GREAT WORKS SELDOM REQUIRED. 117 



of the river free from the natural growth of 

 weeds which otherwise impede the current, and 

 cause deposits of mud which gradually contract 

 the outfall. Questions of compensation, how- 

 ever, arise when rights of any kind are touched, 

 and hence the need of some authority to control 

 and reconcile opposing interests. 



The Inclosure Commissioners have power, 

 upon application being made to them to recom- 

 mend the formation of drainage districts, which 

 may embrace either the whole or a part of a 

 river-basin. So far as their experience has 

 gone, it is in favour of placing each river-basin 

 as a whole system under competent authority, 

 with power to that authority to form sub- 

 districts for the management of each, with 

 representatives at the general board which 

 controls the whole. As the object is not to Great 



engineer- 

 prevent floods, but to limit the period of their ing works 



seldom 



stagnation, it is seldom that any grand engineer- required, 

 ing operation is required. 



Another most useful branch of the office is Power to 



exchange 



the very extensive power entrusted to the Com- intermixed 



