LOWER WAIRAU RIVER BOARD.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 4, 6 January 1910, Page 7

LOWER WAIRAU RIVER BOARD.

The Lower Wairau River Board met last night, when there were present: The Chairman (Mr F. Adams), and Messrs A. Mackay, W, Carr, E. S. Parker and A. McCallum.

WILLOW CUTTING.

Two tenders were received for cutting, willows along the bank of the Opawa River. Mr Carr raised an objection to the Board's having anything to do with the cutting of the willows along the river-bank. The usual procedure in cases where the owners of property failed to cut their willows waa to take'them before the Court and have them fined by the magistrate. If the Board accepted the tenders received it would never get Is for doing the work; The Board had cut the willows along the river-bank for a number of years for- different ratepayers who would not cut them, and he considered it very unfair to expect the Board to continue doing so. Mr Parker asked what the Board should do.

Mr Carr said that every ratepayer who did not cut his willows should be proceeded against, in conjunction with the Harbour Board;

The Chairman thought that in all probability the Board had not had sufficient authority from the Harbour Board °Ao have the willows'cut.

Mr Carr said that it was clearly the duty of the Harbour Board to carry out the work of cutting the willows, and he" did not know where the River Board came in in connection with the matter.

Mr McCallum thought that it was a question upon which" a legal opinion should be obtained.

The Chairman favoured the suggestion. Mr Mackay said that under the Hatbour H Board Act of 1907 the question #as outside the jurisdiction of the River Board. The responsibility was s cast upon the Harbour/ Board, which,-collected" the dues from the steamers trading on the river, and it badi decided to ask the River Boardto take a han& in keeping the river clean. "It is, confounded impudence on the part of the members of the Harbour Board to attempt such a thing." He moved that the tenders be rejected. , . ; . Mr McCallum seconded the motion, 'and said that the River Board was mot asked to do the work. He did not agree with the remarks made by Mr Maekay, and .submitted-that the. River"* Board was undertaking work that in no way came under its jurisdiction, and he considered that it was * 'confounded Audacity" for the River Board: to attempt it. The Harbour Board would, he felt sure, look after its own work. - v ' Mr CaiT did not altogether agree with the motion. The willows required cutting, and he suggested that a combined meeting of the Harbour and River Boards should be held to go into the matter.

. Mr Parker thought it ridiculous to propose a resolution at one meeting and rescind it at another. It would he better to leave the willows alone. The Chairman reminded Mr McCallum that the River, Board was asked by the Harbour Board to have the willows cut.

Mr McCallum replied that that was only after the River Board had taken the matter in hand.

The Chairman said that the River Board was acting in the best interests ©f its ratepayers in seeing the matter through. The Board had not exceeded its powers in any way, but bad simply tried to do its best to see the matter through. The motion was carried.

Mr Carr 'moved, and the Chairman seconded, that a combined meeting of the Harbour and River Boards be held at an early date to go into the matter of keeping the rivers clean. . Mr-McCaUum^ m«t>ved an amendment: that ther RiVer Board wait upon the Harbour Board.1 ; Mr Mackay reminded the: Chairman tnafcjafjbef heW^nth; theri^ would be a Harbour Board. election. He would like the resolution amended so as to read "The^ newly-elected Harbour -Board."

Mr Parker seconded the amendment.

Mr Mackay said that the River Board wanted the Harbour Board's £ s d, and he was under the impression that the Harbour Board was not ay ™y *° l)e *ruste<* financially. Mr McCallum said it was preposterous to ask or even suggest that one local body should wait upon another local body sitting in council. The amendment was lost by three votes to two, and the motion earned. GENERAL. The Inspector was instructed, to report upon the question of raising the river bank 2ft. for about 15 chains be- > low the Opawa bridge, and also the Dillon's Point bank from Patties to McArtney's, and on the best methods for protecting the intake at the Overflow channel. f The secretary reported that of the £1387 outstanding rates he had collected £587, leaving the balance outstanding £800. He asked for instruc- . tions as \o how they should be collected. Mr Mackay moved, and Mr McCallum seconded, that the secretary insert an advertisement in the newspapers that 10 per cent would be added to all rates not paid in 28 days.— Carried. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The Inspector reported that it would be unwise to cut the willows in the river from the Nelson Street bridge to the Overflow, giving as his opinion that the bank would be weakened thereby. The .sum of £20 was voted for ploughing the channel in the Overflow. Accounts amounting to £56 5s 2d were passed for payment. The secretary reported that after paying accounts to date the Board had a credit balance of £420. The meeting then rose.

Two boats were«lost off the Italian barque Doride in the recent gales on the New Zealand coast. The barque met with heavy weather during the whole of her run across the Southern Ocean, but the gale she met with when off Cape Campbell on Christmas Day was far worse than any she had previously experienced, and the wind and sea carried her right up the coast to. Napier, whence she had to beat back. After a trying time she dropped anchor in the stream yesterday afternoon. The eighteen members of h«r crew are all Italians, and the majority of them can speak bf.it a lew words of English..: Captain F Cftcace, .master of the vessel, had father an anxious time during the southerly, aii.d was compelled to take to.his bed for jest lVfien the yoyage Md. fieaded, ' *