THE IRRIGATION COMMITTEE.

Evening Star, Issue 19855, 2 May 1928, Page 10

THE IRRIGATION COMMITTEE.

TO TAB BOIXOJt. Sir,—No doubt you will have a great deal ( of correspondence in connection with irrigation matters in Central Otago, and also in connection with the personnel of the Commission set up by Mr Coates, the Prime Minister, and I feel that I am expressing the feelings of the majority of the settlers of Earnscleugh when I say that they have no faith in this Commission which is to investigate the grievances of the settlers, i .10 cost of construction and administration has been, as anybody can see with a blind eye, v :y much more than it should have been. I would suggest, sir, that an independent tribunal be set up to look 'o these grievances, as I am quite sure that the present Commission has not got the confidence of the settle; of Central Otago, and I would also suggest that in future all Government works shoud be let out by contract and not by day labour, as has neon the case in the past in this district. From personal experience, I can say without fear of contradiction that the ■works carried on by the Public Works Department by day labour have cost the settlers ten times the amount they should have done. _ 1 have known a man to stand on Ins spade for twenty minutes without turning a sod, and also one gang of nine men kept one of their number collecting firewood 'o provide morning and afternoon tea, and the settlers had t. pay to the tune of 14s 101 a day. Do yon think for one minute that this is giving the settlers a fair deal, and when they ask for ah independent Commission don’t yon think they are on the right lines? — T am. etc., Waikati. May 1.