SWAMP DRAINED LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1922, Page 12

SWAMP DRAINED LAND.

SETTLERS IN DIFFICULTIES. PLEA FOR RELIEF. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Eewrter.i WELLINGTON", this day. The .Minister of Lands "was interviewed "by a deputation representing Rangitaiki swamp settlers, who urged hira to post- j pone the drainage rates which they are i subjected to for a period of two years. I They showed that there were exceptional i circumstances that would justify this action. Apparently the Government I drainage works on this huge swamp area bad got in advance of the settlers' own drainage operations owing to the fact of tin* subsidence on sections being a slow i process, and until it showed signs of I becoming stationary settlers could not put in their connecting drains. Meantime they were getting very little returns in produce, and were embarrassed I hy the rates levied by tin* Drainage Hoard. They emphasised that they were >|iiitc willing to meet their obligations, uiul merely wished tor postponement. Another factor that had hampered them "as the closing down of tho "Whakatane freezing works. The deputationists impressed upon the .Minister the advisability of reclassification of sections, as in the present classification there were many anomalies. The Hon. I). H. Guthrie replied that he was impressed by the representations l made, and lie would look into the situation with a view "to bringing down re-I lieviug legislation this session. He admitted that reclassification could not i be much longer postponed, but suggested I that svttler,* should first confer among themselves to get a common basis for negotiations, and then take the matter to the uflicei's of the Drainage Depart-