35

I.—6b.

J. T. GIBSON.

8. That is the case all over the colony?— Yes. Another question which had an important bearing on this matter was the question of gravel silting up the Silverstream. It is admitted by some of the petitioners—by all, I think—that in days gone by a considerable proportion of this gravel that is causing injury to the lower lands came from the point where this cut has been made which has been spoken of. 9. That is, the Silverstream cut?— Yes. I would like the Committee to understand that there have been two operations, and I will confine myself to the cut made by the settlers. The other one connecting that was lower down, and that was done at considerable cost by the Provincial Government. In regard to the silting-up process of the gravel, most of the petitioners who have given evidence on that point—Mr. Gow especially, who was well entitled to speak on it—have admitted the size of that channel as originally constructed. It is agreed on by all parties that the original work consisted of two channels each 6 ft. wide and 3 ft. deep, and the boundary-line of each side is between those drains. If those conditions existed to-day, the two drains 6 ft. wide and 3 ft. deep, I am quite satisfied there would be no reason for the people lower down to ask the people on the high lands to contribute towards the cost of any works. Previous to those drains being cut, right from the upper reaches of the North Taieri was what is known as the Blackbridge. Previous to that cut being made that is in dispute, the Silverstream emptied its products over the North Taieri ; there was no channel at till, and that was the reason for cutting those two 6 ft. drains. The position now is that where this work originally took place—l am referring to anywhere—it is now from a chain and a half to two chains in width, and, instead of having a depth of 3 ft., it is from f 5 ft. to 20 ft. deep, so it is not necessary for me to say where this gravel and earth has gone or what has caused it, With this heavy stream from the gorge flowing into a channel of alluvial nature, the only effect can be to scour, and that has been the effect. It is also stated in evidence by Mr. Gow that none of that gravel comes now from that portion that was cut by those settlers in the early days. I would not go as far as to say that none comes from there, but it is still coming, and, to get overthe difficulty, Mr. Gow says that he is not prepared to give it as an indisputable fact, but that the bulk of the gravel comes from four or five miles up the stream, which is about the intake of the Mosgiel waterworks. That is not so. From the Blackbridge upwards, or perhaps a few chains above Blackbridge, the whole bed of that stream, the whole distance right up to Owhiro Flat, where this road leaves the valley, according to Mr. Gow's assumption, is where the whole of this gravel comes from. There must be evidence of that being there; but, instead of having a gravel-bed, what do we find? Purely and simply a bed of large boulders throughout the length and breadth of that channel, and so much so that after every flood in the stream you see these boulders thrown up on either side. There is one corner which is called the Long Ford, where the boulders tire piled up to a great extent. If, as Mr. Gow suggests, the bulk of the gravel comes from that point, it is very evident that the whole of this channel, which is composed of heavy round boulders should contain some of the gravel, which would lodge amongst the boulders, and in a very short time, instead of having a channel of boulders, we should have a shingle bed. There is another matter, touching the Board's operations lower down, in what is known as the flooded area of the Silverstream —at Renton's place. I may say that since the Board took charge of operations there they have done a considerable amount of work. They have cleaned out the channel of the stream to a length of 46 chains, extending down towards the lagoon. This was a well-defined stream of water at the time the Board began. It expended a considerable amount on it, and there is nowjust a partial silting of the stream; but it is an absolute fact that the whole channel itself was some three or four feet higher than the land surrounding, and at the point where we began operations the Silverstream just met this gravel bed. Since that, and during the last twelve months, as far as the Silverstream is concerned, it has been in very favourable order. There have only been two freshes, and no very heavy flood, but it has minimised to a great extent the piling-up of the gravel and other matter coining from the higher reaches; but even under those conditions we had another filling-up of nearly 12 chains. From that point, the Gladfield Bend, we had already cleaned out, and I maintain, sir, that, if this Silverstream is not to be controlled by any public body, then it is only a matter of time, and not a very long time at that, when this silting operation must of necessity proceed higher up the stream, and pile its waters up, and pour them over the land which is now described as dry land and requiring no drainage. That must be the position ultimately if nothing is done. I might mention that I was born in the North Taieri, right up by this Blackbridge. I have lived there, I suppose, nearly thirty years, and my father, who is still living, was one of the first settlers in the colony, arriving here in 1848. Not very long ago, in conversation with my father, he told me that even after this cut was made by the settlers it did not entirely relieve the North Taieri. He remembered specially one flood after that, but I do not know how long after, coming out at the Blackbridge. His house is only about a quarter of a mile on the Duke's Road below that point. My grandfather was alive in those days, and he lived on the other side just above the Blackbridge, and naturally he was anxious to go along this road to see how things were faring with him, but the current of the water was so great coming down that road that he could not force himself against it. That was the condition of things in the early days. I would just like to say, in connection with Lundius and Buckhurst's report, that they practically retained all the so-called high lands in the North Taieri in the rateable area. It does not agree with the Board's classification, but practically all the lands in the rateable area," and more particularly in Mr. Gow's case, they rate higher than the rate of classification by the Board; so it does not seem that Messrs. Lundius and Buckhurst are of opinion that absolutely no benefit can be derived by these ratepayers in the north. In connection with their report, I might say the Board were asked by the Under-Secretary of Lands to make comment thereon, which they did, and I may say that the .Government nominees unanimously concurred in this report. A subcommittee ■was appointed to draw up this report, which consisted of Mr. Shand, Mr. Kemshall, and myself.