CENTRAL H.B. RIVERS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 79, 14 March 1936, Page 3

CENTRAL H.B. RIVERS

Report on Conferences From Our Own Correspondent. WAIPAWA, March 13. The Mayor reported at last night’s meeting of the Waipawa Borough Council that since the last meeting he had attended several conferences as representative of the borough. Firstly, he had atteuued the meeting convened by Mr H. M. Christie, M.P., held at Waipukurau to consider the matter of river control. The object of the meeting had rather been lost sight of by a number of the delegates present, when the matter of amalgamation of the counties in the district had been proposed to avoid the formation of a rivers board, by the joint body taking over control of the river. This proposal had met with a great deal of opposition. The borough had no direct interest in this portiou of the discussion, and altogether so far as the borough was concerned, the matter was uot advanced a great deal further. The overseer, however, had obtained valuable information as to the points of flooding which would be of use in future.

He had also attended with the town clerk on the opening day of the Municipal Conference at Napier. A great deal of business had been before the conference and the remits as a whole were of interest to all local bodies. The matters most closely affecting the borough were those of hawkers and itinerant traders, and hawkers’ licences, and a resolution was passed that the Government be approached to take action in this connection. Certain proposals were made which would have gone for the absolute prohibition of hawkers and traders. Most of the delegates, however, were prepared to meet the position more reasonably, and provided the Government gave their assistance along the lines suggested, the position should be greatly improved. The business of the conference had been carried out with the utmost expedition. The Minister of luternal Affairs who was present, had referred to the matter of amalgamation. He appeared to recognise that most of the local bodies were serving a useful purpose and it did not appear that there would be any interference with power* of boroughs.