"BOLT FROM THE BLUE"

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18157, 21 August 1924, Page 8

"BOLT FROM THE BLUE"

WAIMAKARIRI RIVER j RATE. HEAVY BURDEN ON CITY. '•'l think this new river rate we have to meet this year is quite a bolt fr.m the blue," stated the Mayor, Mr J. A. Flesher, at the meeting of the City Council last night, when announcing that a new rate of levy of £14,000 for the "Waimakariri River Trust was to bo imposed on the city. The Mayor said lie had endeavoured to ©et some 'information about the position of the Trust, for he did not think the people on the city side of the Waimakariri understood the position. It appeared that on March 31st last the Trust had an overdraft of £4OOO, and they proposed to spend £16,000 this year on protection works, and also to wipe out the overdraft. That was £20,000 to be raised by raw in the one year, and of that £20,C00 the sum of £14,000 was to be taken from the city. The districts adjoining the city on the south side of the river, and all the large districts on the north side of the river would between them pay only £6003. He understood, moreover, that as the outcome of the constitution of the present Trust, which replaced the former South "Waimakariri River Board, the reserves that formerly belonged to the Board to help pay the c'ost of the protective works on the south bank of the Waimakariri were now made available for the beneiit of the districts to the north of the river. What the citv members of Parliament were thinking of when they allowed such a thing as that to go through, he was at a loss to understand. _ While the city could not help itself this year, the Council should look into the matter very closely, to see whether they could not have the contributions required for works placed on a more reasonable footing. It seemed to him that as the position stood now, the city was to be overtaxed in order that . protective works might be established on the north side of the river. Cr. A. MoKellar: And which works will drive the river over to our side.

The Mayor: While we ha.ve always recognised our liability for protective works on tbo south, bank, it seems to me that we are now required to pay an unduly large proportion of the amount required by the Trust. We have had no details of what the £16,000 is for. I understand the money is to be spent on surveys, general maintenance and protective works. Wo have to pay £14,000 out of the £20,000 required, yet we have not a fair representation on the Trust. Cr. A. W. Beaven: It is taxation without representation. Cr. W. H. Winsor said that the new levy was a surprise to all. There certainly existed a real danger from the Waimakariri and Mr A. Dudley Dobson himself fen red the river very much. The shingle in the river bed was rising and it only had to go up (mother foot when the Waimakariri would be down through Christohui-ch. Provided the money was adequately managed ' and the work done was for the safety of the city, then it might be money well spent. The Council should have From the city members of the River Trast some statement cis to what protective •works were to be given. The system of building groynes was certainly very expensive and a new method, such as dredging the channel of the river, might be adopted in place of building protective works on the banks. Some real river expert should be brought to New Zealand td settle the question. He would like to see more engineers on the River Trust. . Cr. A. McKellar said the Council was not aware until the last moment that "£ 14,000 wns required for the Waima*kariri Trust. Tbat was a, very serious extra burden on the ratepayers as a whole.