RIVER BOARDS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16717, 20 December 1918, Page 2

RIVER BOARDS.

SOUTH ORAM. A meeting of the South Orari River Board ivas liold o.n Tuesday afternoon. Present: Messrs R. Maeaulay (chairman), M. H. MeLeod, aud AV. Quirke. A letter was read from Mr AY. Nosworthy, M.P., dated "Wellington 10th December, forwarding (on behalf of Mr Talbot and himself) copies of the Orari and Waifei River Boards Bill. The letter pointed out that under sect'-on 2 the Act will not como into force unless the- Boards concerned agree (in the copy of the Bill as jntroduaed in the House no such provision was made).

The chairman said ho could find nothing in sect ion-2 preventing the Act from coming into forco until the Boards agree. In the course of a. short d.'soussion Mr MeLeod said it seemed to him that it was useless for the Board to do or to suggest anything, as the Bill was passed. The chairman said the evident intention was to take all authority from the Boards. Tlio Board would be simply collectors of rates for the Public AA T orks Department. Sir MeLeod said a secretary could do that as well an a. /ioaixl.

Tho chairman sa;'d his opinion was that the changes provided for in. tho Bill were not at all necessary. Mr Quirke said all that was wanted was to lay out a good course for the river and keep the river in it, and their overseer, Mr Cooper, would do that bet. ter than an engineer who might know nothing about the river. Tho Bill provides for the preparation of a scheme by the Minister of Public Works for the protection of Orari and AVaihi Rivers District, and among the subsequent formalizes is the submission of the scheme by tho Board to the ratepayers for adoption. The chairman and Messrs McLeod and Quirke expressed the opinion that thov did not think ratepayers would vote for it; the cost of survey and other costs would probably bo Trvgli. Tho chairman said that the Bill could bo slimmed up in a couple or words ''Not Necossnry. ; ' However, there was a possibility that amendments had been mado in the Bill before it was passed, and that tho .Act differed from the Bill before the Board. Otlior members concurred, and it was decided to defer taking; any action until tho Board has a copy of the Act before it. The meeting then terminated.