THE DRAINAGE BILL.

Southland Times, Issue 3927, 22 January 1881, Page 3

THE DRAINAGE BILL.

: ; TO'THE'EDITOIii ' , ;r , .7 [ Sib,— l have to request you, as a matter ! public interest, to kindly .-'-'ptioiisk the I following short account of the steps lately « ; taken tswardA the pa'Sßin^ of- a- ! Bijl. Following the Sputhla.nd efforts, the :-attempV\vWresu!ne f d-by'Mr- , W. A. Murray, M.H.R. for Bruce, who, the session before last, intfbduoedinto Parliament aß'ill containingj in addition to. the: { principles. of the jSouthland 'Bill,' pro for •" lending I Government money, foi" drainage purposes at a low rate of X^otci-est^'4t jV 'WdS strongiy ; opposed, was thrown put, and re-introduced ' last session. It was Considered here that ; Mr,, Murray.'s .wpsran _impossiblp - ; one in the jpreisent low state of the public eichequer; and so, after consultation between members and^the secretary of the Southland Drainage Committee^ |Mr liain w^l instigated Tto i assoJcjate t iijie qther ' Southland members with himself in indue- ( ing Mr Murray 7 to.:, consent '.rtojthe' clauses \ affecting the national funds being struck \ out. This was done, and, Mr Murray agreeing, the whole of the Southland mem- ■■ bers combined with him in bringing pres- ■ sure on the Government to pass it in some : shape. The Ministry yielding to them, by ; arrangement the Bill was pushed through, j but emerged from the hands of the Agri- j cultural Committee the skeleton of its , former proportions. It was, however, a ; Drainage Bill in a further stage than any i general or Southland measure had arrived ; at previously, .and might have been satisfactorily amended in due "time, but it was eventually allowed to lapse. The Southland Drainage Committee was consulted frequently* by -the* member j f or-, IjnvercargilL during^the progress 'of " L "the"- st^pl 'iibov'e' j detailed, and the advice tendered to him was made good use of . He was loyally supported by -Messrs ..ShankSj.McCaughan, • and .Hirst; and-, they |:ertduly| all deserve well afc'the hands of their constituent's for their praiseworthy , exertions .in this busi-ness.-^Yours, &'c.jV;. n 7i' i r : SZ - LoGASf Wilson, Sec. Southland Drainage. Committee. Jan. 19thV ■" " " *