THE TAIERI DRAINAGE ACT, 1910.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14927, 1 September 1910, Page 8

THE TAIERI DRAINAGE ACT, 1910.

1 Sin,—lt is a good thing for tile Taieri, and lok. this city so intimately connected with talc Taieri, that the Government proposes to pass an act limiting tho scope of the Drainage Board to that portion of the Taieri Plain lying to tho west and south of tho Taieri River. There is absolutely no community of interest between the two sides of< the river, save where the banking on one side may deflect the river on to tho other, and there is ways a danger of tho holders of large unimproved areas unduly burdening improved properties with tho" cost of draining land that the owners have boon too penurious to improve. Much of tho land included in tho rating area is high land not affected by floods, much of tlie rated area is land upon ■which thfe present owners, or those from whom they bought, have expended largo sums on efficiently ■ draining and it is not to be wondered at that these owners protest very strongly ) against their, .enterprise a.nd expenditure being penalised for the benefit of the undrained areas.

Tile fact that the bed of tho Taicri River has silted considerably govern tills situation, andjiardly a man on the Taicri Plain denied that the plain must continue subject to floods. If tho board concentrated its attention on keeping - the ditches and drains clean and provided amplo pumping power at the lower end, h> as to speedily clear tho ground of flood water, it- would study the interests of tho district far better than by incurring a heavy expenditure for new works. Tho area is too small to carry .hejiYy taxation, ami if a largo drainage tax « to be .superadded to the \ local taxation it is going to go hard with the Taieri.

With a smaller area and ■ lessened incorao the board will have lo study carefully every penny of expenditure. If it ■does not do so I am sorry for the. Taieri Plain. With chcap electrio power much of tlio difficulty, heretofore experienced in pumping during flood time lias disappeared, and no one will complain at a reasonable expenditure in pumping plant. On the other hind, river loelc experiments aro to be frowned upon. After all there are only a few acres on the Taieri Plain, and it is far hotter to liavo them occasionally flooded by wat-or than |)eniianently drowned by taxation.—l am, etc., August 31, ' A Bruce Ratepayer,