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the Marakoka Bridge, commencing from the Railway Bridge. Since I have been Inspector there has been a gradual accumulation of shingle raising the flood-level. In 1914 practically the whole district was flooded. There was a break in Matthew's bank four years ago, due to rabbit-burrows. The stopbank on the island on the Opawa side was erected after 1904 ; the one on the Wairau side in 1909. If all the Wairau water came down the Opawa there would be a flood over the whole district on the south side of the Wairau River and Blenheim. Something should be done to keep the whole of the Wairau waters out. Rose's overflow and the banks about town have saved Blenheim. The largest groyne above the breach (Injunction Groyne) was built early in 1914. Soon after it sank in the middle ; I think the water flowed over it. It was then raised 2 ft. The flood-water has come up within 18 in.'from the top. No cross-sections of the river were taken before we put the stop-banks. Clearing a part of the bed is no good to the rest of the river. We had no plans and consulted no engineers. My Board did not erect the groyne at Maher's ;it was done privately by Malier. William Smith. (No. 2.) Chairman Tuamarina River Board, formed four years ago. The rating-area is £37,866 in value. The object of the Board was the banking of the Tuamarina and Wairau Rivers. With a southerly rain the Tuamarina floods the Tuamarina Village and the Waitohi Valley. When the Wairau is up the outlet is blocked. In the November flood the Wairau was up, and a southerly rain caused the Tuamarina to rise—an exceptional combination. The Wairau rises with a north-west rain, and the Tuamarina with a southerly. We have made three miles and a half of stop-bank. There were private stop-banks in existence before. The Tuamarina stop-banks have saved us from several floods. The Wairau stop-banks have only kept out small floods. We have banked the Wairau the whole length of our district's frontage. The November flood topped most of the banks and washed other parts away. It damaged the railway-line, washing two places out. The water came through the Wairau stop-bank, and followed the hills, bursting through the sand-ridge on to Neale's property, thence to the Pukaka district and to the Maori Pa. It caused great damage. The flood of 1904 acted very much as that of November, .1.916, but was not so high by several feet in our district. There was little banking then. We approached the Pukaka district to include us : they refused. We did not approach the Spring Creek, as we considered its interests opposed to ours. The November, 1916, flood stood for about two days, or at least thirty-six hours. It began with, north-west rain, then moderate southeasterly. We did not allow for the confining influence of the banks we erected. Alfred Rore. (No. 3.) Resides at Maori settlement. Chairman Wairau Maori Drainage District—two years established. Lived in this district all his life. Prior to Board's inception there was a bank on the Wairau River erected by the Natives with Government subsidy -about three miles. The July and November floods came over and damaged it, from river inwards, and broke in various places. It broke in and spread towards the hills and Marshlands. November flood broke in at Tuamarina, and came through Neal's on to Marshland's, and met the other water from the Wairau. In July and November the water came over our stop-bank on to our land. In November it broke through our bank before the water came down from Tuamarina across the country. The river-channel is clear of obstruction in the centre below the Ferry Bridge. Our stop-bank was erected in about 1906 or 1907- until the July flood. We are flooded also from the Pukaka. It would require two miles and a half to three miles of bank to protect us. The Pukaka floods are not so severe as the Wairau, but more frequent. There were no great floods between 1904 and 1916. Prior to 1904 we suffered often on account of having no banks. A scheme of overflow, under the hills to the sea, would, in my opinion, be a good one, and it would cut off the Pukaka waters, which get up in the southerly rains. Our land was a swamp before the Pukaka was drained, and we did very little with our land. We did not apply to be included in any other local body, because we thought our interests were adverse. I think good strong banks would protect us. Henry Joseph Stack, J'un. (No. 4.) Resides at Marshlands. Secretary of the Pukaka River and Drainage Board, and represents the Picton Road Board. For twenty years has kept rainfall records. Average rainfall, 30 in. ; last four years about 24in. ;as low as 19-6 in. one year. More floods during that period in Pukaka and Picton Road Board than during previous eighteen years. There has been a bank on Section 97, Block 12, but it has been washed out twice a.nd rebuilt. Settlers erected their own stop-banks. The Pukaka drain was excavated from Section Ba, Block 8, to 3a, Block 12. Afterwards Natives applied, promising help, and a branch was cut.from the main drain in Section 2b, Block 12, directly through to the river. Except for cutting these drains and maintaining them, the Board was doing no other work until abnormal floods in Wairau threatened to swamp the district. Since then the Board has done some river protective work on left bank at Botham's Bend. I saw the effect of the flood at Section 97.. July and November floods overflowed before Tuamarina water came down behind. Waters met about the line of White's Bay Road, Sections 88 and 89, Block 12. Banks at 97 erected about, one year ago. River broke through north side in November flood at approach to Renwick Bridge. At the lowest groyne above the Opawa breach the level of water in July and. November floods was not more than 6 in. higher than previous floods. Water had not flowed over Section 97 for eighteen years. District has been constituted since 1878, approximately. The Board exercised no control over the erection of the banks on the Wairau River. The Board was never approached by the Maoris to extend this district to their territory. It was felt that the Maoris got better assistance from the Government if they formed themselves into a separate district, and neither the Tuamarina nor the