THE RIVER CONSERVATORS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 3, 4 January 1912, Page 8

THE RIVER CONSERVATORS.

LAST MiaSKNGVOF TOT, - -■

BOARD

On iYiQ'con'cludion ;of' the business at-last nighty meeting of the Lower Wiiirau River Board,., the chairman (Mr Frank Adams)' rose ' and -.said hc\ wished to tliaiik th« members for ■ tin? courtesy and. co'iitii&Qr&tion they 'luid ~ extended tb:rpugh;&ii;fc the year to him. as their oluiirmau. They had h».d: their ' differences;,., but their main urn; liud nhvays Ik>sii ,to do their licst" for the interests bf- tbe ratepayer?;. He went oii'.to'say .^jtojt, .to his'mine]., th*;:Board liad eiit^iyd' vifon « ci:itieai period, during-,which.its si.fft»irs \ronid require, very., careful, handling. They luftd the responsibility of expending -.the. Government .grant of £3850 tor oxtrxioi'diiiavy ; ilootl protective worko necessitated by'; the;. jiijy flood to f 'richest possible • ad'yantage ;. <uid' : it tic--' • Lovdd the /rabep,a.j?ors to select for that duty.'..tho nw^'OaiKible ineji tl-oy .could .find. ■{ Ile;;'^v-y<i strongly of opinion that ■'^ie-.ra : fcepayers sliouid he represented, by men. of., prr.ctical ex-i perionce, who h-ad a .thorougli knowledge pi .the. river .conservation ''sys- ' tern. There imte 42' n-iiJe.s of bj-nku!"-'•! in. the district '.to look iif ter, and the i GoTernm'dhjE-'Eiigiii^EJf (Sit "Bh^rp). ! who accomppiii&d ifch'e' members on tho recent insp'<icti6n: tbiiiV estimated th;it the complete i*epairijisi; of ;.1I ti.e ttimiagG drine ;by\ tho: flood and- th* stvengt-hening of the wt?s:k iwinirt would co^oJosepon £8000. It to'.^c two fliul arhalf -cbys to <ro over' the ' ground-; s©,' th«> .jj^sponfjilulity of tiio J30.-ml.cqu.ljd. not ,be i-<?g;i.rr]ocl ,« IS <t ; light one. ..It behoved tie r.-;top;;y<>r3 ;' to select.'il;pr- 'tlwir •. i-sprosenfaitiv^sl' nien wlvo "Ij-yd- a thorough grasj/of all. the details ,qf tlw conspi-v.-tion i scheme, siiid ' w'onld ijndwsfeind ti-c relative importance. ;of tii : e various works, -rjie present' members kn^'the district^"from end to end ; they ; were rnlly..a|iY©-fco the v.'ei«hty iK.ti.ro i or the Boprd'a task, .and-their experience Jwid been very v^nahlo in currying out the object gif securing tlw> -bestpossible results from tl^-oxpenditui-o-^ pi the rsiteunyer.'i' money. Tlio J-n-' porDfjnoe of fchjis Bo.ml'« function's •} and u,® Lasting benefit its work J w d ! confoiTofl on the. district, must be- ! apparent to ovorvone. A tore© nor lutely '.'made" by tho Bo^.-d's oper^x- ' twps: ■» Jnrge arm of knd, W-n ' wluch tfmi-e was riotTiin B more f©rtq^ in-^w.Zewlaspd; !««!. lx>en 'r&OuimJl .

from tho flood area, *;rid rendersd highly productive. Such interests cU'imujidod tho most, careful management. -.. Mr . McCullum congratulated' t!:e ciiiiirnii'.ii- on the energy Mid ability tiwrt lio lui<l'\ajsplied to the Board's airn.ii'3. Mo was largely instrument.!,'. \u obtaining tho Government grant., and lw.d steered the Board through a difficult crisis in a very satisfactory m-mner. :

Mr Maciaiy also felicitated Mr Adivmri on 'the efficiency of his leadership, it w«ts only when the flood came down in July that the Board's finance;-; became involved. Prior .t*> that they laid, reduced the nates :md m-.tde tho ratepayers' burden as light as possible. He had no doubt that the ratepayers would show their appreeirition of the careful manner in which thoir interests had been looked after, -and would not object to the r^te being taken back . to its former lekel for a time, so that a strong policy could be ensured. He also <f\d'orsed the chairman's advice that i he ratepayers should) be cautious in bonding back to the charge of their affairs men of practical experience, with, a knowledge of the conservation system. Some of the future Board at all events, should be "old hands," who would be able to guide its policy along the proved lines. It would le a dangerous experiment to hand th<v BoJvrdTs works over to an entirely inexperienced set of men. Mr Parker referred in, terms _ «>f praise to the large amount of time and the ability given to the 80-awl's affairs by the chairman. He agreed 'th-at it would be wise to adopt o.

"■decent" rate to tide the flood-relief system o-vor;its present oritioal stage: otherwise the new pi-ogramme of expenditure 'might prove ineffective and the ratepayers would be still more heavily hardened. He «lso agi'eed that a. Board with a. certain amount of experionce should be returned to offios it the best results were to be obtained. .... .. .

,; Mr CJarr; :^a.id that.' it. was for the ratepiiiyerfi to say; but his view was tWt experienced .mp.nagement won id oo'ant for a- lot during the ensuing y&,ai\ N"^t that lie was particubt.rlv anxious to res-ume office, for the ta».k was ■largely: a. tlwnkless one; but that w<is his view. There were very miT po'i'tant, interests at stoke. Tlhe financial position of the. Board was not.ian unsatisfiictory one, for thio outsfcaiCLing.rates just about bn kneed the Qverdii-aft. His own idea was. that tJie |i>est poonohiy would be to main-; tarn atrdng finance, and he would lik>i to &e(i. bhz Board always hold. a. resei^e of, sa.y> £1000 with which an exceptional emergency could be met. Tlie Chairman thanked the men>bers for their felicit<ttions. He again emphasise!,'] the necessity for lumdJing the Board's affairs witji. pa-ution during the ensuing . year, and bringing tiie best experience. to beaa-. Unless this were done, there would be a danger of failing to lift the Government grant of £0850. .