NO EXCEPTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 106, 1 November 1933, Page 13

NO EXCEPTIONS

FLOOD PROTECTION COST

WAIRARAPA DECISION

(Special to the "Evening Post.") MASTEBTON, This. Day. 'i Questions of great interest and importance as they.bear on.the construction, of flood protection works in the Wairarapa are dealt with in a judgment given by Mr. J. Miller, S.M., on appeals by Lower Valley ratepayers against the rating classification made by tho South Wairarapa Kiver Board. " The objections to rating, classificationto which tho judgment relates were1 lodged by tho Guardian Trust and Executors Company of New Zealand, Ltd., as executors of the estate of the late William Hume, of Pirinoa, and by the trustees of the late Duncan McDougall, of Pirinoa. The hearing took place before Mr. Miller at Featherston on October 9 and 10. Mr. E. D. Blundell appeared for the objectors, and Mr. J. F. Thompson for the South Wairarapa "River Board. , v . The Magistrate gave his decision yes-, terday, dismissing the- appeals and reserving the question of costs. In the course of his lengthy judgment, Mr. Miller deals in detail with the questions involved, and declares himself of opinion that in the classification of lands in the- River Board's area for rating,purposes, existing stopbanks must be ignored. The main consideration in interpreting the River Board's Act and its amendments; Mr. Miller observes, "is whether the board is permitted to function. In my opinion, it could not function unless the lands were classified by ignoring all existing banks. It would be not only a grossly inequitable classification, throwing ruinous burdens upon unprotected areas, but also it would be impossible for the board to raise sufficient funds from the few -who depended upon the board's works solely." ' . ,