The Charlton River District.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 19, 13 August 1895, Page 2

The Charlton River District.

.«. A COUNTER PETITION. It appears that the proposal to form a River District for Charlton is not to be allowed to pass without some opposition. A' counter petition has been forwarded to the Governor, in which the following objections are put forward : — That the proposed district is not intersected or bounded by any river, from tbe overflow of which damage may be apprehended. That the Mataura river only bounds the proposed district by a few chains where the Oharlton creek falls into it, and no damage is alleged in the original petition to be apprehended from it. Tbe water-course intersecting the district is merely a creek, and in do sense a river, and the original petitioners only propose in their plan to convert id into a drain. That the proposed area is unjust to the under-signed petitioners, inasmuch as their lands proposed to be included will not be benefited. That the provisions of tha Land Drainage Act of 1893, and amendment thereof, and the powers vested- in the County Council are more suited to the proposed district than the River Boards Act, the work proposed being only one drain while other drainage is desirable. That the expense of creating, working, and maintaining a new local authority, such as that proposed, is contrary to sound local government and economy. An enquiry is therefore asked for, and upon receipt of the report, His Excellency is asked to refuse the application of the original petitioners.