THAMES FLOOD COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16798, 14 March 1918, Page 6

THAMES FLOOD COMMISSION.

FURTHER EVIDENCE TAKEN. [m TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] THAMES, Wednesday. The sitting of the commission to inquire into the damago arising out of the flood was continued to-day. The main evidence taken was that of Mr. E. F. Adams, borough engineer, and that of Mr. H. Lowe, Mayor of Thames. Both gave evidence as to the extent of the flood damages and gave estimates of the cost of tho proposed protective works. They also gave evidence as to the necessity which existed, they maintained, for the extension of the borough boundaries to include - Block XXVII and Parawai portions of tho county, and the back country of the Thames watershed) from Tararu to Parawai.

Cross-examined by Mr. R. MoVeagh, who appeared for the County Council, as to the allocation of gold duty and goldfields revenue accruing from the mines within the area asked for by the Borough Council, the Mayor agreed that this should bo credited to the county as a set-off against its proportion of 'the. cost of the construction of protective works. Evidence was also given by Mr. C. D. Wright, borough valuer, as to the ratable value of the property on the Block XXVII. area of the county. He stated that valueswould be increased if the block was ineluded in the borough. As a resident of Block XXVII. he was quite willing to be included in the borough, as were a number of others, on the grounds that any increase* in rates would be compensated for by better facilities and a" consequent increased value of property.