THE SILTING QUESTION.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXI, Issue 2725, 30 November 1910, Page 3

THE SILTING QUESTION.

BEFORE PARLIAMENT

[By Electric Telegraph.]

Wellington, November 28,

The Hon. R. McKenzie, in moving _Jfrk second reading of the Ohinemuri River Silting Bill in the House of Representatives to-night said it would be necessary in committtee to amend clauses two, three and four, as he was not sure that they were satisfactory in their present form. He explained the financial clauses of the Bill, and said it would be necessary to employ a powerful dredge to work the river irom the Thames right up to Waihou. The machinery clauses of the Bill, as already published, were explained by the Minister in detail.

Mr W. H. Herries said the greatest drawback was that the Minister seemed to possess all the power; he would be the,controlling force right through the Ohinemuri Valley. This was sdespite the fact that the gold duty was to be responsible for half the cost, and the mining companies and local bodies another sixth, leaving the Government to contribute only a sixth of the expenditure. Sir Joseph Ward : " Further amendments are to be brought down." Mr Herries : "jl am glad to hear it." The member for Tauranga then proceeded to urge that the rating area should be diminished. Parts of the districts included were no more concerned

than was the City of Auckland, Matamata, Selwyn, Te Aroha and one or two other districts had absolutely no right to be included in the rating area. If they were not to be omitted then they should certainly have representation on the River Board. Mr E. H. Taylor complained that Thames people did not want their harbour to have a concrete bottom just yet. It was desirable that the Bill should be amended so as to give Thames representation on the River Board, and also to extend the area of operations to the mouth ot the Thames River at the Fairway Buoy. Mr Poland pointed out that the rating area was just what th£ Royal Commission had recommefAd. The objections raised by MrJwerries and Mr Taylor he did not regard as insurmountable. ■ He hoped that no attempt would be made to block the passage of the Bill this session. The Bill was then committed. The Hon. R. McKenzie gave notice that he will, in committee, move a number of amendments to the Bill. The contributions to the Waihou and Ohinemuri River Improvement Account are altered as follows : — £1667 from the Consolidated Fund without further appropriation than this Act; ,£SOOO from the gold duty received from mining in the river districts : ,£1667 *rom the gold mining companies and persons discharging tailings, slimes, or mining debris into either the Waihou or Ohinemu.ri Rivers ; .£1667 from the persons who, if the river district were declared at the date of the passing of this Act a district within the meaning oi the River Boards Act, 1900, would be liable to be rated therein, and the Minister is here- -_ by empowered to levy rates from time | to time upon such persons to produce the said sum of £1667 and the cost of levying the said rates, and for this purpose the Minister shall be deemed to have all the powers oi a liver board. It is further proposed that at the end of each financial year the Board shall ascertain its expenditure, and if it is found that the Board has received from

the mining companies or persons more than the actual prescribed proportions of the actual expenditure it shall retund the amounts received in excess. The amendments to the proclamation declaring the Waihou and Ohinemuri rivers to be sludge channels shall not apply to persons and companies who have the right of discharging tailings into the rivers and have exercised it within six months prior to the passing of the Act, but such right shall be deemed after June 30, 1911, to be subject to the grinding of the tailings. The Crown mine at Karangahake need not grind tailings till December 31, 1911. The Bill, with the above amendments, was referred to a Special Committee, consisting of Messrs Herries, Poland, E. H. Taylor, and the Hon. R. McKenzie to report upon.