§ CLAUSE 8.—(Scheme with respect to separate drainage boards and drainage districts in Doncaster district).
1866§ of the award, we ought to exclude awards under the Inclosure Acts. We should have no objection at a later date to the exclusion of the words which we suggest should now be included, so that drainage could go on, and we could do the best we could in the circumstances that obtained then.
§ Question put, "That those words be there inserted."
§ The Committee divided: Ayes, 29; Noes, 95.
1865| Division No. 298.] | AYES. | [11.44 p.m. |
| Alexander, A. V. (Sheffield, Hillsbro') | Duncan, C | Richardson, R. (Houghton-le-Spring) |
| Ammon, Charles George | Gillett, George M. | Smith, Rennie (Penistone) |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Greenwood, A. (Nelson and Colne) | Snell, Harry |
| Barr, J. | Griffith, F. Kingsley | Strauss, E. A. |
| Batey, Joseph | Jenkins, W. (Glamorgan, Neath) | Taylor, R. A. |
| Bellamy, A. | Kelly, W. T. | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Bennett, William (Battersea, South) | Lawrence, Susan | Williams, T. (York, Don Valley) |
| Bowerman, Rt. Hon. Charles W. | Laweon, John James | |
| Buchanan, G. | MacLaren, Andrew | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Cluse, W. S. | Pethick-Lawrence, F. W. | Mr. Parkinson and Mr. Wilfrid Paling. |
| Day, Harry | Potts, John S. |
| NOES. | ||
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Ford, Sir P. J. | Oman, Sir Charles William C. |
| Applin, Colonel R. V. K. | Fremantle, Lieut.-Colonel Francis E. | Pennefather, Sir John |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Ganzoni, Sir John | Penny, Frederick George |
| Beamish, Rear-Admiral T. P. H. | Greaves-Lord, Sir Walter | Peto, G. (Somerset, Frome) |
| Betterton, Henry B. | Greene, W. P. Crawford | Pitcher, G. |
| Boothby, R. J. G. | Gretton, Colonel Rt. Hon. John | Price, Major C. W. M. |
| Bourne, Captain Robert Croft | Guinness, Rt. Hon. Walter E. | Raine, Sir Walter |
| Bowyer, Capt. G. E. W. | Hall, Lieut.-Col. Sir F. (Dulwich) | Richardson, Sir P. W. (Sur'y, Ch'ts'y) |
| Briscoe, Richard George | Hanbury, C. | Rodd, Rt. Hon. Sir James Rennell |
| Brooke, Brigadier-General C. R. I. | Harland, A. | Ross, R. D. |
| Cadogan, Major Hon. Edward | Harvey, G. (Lambeth, Kennington) | Rye, F. G. |
| Campbell, E. T. | Headlam, Lieut.-Colonel C. M. | Samuel, A. M. (Surrey, Farnham) |
| Cecil, Rt. Hon. Sir Evelyn (Aston) | Henderson, Lieut.-Col. Sir Vivian | Samuel, Samuel (W'dsworth, Putney) |
| Cobb, Sir Cyril | Hennessy, Major Sir G. R. J. | Sandeman, N. Stewart |
| Cochrane, Commander Hon. A. D. | Hills, Major John Waller | Sanders, Sir Robert A. |
| Cockerill, Brig.-General Sir George | Holbrook, Sir Arthur Richard | Smithers, Waldron |
| Colfox, Major Wm. Philip | Hope, Capt. A. O. J. (Warw'k, Nun.) | Southby, Commander A. R. J. |
| Cope, Major Sir William | Howard-Bury, Colonel C. K. | Steel, Major Samuel Strang |
| Courtauld, Major J. S. | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Murray Fraser |
| Craig, Sir Ernest (Chester, Crewe) | Kindersley, Major Guy M. | Thompson, Luke (Sunderland) |
| Crookshank, Cpt. H. (Lindsey, Gainsbro) | King, Commodore Henry Douglas | Wallace, Captain D. E. |
| Culverwell, C. T. (Bristol, West) | Lamb, J. O. | Ward, Lt.-Col. A. L. (Kingston-on-Hull) |
| Davidson, Rt. Hon. J. (Hertford) | Locker-Lampson, Com. O. (Handsw'th) | Warner, Brigadler-General W. W. |
| Davies, Dr. Vernon | Lucas-Tooth, Sir Hugh Vere | Warrender, Sir Victor |
| Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | McDonnell, Colonel Hon. Angus | Watts, Sir Thomas |
| Dixey, A. C. | MacIntyre, Ian | Wells, S. R. |
| Dunnico, H. | McLean, Major A. | Withers, John James |
| Edmondson, Major A. J. | Margesson, Captain D. | Womersley, W. J. |
| Edwards, J. Hugh (Accrington) | Monsell, Eyres, Com. Rt. Hon. B. M. | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton (Norwich) |
| Elliot, Major Walter E. | Moore-Brabazon, Lieut.-Col. J. T. C. | |
| Erskine, Lord (Somerset, Weston-s.-M.) | Moreing, Captain A. H. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Fairfax, Captain J. G. | Neville, Sir Reginald J. | Sir Frederick Thomson and Major |
| Fanshawe, Captain G. D. | O'Connor, T. J. (Bedford, Luton) | the Marquess of Titchfield. |
Question, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill," put, and agreed to.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSI beg to move, in page 7, line 22, to leave out the word "shall," and to insert instead thereof the word "may."
The reason for this Amendment is that we desire to give permission to the Central Board to have the choice as to whether these district hoards should be 1867 set up or not. In the Report of the Commission on Drainage it was stated that all district boards and drainage commissions ought to be abolished. We entirely agree and, should it be necessary for any work to be undertaken outside the existing boards, then we think that the Central Board ought to be left with the power to undertake the work themselves.
Mr. GUINNESSThe West Riding County Council have been setting up these district boards in almost the whole area and we are satisfied that for the efficiency of administration the boards should be set up. We need a co-ordinating authority. I am satisfied that in certain cases it is in consonance with the best interests of land drainage that the area should be under the responsibility of some internal board.
§ Mr. PALINGIs it not a fact that experience in the West Riding has proved time after time that there ought to be powers in order to do away with some of these boards and to have a centralized authority with as few boards as possible? This appears to be going in the opposite direction. We are simply asking that the Central Board, if it thinks fit, may set up these Boards, but that it shall not be compelled. There is a large area where no Boards exist. It may be that the Central Board, on exploring the whole situation, would desire to set up district boards to do the work, but, equally, it may be that they would rather make one big board and keep the work under their own control. We are simply asking that they shall have the alternative power to keep it under their own control, rather than be compelled to set up small district boards.
Mr. GUINNESSExperience in regard to these big boards, which have important responsibilities, is that there is great confusion and disadvantage in giving them, in certain areas, responsibility for what is really district work. I am very sorry but I cannot accept the Amendment.
§ Question, "That the word 'shall' stand part of the Clause," put, and agreed to.
§ Mr. PALINGWith regard to the next Amendment, which also stands in the 1868 name of my hon. friend the Member for Don Valley (Mr. T. Williams), in page 8, line 27, at the end, to add the words:
and in that behalf the Board shall have power to appoint voluntary area committees composed of persons residing in or adjacent to the vicinity of the areas with respect to which they may be appointed to assist the Central Board in the adminstration of such local areas: Provided that at least one member of the Central Board shall be attached to each of such voluntary committees without regard to his place of residence.The tenure of office of any such committee or any of its members shall be at the Board's pleasure "—we were rather hoping that the last Amendment would have been accepted, and in that case the provisions here set out would have followed. In the circumstances, we do not propose to move this Amendment.
§ Question, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill," put, and agreed to.