LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A Policy for Rivers
Sm,—You publish in your issue of June 6th a letter from Mr. Michael Ionides, one of the leading authorities on the recording of the flow of rivers, in which he refers to the pollution of the River Derwent, and passes on to the importance of proper survey-records of the flow of our rivers being obtained. The necessary measurements would appear to be one of the duties of the recently-formed River Boards through- out the country.
While it is very necessary to record the flow of different rivers, as M. Ionides points out, perhaps the prevention of pollution should he regarded as of primary importance. A few of the River Boards are actively engaged in researches connected with the matter, and are active in the steps they are taking to deal with the offenders, but there are other River Boards which have shown grteat reluctance to take any action, and excuse themselves by claiming that by-laws have not yet been issued which would give them the powers to act. It is doubtful if this is a valid excuse, and it is probably because the -membership of the River Boards is so largely made up of Rural Councils and other local authorities that they are loath to incur the expense of improving their effluents, and so do not encourage the River Boards to take pro- ceedings which would often be against themselves when acting in
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