WAIMAKARIRI RIVER.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17293, 3 November 1921, Page 4

WAIMAKARIRI RIVER.

DEPUTATION IN WELLINGTON. THE ENDOWMENT QTTESTION. differences OF OPINION. , »\ 1 (iI'ECIAt, TO ''THE TBESS. ) WELLINGTON, November L\ ' A deputation, consisting of Messrs ; C. H. Opie (chairman of the South Waimakariri River Board), W. P. < ipencer, H. E. Peryman, and J. Leslie, wait-cd upon the Minister of Works ' to-c : av iu reference to the pro- . iiosi.is of the Rivers Commission in re•r,ird to the policy to pursued in i res; '"■t to protective works and ad- • iniiiistrawon. Canterbui-y members of . Parliament were also present . ' Mr O, ie went into the past history ot , the lle'ird. He maintained that the endowments had been set aside tor the protection of the south bank of the . river and for tho south bank ovil\. Iu other words, all the money troni the endowments must be expended within that district. That was the opinion of Mr Geo. Harper who was more thoroughly acquainted with the ix/iitian than any other legal gentleman. Tho proposal that the north should benefit/ in regard to rates, did ] not appeal to them at all. lor the first twentv years they could not get a complete list of the rates .paid, into ; from 1899 they had the ior , tho first four years rrom that date the r\te? spent had amounted to £.dUUU P vear, and, altogether, £90,000 m rates had been levied to make up these em- , hank menls. Thero was no doubt that the endowments were now much more valuable than they were originally and if a, River Trust was established, he asked that they should i have a fair deal, and that they should l)e allowed to retain the endowment,,- set- apart for the Boutji side. The suggestion or the Commission regarding the composition of the trust, did not hnd favour with the deputation, which was against the idea of nominated members. The fr;'nchi.se, tliev thought, should be. proportionate to" the population and the value of the property. The Board had already saved the Railway Department a r n*eat deal of money by the work done, and the Railway Department should foot tho bill to the extent of its interest. , , , t Mr 'Leslie supported the remarks ot the chairman. . , Mr Snencer said the Board consisted of broadminded men, and they thought there should bo a fair deal on the question of the endowments, and in re ,eand to rating They maintained that these endowments were given solely^ to UeeD the water out of Christ-church. They had never charged the other side a rate. He also objected to a Government nominee on tne Board. . Mr Peryman said there was no doubt, j that the great quantity of dumped in- connexion with the bridge had set up a scour. To In., knowledge forty years ago some tbousands of tons had been put in. Mr D. Jones, M.P., gave the new held by the people on the other side ot the river. They were. pleased that lb was now admitted that, one Board was essential, and that the urgency of the work was recognised. In regard .to the ouestion of rating, it was that the south side had more at stake than the north. The question qf «stablishing ridings was, in his opinion, Impossible, ie must be. one compre. hensive scheme to deal with the nvo , and the taxation must be on one basis. At'the meeting he had attended the people agreed to accept the recommendation in regard to the composition of the Board. .They thought the niatter was a question of engineering skill and that, therefore, the Government was entitled to representation on Sullivan, could be no doubt that the endowments wero for tho protection ot tho south, ba The Hon. J- G. Coates said he_wafl not quite satisfied on that pomt.There another side of the question, and the Department had had people looking said -that Mr who was a well-qualified engineer, had, stated that the river was a menace to Christchurch. It was ao building up ite bed that unless some way couldbe devised for increasing the. scour, the time would come when tlie river would come on Christchurch. . , , Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., emphsMjieed tho danger from tho erosion of the river banks. A river was even more difficult to manage than a wife. One never could tell what it wae going to do next (Laughter-) He did not -.unk- Mr Dobson was an alarmist, and he agreed with him that the danger threatening Christchurch was.so serious and so imminent that'the question of the endowm©nt was 8. very small matter in com." parison tlierowith. . Prompt action was necessary in connexion with tius serious menaie. "A break through owing to a specially big flood might mean not only loss of property, bub loss of life as *Mr G. Witty. M.P., referring to the endowments, said they undoubtedly had nothing to do with the northern aiea, aud the Government were responsible for blocking tho river at the railway, bridge. The shingle there had risen four feet. He advocated the appointment of one Board, with a preponderance of representation on the south side* The north side would get fair play. Mi' Isitt suggested that there should be one Board, and the Government might determine what each side had to P °Mr Coates: Then your endowments would go in with that? ' Mr Isitt: Perhaps they would be willing in that case. Mr Witty: Oh, no! Oh, no!, Mr Furkert said it was recognised in regard to tho Board that there would be more members on the south side, therefore two Government nominees were suggested to hold the balance evenly. - ' The Minister's Comments. Mr Coates said speaking, this was a matter which should bo settled by a local Bill. River protection was certainly not looked on as a matter of Government policv. The Government had always dodged that question- He entirely concurred in the opinion that unless "the matter was promptly settled there would be trouble with tha river. Ho had had an opportunity of viewing the river from the air at a low level, and it was quite clear that the mouth of the river was being gradually blocked up by heiavy protection willows and obstruction of all descriptions, and that the river would in due course break out. If the south side was protected, who was going to protect the north side? It was clear that the river used to go into Ellesmere, and there was a well defined track into tho Stvx, also into the Avon. As a result of the southern protectite works, the river had gone to the north bank. Whether lives were more valuable on the south side he was unable to say, but there was a heavy responsibility to the north bank by the checking of the i south erosion. As far as he could see the endowments t constituted the principal objection to the scheme of the commission. His own information was that according to the Crown grant the land was vested under the Canterbury - Rivers Act, 1870, and "Public Reserves i Amendment Act, 1878. for the improvemenV and protection of the Waimakariri river. Mr Witty: You can go further back. Mr Coates: This overrules everything else. It is a point we can soon Bettle by reference to the Solicitor-General. Mr McCombs : Will the Government abide by the decision of the Solicitori General ? i Mr Coates: The Government must abide by ite law officers. -No. Govera-

ment would go in direct contradiction to its own law officers «tdvice. Mr Furkert remarked that the deputation had suggested that this point had been sprung on them, but the Commission had adjourned to Rive witnesses an opportunity of looking into the matter, and went even further, tor when tnev said they had not had time fullv to deal with it, the Commission undertook to consider written communications. It delayed its report awaiting these communications. The Commission turned up the whole of the provincial ordinances on the matter ana could find nothing which said the endowments should apply solely to the souti bank. Air McCombs: It 31r Harpers opinion is found to be right, you will not bring iu legislation to the conCoates: The Government does not consider bringing in legislation at all. This is a matter for Canterbury, but we are anxious to help you out of what will be a serious position. It would be much better if those directly interested brought in u Bill. I see that voti are not prepared to band anything over which you have in the south but I sav that I am advised that all .those endowments were for the protection 01 the banks, of the river. Mr Wittv: The south side. Mr Coates: Nothing of the sort, and if'you allow it to go on as you are doing, vou are simply going to wipe the north out of existence, and that is not a. big view to take of things—to say you arc the onlv pebbles on the beach, and ought to be protected. It is your responeibilitv to assist the other chap. As a result of the south protective work, tho Minister added, the north bank was being placed in a precarious position. This was admitted, and the Board had expressed itself as agreeable to having one Board to control both Sl< Mr Opie: We have no legal status to help, the other chap. The Minister: You would have-it if there was a Board to control both sides. Mr Sullivan asked, if the Minister was satisfied that the present system of throwing up groynes was most effective for protection. Mr Furkett replied that it was impossible to answer such a question: • Mr Opic declared that for fifty years the Board had utilised this system,' and had succeeded in protecting the river. Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., .was also present at the deputation, but had to leave to keen another appointment before its conclusion.