MANAGEMENT OF RIVERS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 969, 15 August 1868, Page 2

MANAGEMENT OF RIVERS.

The Bill ou this subject which, iv Tuesday's issue, we referred to as being under consideration in the General Assembly, was introduced by Mr Rollestou "to make provision for the management of certain rivers iv the : Province of Canterbury, aud to provide for the making, repairing, and maintaining of protective works, to lessen the damage occasioned by the overflow of such rivers." The Bill provides that the Superintendent may proclaim districts within which the provisions of the Act shall be brought into 'force ; and that the Superintendent shall appoint not less than three nor more than five fit aud proper persons to be conservators of each such district.

The conservators are empowered tolevy a general rate within the limits o£pi their district, according to a valuation,, . to Be fiiedriii'bm titritf td tirde. are also empowered; in &ases where any particular worit or itrjprovemetit is. for the special benefit of any particular portion of ''the' district; toi-levy'&"social-rate to defray the expense thereof. , , \f. The .conservators have conferred; upon theni large ..powers &s. to ( .tile* repair of river blnTta'^'the diversion, ox rivers, the purchase of land necessary for improvements, tbe borrowing of money upou security of the rates, &c; but large provision is made for appeal on the part of ratepayers against any v valuation, and for arbitration in case of' laud being wanted for .public purposes; The Bill is a very comprehensive one — details being largely entered into ; but we think we have adverted to its main features. Upou this Bill being introduced, it occurred to several members — among others, we belie ve»\to Mr Ormond— that such a measure Would be suited to the wants bf -other" parts of the Colony) and shbUld Jb'la mSdb eeheral in itl,a,|i- s plication. With thisid&t; Mr^U^l^n's Bill was referred to. a select jßommitieej ,, which had entered Upon the consideration of,the question, .but had not reported, at the date of last advices'." We liave some reason, however; to believe that the ' committee would recommend that the Board of "Conservators, instead of being appointed by the , Superintendent, should be elected by the ratepayers j and that the principle of plurality of votes in proportion to property should be acted' upon in the election of such conservators ; — that the power of levying special aud general rates, as well as that of 5 borrowing upon security of the same, should be given s— and that the rates, whether general or special, should be levied upon the net annual value of ail property within the district. As shewn in our leading remarks last Tuesday, a Bill; of this kind is much wanted for a large tract of country in the vicinity of Napier* The Ngaruroro aud Meauee rivers are now exceedingly dangerous. The former is already:discharging part of its waters in . a new. direction threatening to swamp large : tracts of land at present being improved j The latter, owing to the great flood' of last year, aud to several smaller freshes since, has become devious in its course, has had its bed filled up in many places, aud its bauks washed away everywhere. It is in a state dangerous in the extreme' to occupiers of land' in its, vicinity, A comparatively slight rainfall, with melted snow from the ranges, might lead to an overflow which would work fearful devastation. The general feel- . ing is that the cutting of an entirely new and direct outlet, through "the. lowest part of the Greenmeadows estate, to the lagoon, is the only guaran- ; tee of safety to the agricultural flats iv the neighborhood. To accomplish this, however, or any other large work which might be thought more effectual, large powers as well as considerable capital are wanted. Private - subscription would be powerless in such cases, as well as, if practicable, most partial and unjust in its operation. We are there-, fore greatly in favor of such a Bill, and shall look forward to its becoming law as the saviour of the Meauee, Karamu, and other districts, at present threatened with destruction. We are not, however, iv favor' of what we have understood to be the of some gentlemen interested-— if not of the members of the select committee — that the rates should be levied upon the net anuual value of all property within the district. Were this principle embodied in the Bill, it would follow that those lands which most wanted improvement would pay least towards the cost. A section subject to floods and in a state of desolation would be valued very low, but would be largely increased in value when danger of similar floods was no longer to be apprehended. Settlers whose land is now in a high state of improvement would, we thiuk, be thus called upon to pay for those whose properties, from neglect or other causes, would stand at a depreciated value. Lands in the neighborhood of rivers should, we submit, be rated iv proportion to the benefit they are likely to derive from projected improvements. We throw out the suggestion for what it is worth. Meanwhile we trust the Bill will be pushed through its various stages, and, after being carefully considered, fiually become law.