10 90 



Land Drainage. 



[FEB., 



varies from about 12 ft. in the highest reaches to about 30 ft. 

 in the lowest reach, but in places it was so badly silted up and 

 overgrown that its course could only be traced with some 

 difficulty. No constructive engineering works were attempted ; 

 it was simply a matter of digging, and of removing numberless 

 old roots, fallen trees, and similar obstructions. The river, as 

 improved by the clearances, should now be fully capable of 

 carrying off all the water that drains into it. Very notable 

 work has been done in Essex (8g,ooo acres), the West Riding 

 (82,700 acres), and Lindsey (Lines.) (44,700 acres). 



It was of course clear from the beginning that the effect of 

 the work carried out under war-time regulations w^ould be only 

 temporary, unless some statutory provision could be made for 

 perpetuating it. Such provision has been made by the passing 

 of the Land Drainage Act of igiS.* 



Part L of this Act enables drainage boards to be established, 

 or the boundaries of existing drainage authorities to be altered, 

 by an Order of the Ministry of Agriculture, which does not, 

 unless it is opposed, require confirmation by Parliament ; and 

 such Orders can now be made by the Ministry either on its 

 own initiative, or on receipt of a petition from persons or 

 autorities intherested. Thus there is provided a short and 

 inexpensive procedure, and a means of carrying out a con- 

 sidered and homogeneous policy with regard to all the drainage 

 areas in the country. 



Drainage authorities established before 191 8 were either 

 ancient Commissions of Sewers (some of them established as 

 early as the thirteenth century), or authorities established by 

 local Acts or under the Land Drainage Act, 1861. The former 

 class have, generally speaking, a wide and indefinite area, and 

 only Qxercise jurisdiction over parts of it. Authorities of the 

 latter class have generally been established to meet purely local 

 needs, and are the outcome of Parliamentary bargains. Their 

 areas bear no relation, as a rule, to the requirements of the 

 whole of the area drained by any river or artery. The policy 

 adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture since 191 8 has been to 

 form drainage boards for whole river valleys or basins, wherever 

 possible, which shall control the main channels and their banks, 

 while retaining " internal drainage " authorities where these 

 exist, and creating new authorities for internal drainage where 

 desirable. 



It may be of interest to set out the *fet ages which have to be 

 gone through, from the first proposal or petition for the forma- 



* See this Journal, November, 1918, p. 961, and December, 1918, p. 1121. 



