41

H—2B

(3) Kaikoura River District A petition pursuant to section 3 of the River Boards Amendment Act, 1913, from certain ratepayers in the Kaikoura County with properties in the area adjoining the Kaikoura River District was presented to the Governor-General praying that the boundaries of the River District of Kaikoura be extended to include certain areas therein, and was referred to the Commission. Following its investigation of the matter, the Commission assented to the proposed alteration of boundaries, and a provisional scheme was promulgated on the 15th September, 1949. One objection to the provisional scheme was lodged, but its nature was such that it was necessary to obtain clarification before the matter could be reconsidered. Every opportunity was extended to the objector to clarify the matters generally raised by him, but no further reply was received from him. The Commission accordingly promulgated a final scheme on the 20th December, 1949. (4) Grey Electric-power District : Buller Electric-power District A request was received from the General Manager of the State Hydro-electric Department for the Commission's recommendation for the issue of a Proclamation providing for the alteration of the boundaries of the Grey and Buller Electric-power Districts. It was proposed to exclude an area from the Buller Electric-power District, and to include that area in the Grey Electric-power District. The Department considered that the Grey Electric-power Board was in a better position to undertake the reticulation of the particular area, which, it was pointed out, was some fifty miles from the existing Buller reticulation. As both the electric-power districts generally conformed with the boundaries of the Grey and Inangahua Counties, the Commission requested an assurance from both Boards that no electoral difficulties would arise if effect were given to the proposal. The Commission also requested that the proposal be advertised in the newspapers circulating in the district inviting objections from interested parties, and that, if there were any objections, they be submitted to the Commission. No objections were lodged to the proposal, and on receipt of the other information requested, together with certified copies of the resolutions of both Boards agreeing to the proposal, the Commission recommended that the adjustment of the boundaries be given effect to in pursuance of section 6 of the Electric-power Boards Act, 1925. (5) Waitaki Electric-power District A request was made on behalf of the Waitaki Electric-power Board by the General Manager of the State Hydro-electric Department for the inclusion in the Waitaki Electricpower District of an outer area of the South Canterbury Electric-power Board. A petition, signed by not less than 25 per cent, of the ratepayers in the area proposed for inclusion in the Waitaki Electric-power District, was submitted in support of the request. The statutory procedure had been followed in giving the requisite notification to the effect that the petition was to be presented and had been deposited for public inspection at the offices of the Waitaki County Council for a period of not less than one month. No objections to the proposal were lodged. It was stated in support of the application that the South Canterbury Electric-power District was extensive and also had a large outer area. A substantial portion of the Board's area was sparsely settled, and it was considered that the Board would not be able to extend its reticulation for some time. Little new construction had been undertaken in the Board's district in so far as line extensions were concerned, although it had had to consider the reconstruction of many of its existing lines. The Waitaki Board, on the other hand, was able to proceed, it was stated, with the extension of its reticulation to the adjacent and more closely settled portions of the area which it desired to include in its district, and as a result the settlers in this area had more definite prospects of receiving electric power from the Waitaki Board than they had from the South Canterbury Board. The proposed adjustment still