DRAINAGE SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 189, 12 May 1928, Page 3

DRAINAGE SCHEME

POSITION AT OTAKI

WILL FARM LANDS BENEFIT?

QUESTIONS OF PROGRESS

Dominion Special Service.

Otaki. Alay 11.

Various questions were dealt with at to-day’s session of the Otaki Rating Commission, the Town Clerk (Mr. A. Wilson) being furiher cross-exainiired concerning the drainage seheme. The question of suitability of certain lands for municipal control was also discussed.

Mr. Wilson said that three drainage schemes hod been submitted for the Borough Council. One was accepted, but was rescinded owing to the sitting of the Commission. This had been submitted by Mr. E. j. Barnes. Mr. Luckie asked that the report and subsequent letters regarding the accepted estimate be read. It was stated that this scheme, would hare cost £6718. Mr. Atmore was-quite willing to read the report. Witness then produced a statement of expenditure in connection with the drainage scheme, compiled, he said, as far as was possible from office records. Reading from the minute-book, Mr. Wilson stated that Mr. Davies, ex-Borough Engineer, was paid £3OO a year, plus 24 per cent, commission on loan moneys for water and drainage.

In answer to Mr. Luckie, Mr. Wilson admitted that the farming community would not benefit by the scheme. Mr. Luckie contended that two-thirds of those who would have to pay for the scheme would not benefit by it. He stated that even though Air. Atmore had admitted that a great injustice had been done to ratepayers, who had to pay for sewerage when they were not getting it, the council had done nothing to remedy the matter.

Mr. Atmore: The properties in the vicinity get a potential benefit. We have suggested a system of classification. . Mr. Luckie: Yes, classifying those properties that benefit and those that don’t. Witness stated that there were 1305 Europeans in the borough, and 280 Natives, who, according to Air. Luckie, could not be regarded as assets. There were 307 European and 94 Native ratepayers in the borough. The general rate on the excluded properties (now in the Horowhenua county) totalled £lO3. Had they still been in the borough the rate would have been £349. Since those properties had been in the county, they had been revalued, and the valuation had been considerably reduced. To Mr. Shepherd, witness stated that some of the’ land was leased to the Chinese.

Air. Shepherd contended that with the exception of the 12 native holdings, the Alaoris would not benefit by the modified drainage scheme, to which Mr. Wilson replied that the natives were one of the reasons for the proposed system. Before leaving the witness-box Air. Wilson agreed to provide the Commission with a return showing the proportion of rates collected from properties used exclusively for farming purposes. To Air. Nash: No general rate was levied on excluded properties, only special rates being paid.

Not Suitable for Municipal Control. Mr. Luckie asked that he might take the evidence of Mr. Oscar Monrad (Palmerston North), in order that it might be shown that the farm lands were not suitable for municipal control. Air. Monrad said that he had recently inspected all the exeluded portion of the Afission Block which was low-lying and wet. There was, he said, a lot of other land in the borough which would not be suitable for municipal control for many years. He had been acquainted with the Otaki district for over thirty years, and thought that Otaki was one of the towns which had been broken during the process of evolution. This, he thought, was due to the advent of the motor-car. Otaki was, and is, dependent on its farms, -and the farmers’ market was Wellington. Aluch of the land in the district was unsuitable for building purposes, and consequently there had been nd demand for those particular parts fot purposes of closer settlement Other properties examined in the excluded areas were also unsuitable for building purposes. Not much land was of use for subdivisional purposes. From his knowledge of Otaki, said Air. Alonrad, there would be no demand for the farm lands for building purposes or for municipal control. The only requirements, so far as the farmers were concerned, was the use of good roads to the railway station in order to send their produce away. Air. Alonrad could see no justification for the inclusion of the farm lands in the borough, and considered it heartbreaking that men should spend the greater part of their lives on farms, and. find their savings taken in this way. Cross-examined by Air. Atmore, witness Said he 'would modify his statement about Otaki being broken, and would say that values had been broken. He was surprised to hoar that the population had increased substantially in the last seven years, and said that he failed to see where many new buildings had sprung UP in Otaki. He said that he would take Air. Atmore’s word for the fact, but admitted that the beach had gone ahead to a certain extent. Asked if he would be surprised to hear that there was a. demand for land in the borough, he said that he would be very pleased to hear of such a state of affairs. At this stage, Air. Alonrad decided to withdraw the word “broken.” Mr. Atmore: You came into the witness box and made these statements. You can’t expect us to admit them. In other words, the natural advantages of Otaki are such that there will always be a demand for land.

Witness admitted this and hoped that the town would progress. Regarding the flooding of certain areas. Mr. Monrad said that the cause was the Otaki River and not the tide. Witness had always found that the farmers had attended to the drains on their properties to the best of their ability. Mr. Atmore again admitted that the burdens on the farm properties were heavy, but would not admit what he described as Mr. Monrad’S “touching picture” of men losing their life’s savings. At this stage the Commission adjourned until 10,30-a.m. on Tuesday.