daniell, the Mayor said that a River Board's functions need not be restricted to the Borough.

Mr Dnniell thought energetic action flight to bii tiiken at once, before another flood came down ami took more land. There were three breaks, between clumps of willows, which .should be dealt with. He was of opinion that the Borough Council .should take action to prevent the i ruin of a number of propertylioldcrs,

The Mayor pointed out that it was 110 duty of the Council to protect private property and the Council had no intention of doing so. Thoy might, however, contribute a moiety to protect their roads,

Mr Daniell asked if this were so, why did the Council sink lire wells and maintain the Jubilee ?

The Mayor said this was a diffeveiii mattor. Mi Daniell contended that tin Mayor was wrong in stating that tin Council could not spend money ii protecting private property, because by so doing they would also be pro tecting their own. He considered i: the Council's duty to seothatamun bur of ilic burgesses were not ivttslici away.

Tiio Mayor coutended that those immediately interested should take the lead. It was not, lie thought, correct for the Council to take the lead, ill' Woodrooffe said lie had "visited the scene of disaster." From what he could see it would he " thousands of years" before the river came into Mastcrton. (Cries of " Oil!" plat-

form), Mr Woodrooffe then took the platform, and in warm language spoke against River lioardi, which he designated as" curses." He had,bo was proud to saj, prevented the formation of one in Masterton some years ago. The River Board Act was a most dangerous one, and especially in the hands uf gamblers and ignorant men. Mr Gallon's remarks had been the " most utter rubbish " he had ever listened to. (Laughter andjeries of question). His opinion was that a River Hoard would he a most dangerous thing and a curse. He had lost fifteen acres of the best of land, but he didn't want any River Boards. He did not think half-a-dozen persons had been injured by the late inundation, and ho asked them as sensible men—lie implored them—to keep a River Board at arm's length. They need not be alarmed, the river would not eomo into Masterton for the next 50 generations. Mr Gapper thought that two more Hoods such as they had just experienced, pnld'bring the river through the town, He had in thepast favoured a River Board and still did so. Jle thought the ratepayers should elect good scnsiblo men, who would not squander money. He was not in favour of relegating the matter to tho Borough Council. The lirst step was to ascertain whether they wcro to have a River Board or not. Mr Ciillen's proposal, that a differential rato should be struck, was a good one. In reply to Mr Easthope, the Mayor said the Waipoua was supposed to under tho jurisdiction of the County Council. Mr Easthope said, in that case, lie thought they ought to apply to that body, and ask it to take oyer their properties. Tho Mayor said Mr Easthope's remarks showed an utter want of sense.

Mr Ensthope thanked His Worship, and retorted that lie thought the same regarding the Mayor's remarks. The Borough Council should have protected its own roads, and ( by doing so would have protected private property, Thoy had too many rating bodies already without setting up another, He hoped the motion that a Riverßoaidbo formed would be thrown out. The Mayor said that the Borough had no legal right in tlio river for protective works at all. Such being 1 the case, "pitching into" the Borough Council was merely waste of time, Mr I'ickett asked how long it would be before the River Board, if formed, would do something, Avoice: "Twelvemonths," (Laughter). .In reply to Mr Hoar, tlio Mayor said £lO Lad been paid to Mr Adams about ten years ago for the right to ;go through his land in conneotion

ntli a scheme then brought forward. J The Mayor then put the motion, welve hnnds being held up in favor f it and five against. His Worship declared the motion arried, regretting that more interest iad not been shown, In reply to Mr Easfchope, the j ilayor said the Committee's duties a vere merely to collect information ind report, Mr Boiiiill asked what they were n ;oing to pledge to raise the loan pro- a >osed by Mr Cullen, « Mr Cullen said the Committee s vould define a district and "feel the n anise " of the ratepayers. j Mr Renall, "You'll nover get any noney," j, Mr Cullen, "Gentlemen, Mr g Renall's trying to blutf you. You a ian get £5,000 if you want it, on tho security of the rate, Mr { Woodroot'e knows this, and that is t what lie is frightened of." ( Mr Cullen then proposed tho fol- j lowing Committee: Messrs J. L, , Murray, Easthope, W, li Bone, ; Hornblow, Daniell, and Cullen, , Mr Byford seconded the motion, , which was declared carried. , Mr Easthope moved, that in the , epinion of the meeting, the Borough ■ Council be called upon to take , immediate steps— , The Mayor said, before that ' motion was put, without any discourtesy, he must vacate the Chair, Mr Easthope protested he was being very unfairly treated, and cut short every time he started to speak. He had not been heard out. The Mayor said he was very sorry he had interrupted. Would Mr Easthope proceed, Mr Easthope then moved that the Council take immediate steps to protect its roads and repair the damage done to them by the encroachment. Mr Sillars seconded the motion, Mr Daniell said the position was painful to him. As he took it with all courtesy to the Chairman, the Borough . Council was practically ■saying, "You are in a hole and we will kick you." He did think the Council should take a lead and protect the ratepayers while protecting their own properties. He thought the Council acted in such a niggardly spirit, that they were afraid to undertake the work. He would propose that the Borough Council be requested to take the lead in the matter of protecting tho town from the incursion of s tho Waipoua. Mr Easthope expressed his willingness to accept this motion. The Mayor again pointed out that the Council, as a Council, could not lead in this matter. Eire preventive expenditure was a different manner, and specially provided for in the Municipal Act, He did not wish the meeting to understand that the Borough would not contribute, but tliey could not take the whole responsibility, Mr Daniell said the successful treatment of the Suunmhunga piotection work by driving iron piles, was an cvidenco of what could be done. Mr lienall contended that this socalled protection had caused the settlers to be flooded out, Mr W. Perry denied this, and a cross-lire between him and Mr Itenall followed. Mr Daniell said he was not objecting to a River Board, by proposing the motion he did. Mr Daniell's motion was then put, and declared carried. Mr lienall said it was a shame that only about thirty burgesses came forward on sueb an occasion, instead of live hundred. Tho Mayor said the apathy was to to be regretted, but he had called a meetingand could do no more, The meeting then closed.