Blockage Of Farm Drainage

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15135, 18 November 1949, Page 3

Blockage Of Farm Drainage

View That Department Should Pay

Te Puke Remit Passed

By Executive

(Times Special Reporter)

"Where the railway line blocks settlers' drainage and a culvert is required to be lowered to give satisfactory drainage, the cost of this work should be the responsibility of the Railways Department." This was the text of a remit, from Te Puke, carried at a meeting at Whakatane of the executive of the Bay of Plenty Province of Federated Farmers.

The Te Puke representative (Mr J. Riddell) argued that this expense was more of a national than a private concern and the work should not have to be paid for by the farmer. A railways official had informed him, said Mr Riddell, that the department felt that it was already making a loss, and through the staff shortage and other factors it could not take the responsibility for the work. The speaker emphasised that he felt that at least a part of the cost should be borne by the department. In Te Puke and the rest of the Bay of Plenty there would be a large area affected by drainage difficulties resulting in a loss of production to the district generally.