WAIKATO SWAMP LANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 101, 29 April 1913, Page 9

WAIKATO SWAMP LANDS.

TROUBLES OF RIVJHK BOARD. | PREMIER'S ASSISTAiCCE. SOUGHT. A , combined deputation representing the'Waikato River Board and the ratepayers affected under the proposal waited upon the Prime Minister yesterday after■noon, Messrs E. F. Bollard and F. \V. Lang, M.P.'s, introducing the members, the latter gentleman on behalf of ?,ir Rhodes, who -was unable to be present. Most of the afternoon was taken up in smoothing out internal difficulties arising from differences of opinion among certain members of the River Board, bnt the Premier managed to elicit from the somewhat contradictory and confused <jnnts that one of the chief desires of itie deputation was to obtain legislation ii necessary, to exempt holders of land within the drainage urea from being rated on lands inside the boundaries ■which would not benefit from drainage operations by reason of being already well above water level. Another point emphasised was the desire of the Board to have power to push ahead if the scheme were declared practicable, as soon as the engineers had so reported. Mr Massey agreed that it would be grossly unfair to compel people whose lands was well above the river level to pay towards the drainage operation*, and ne promised, if an- amendment were necessary with regard to the exemptions, to put the matter right next session. He pointed out that the Government had no desire, to hinder the work. He himself had taken steps to have a report prepared by two competent engineers, but it would still be several months before their woTk was finished. The experts had already informed him that the work would probably cost quite £.50.000, which meant that . if it turned out to be a failure the Government would lose £50.000, as the ratepayers would not be able to find it. If successful then there would be no difficulty about the money, but every reasonable precaution had to be taken beforehand to prevent a waste of money. He promised, in reply to the evident anxiety of the deputation, that as soon as the engineers reached Mercer he would get a report from them aDd bee what he could do to expedite matters thereafter.