The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-24 00:00:00

THE RIVERS CONSERVANCY HILL,

The object of Mr. Dodson's Bill is Get forth in it as
being the conservancy of rivers and the protection of
land from injury by floods. The Bill empowers any
20 or more persous, of whom a half at least are
owners and the rest occupiers of land in any river
basin or contiguous basins, where the rateable value of
their land amounts in the aggregate to £2,000, to
apply to the Local Government Board for the basin or
basins to be constituted a "conservancy distriW4
with a "conservancy board." Any sanitary or con-
servancy authority is also 4uthorized to make a similar
application,

After certain formalities, including an inquiry by
an inspector, the Local Government Board are autho-
rized to make a provisional order constituting the
conservancy districts and establishing a conservancy
board in such manner as they think expedient,

One of the Local CTovernmont oard's dutieQ will ba
to diyide the basin into " uplands," "midlands," and
"lowlands,' and to settle what lands are to be in.
eluded in the district. The "lowlands" are in general
to be those subject to ordinary floods, and to damage
therefrom; the " midlands" those occasionally sub.
jects to floods, or to the entire or partial obstruction
by flood of drains or outfalls passing under or through
them, and to damage therefrom. If any other lands
are included in the 'district, they are to be considered
as " uplands."

The Local Government Board will also determine
in what proportion the uplands, midlands, and low-
lands are respectively to contribute towards the ex-
penses of the board. However, if any uplands are
included in the district, the highest rate payable by
them is not to exceed one-tenth oaf the rite in the
pound payable in respect, of those lands in the district
which pay the highest general rate. In fixing the
amount of this rate, regard is to be given to the extent
to which any artificial drainage worla for the uplands
contributed to waras causing or aggravating floods
within the district.

In constituting a boArd, care is to be taken to secure
a due representation of owners and occupiers haying
regard to the incidence of taxatien under the Bill, aud
provision is to be made, where circumstances require
it, for thp representation of sanitary and conservancy
authorities, and other similar bodies. However, the
council of a municipal city or borough may be con-
stituted a conservartcy board for the area under its
municipal jurisdiction, if it have 10,000 inhabitants or
upwards.
In order to become valid, the liocal Qovcrnmont
Board's provisional order constituting a conservancy
board must be confirmed by Act of Parliament. The
powers that are conferred on each conservancy board
relate to the "maintenance of works," the " im-
provement of works," and the "construction of new
works." _ _

The "maintenance of works" comprises cleansing,
repairing, or otherwise placing and maintninir.g in a
due state of efficiency any waterccurse cr outfall for
water, or au wall, bank, dam, or other defence
against water, or doing any other not for the purpose
of maintaining in a due state of efficiency any work
required to be so maintained for the purpose of the
measure.

The "improvement of works" comprises
widening, straightening, 9mb.cinlung, extending, alter.
ing or otherw;se improving any watercourse or outfall
for water, or removing any milldam, or other dam,
weir or other obstruction to any water course or out-
fall for water, or raising, widening, or otherwise alter!
ing any wall, bank, milldam, or other darn, or other
defence against water, o coingA7.7 °the.° improve-
ment rer,uire4 for the purposes of the measure.
The "construction of new works" includes making
any new watercourse or outfall for water, or erecting
any new bank, dam, or defence against water, or fill-
ing up or reopening any disused watercourse, or erec-
ting any machinery, or constructing r„ny other naw
work required for the Pl;rpc.seis 'of the measure. But
no worl; is to be deemed new that is merely substituted
for an old one which is so much out of repair'or so in-
efficient as to make a new one in place of it expedient.
The whole of the expenses of the improvement of
works and of the construction of new worh's, 4ad oae-
half of the other expensee i.mcc,r,-ad by the Board, are
to be borne by tle owfiera of lands within the district,
and the remainder by the occupiers, except that such
as are assessed in respect of uplands are to be borne by

the owners.
The expenses of each Board are to be darayed out
of a" Conservancy Fud;'.'• tc be =bed by a rate on
owners ona 1:);.•1111piora an the basis of the rateable
value of the property accessable to the county rate
and in municipal cities or boroughs on the basis of
the poor rate.
A provision that confers some elasticity on the Pill
is one which enables " sub-districts" tc be cons;itufed
either by the Local Co-Arnmentlioard or by the Con-
servanu lioard under its authority. These sub.
districts are to be under the charge of a committee,
and with a differential rating or partial or totalsxemp-
tion from rating of any of its lands. Where land
derives special benefit from any work, it may be made
subject by the Local Go7e:cnal.Pt Trio4rd'il order to a
special rate a c 4 tha other band, land may be
similtirly exempted wholly or parclt fron3 rate, where
efacieut work for DI Pr°t"thr. been already
execute& •
- - , ur money has been expended on an outfall
for the common benefit.
Each Conservancy Board is directed to see that its
objects are carried into effect throughout its district,
and in particular to ascertain whether there are any
obstructions to the flow of water, and whether the
banks, dams, and other defences against floods are in
a proper state of repair. To effect their purposes the
-Boards have various powers of entering on lands and
taking them. But there are many works of other
authorities which they are debarred from interfering
with. - When, however, a district cannot, in the
opinion of the Local Government Board, be effectually
protected against floods without interfering with the
powers of some commissioners of sewers or seme other
conservancy authority, or when the Board's duties
conflict with the powers conferred by a local Act, a
provisional order may/be made modifying or restrict-
ing these powers. The Conservancy Boards are also
authorised to enforce the liabilities of private persons
in relation to the maintenance or improvement or

construction of works, or they may commute his
bilities.

The Conservancies of the Thames and certain other
rivers are not affected by the Bill. But provision is
made for existing conservancy authorities coming
under the measure on their own application.
The Bill, it may be noticed, does not contain any
provision, as it originally did, for enabling a Conger.
vancy Board to sell, for drinking or other purposes,
any supply of water that is stored up by it.