ALLEGED FLOODING OF LAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16168, 19 February 1913, Page 2

ALLEGED FLOODING OF LAND.

ACTION AGAINST MANAWATU ~ . DRAINAGE BOARD. .... v ! . [From Our CoRUEEPOijtDEiraJ "■ ■ ' PALMERSTON N., February 18.\?£ Mr "W. B. Pearoe, who lost caused a sensation among; the flax-, millers by getting an injunction re-«j straining them from pouring effluent*, into the rivers, was plaintiff to-day in j a case before the Chief Justice estimated to involve approximately £30,000.1 The defendants were the ManawatjiH Drainage Board, for whom Mr Mom-j son, K.C., of "Wellington, appeared*] The claim was for £SOO, alleged lbs* suffered from flooding, attributed to thaH overflow from the Board's main drain.] Plaintiff also aßked for a mandamual to compel the Board to prevent a recur-! rence of the trouble. j

From the evidence it appeared thaft' plaintiff had during some years pasfr been buying adjoining sections at prices' ranging from fifty shillings per aore up--wards- One of his witnesses valued: plaintiff's total holding of 1200 to 150 CE acres at £8 per acre in its' state, but said that it would be worth*. £3O if the flooding ceased, a difference of £30,000. . i Mr Fitzgerald, a "Wellington «ngk neer, said that estimating the mum rainfall over the catchment areaj, l of twenty thousand acres at threat inches in twenty-four hours, the main; drain ought to be oapable of disposing} of fifteen thousand cubio feet per se-j cond, but its actual capacity was thirty-three hundred feet. These fig-, ures were based on the assumption thrifj throe-fifths of the rainfall reached the\, drain. No extra capacity, howevery. would prevent backing up by the.Mana* watu River, which could only be .me.iil by extensive stop-hanks., ."■;, - *'

The case will be resumed to-morrowV