37

1.-—4 a.

W. G. NICHOLLS.]

133. I only wanted to know whether it is still acting as a River Board?— Yes. 134. It could levy rates as a River Board? —That I cannot say. The question has never come up. 135. The River Board is still in force?— Yes. 136. Whatever powers the River Board has, the Council is competent to exercise?— Yes. Henry Douglas Morpeth, Town Clerk, Waihi, made a statement and was examined. (No. 6.) Witness: The first thing I should like to point out to the Committee, or to remind those members who are familiar with the subject, is that the oountry through which the rivers in question pass was at one time, according to the best authorities, an inlet of the sea into which the Waikato River discharged itself. In the course of ages this inlet was filled up by the deposits brought down by the Waikato. Naturally the land is of it very flat nature, and from its very nature is liable to flooding at all times. The vegetation that exists on this large tract of country consists of kahikatea, flax, and wiwi swamp; and I need scarcely remind the Committee that country of that description in New Zealand —the northern parts, at any rate—is invariably liable to inundation. From time to time in the past history of this district very severe floods have occurred. I am assured on very competent authority that at times there are tracts of water extending over many miles —in fact, an inland sea exists over which boats can travel. I presume the Committee are quite familiar with the course of these two rivers in question, and I need not point out the direction of them. Our contention is that in time of heavy weather the upper reaches of the Waihou break their bounds, and travelling across this low-lying country join the waters of the Awaiti Creek, and thence, following, 1 suppose, the natural depressions of the country, pass over the Netherton district and surroundings, and then fall into the river. The contention of we respondents is that the damage that is done to the farming community along the banks of the AVaihou does not arise from the river flooding and passing the bounds of its banks and spreading over the land, but that the water comes in from the back, country, travels over that land, and falls into the river. That is what we maintain with regard to the Waihou River. For the last twelve months or so the rainfall in the northern part of the Province of Auckland, at least, has been excessive. In Waihi itself the rainfall now, I suppose, approaches nearly 100 in. for the year. The last time I consulted ihe records it stood at 89 in. Since then there has been a very heavy rainfall, so I think it would be quite safe to say it is up to 100 in. at the present time. In the month of January, as many of you will remember, the Auckland-Waikato Railway was submerged for many, many miles, so much so that railway traffic was impeded for a matter of weeks. 137. The Chairman.] Where was this—in the AVaikato2 —In the Waikato and beyond the Waikato; that is to say, going south from Papakura onwards, parts that were never known to be flooded before were flooded during that unprecedented downfall in January. I will not say anything about from Mercer onwards, because that is naturally swampy country, very much akin to the low-lying land of the Thames A'alley, and it is so natural for that country to be flooded that it is scarcely worth comment,. In connection with the rainfall I should like to put in evidence some prints that appeared in the public Press. In this paper which 1 produce are pictures showing the effects of the January floods. [Paper produced.] This one [indicated] speaks for itself. This is low-lying country, but not so low-lying as that through which the Waihou flows. Here is the same country —the Hikutaia Valley [indicated]. That is not low-lying country, as you can see from the configuration of the water. Of course, there is no question of silt having any reference to these floods. I put that paper in as evidence. [Paper put in.] There are several pictures bearing on the matter. 138. Mr. Seddon.] What is the point you wish to emphasize from these pictures2—That this country is oountry that is liable to floods, irrespective of the question of silt altogether, and I think there is incontrovertible evidence on that subject. I understand that photographs have been exhibited here—in fact, they were exhibited publicly before their arrival here—and I should like to point out that, if they referred to the Waihou River below the Junction and in the farming district, they are rather of a misleading nature, as I will, I think, prove to you. There may be a deposit of silt on the bank there, not extending very far, but undoubtedly there is silt on the right and left banks—particularly on the left bank—and it is a very natural conclusion to come to that this silt extends from that bank across the bed of the river and on to the left bank. But that is not it fact, as I have evidence here to show. It has been the custom to exhibit to all and sundry, especially to Ministers of the Crown on their visits to the district, these piles of tailings on each side of the river, and, of course, it is very natural for a man just seeing it casually to suppose that that deposit exists from bank to bank, across the bed of the river. I have no doubt that considerable point has been made of the impediment to the navigation of the river that has arisen through the deposit of tailings. To any one acquainted with the history of the province, the impediment of the navigation of the Waihou has been the story right from the time the upper country was opened. I can well remember that twenty-five years ago the late Mr. J. C. Firth, who had an estate at Matamata, built a shallow-draught steamer specially for the purpose of navigating these waters, and he spent, it is reported, a very large amount of money in clearing the river from snags, &c, showing that there was trouble in navigating it. Navigation, as I said, has always been difficult, and at the proper time and place, if the opportunity arises, it will be very easy to produce witnesses to certify to the fact that they were passengers on boats that stuck on the river upwards of thirty years ago; and to my knowledge, and to the knowledge of those who take any interest in things outside their own concerns, navigation of the Waihou River was always difficult. I may state that quite recently I was rather disconcerted by a statement I received —it was from my own son—that there was a place in the river where you could take off your boots and socks and tuck up your trousers and walk across at low water. I made inquiries, and I unearthed a man whom I can produce at another time to state that this has always been the