TE WHARE-O-MARAENUI.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11127, 20 January 1899, Page 4

TE WHARE-O-MARAENUI.

Sib, — I have just been reading the reports in your columns of tbe Works Committee, and also of the syndicate. lam an old resident of Napier, and one who should know what he is talking about. I maintain that if the public bodies of Napier give over their rights to any syndicate they will be sorry ever after. Why cannot the public bodies devote say .£SOO towards plant and .£SOO in wages, and do the work themselves ? There is no difficulty in so' doing. There may be a certain amount of risk, but the work will be oarried out to advantage by their engineers, no doubt, if they are acting for their employers' benefit, and the several bodies interested would benefit thereby at once. The paltry rent offered is nothing for a property in the position which tjhis property holdß. And I am sure, as I have already said, that if this is alienated the public will be sorry ever after.

Lessees so many acres, Harbor Board bo many acres, Borough Council so many acres, provided the latter enter into an agreement to pay cost price for reclamation. A fine agreement truly for the syndicate ; depreciation of plant -6250 per annum, rather a large item ; ,£2OOO in making channels !* Why the new cut only cost something like JJ7OO altogether ! So the channels must be large and expensive, which are proposed; 1400 acres is the area left after channels have been cut. Anticipative.. .£IOO per year ( rent first seven years. Why, if £2000 is spent judiciously, I think with safeoy you can say the land would be worth 7s 6d to 10s per acre surely for grazing purposes alone if dried as anticipated ; and I have no doubt but the syndicate can dry this fiat without expending anything like what they state, .£I6OO. Of course, as I stated before, there will be risk, but if there are no extra severe seasons, I am sure they can have three*fottrths of the whole in profitable occupation before three years. Th« item of two-thirds of the difference between beginning and termination of lease will mean a large item, and I would strongly advise the public to beware of that Clause. In clause 6, where *' progress " is stated, it is not a bad way to get out of doing too niuchj but I think the Harbor Board committee are right in keeping the syndicate up to a certain fixed sum whatever it may be. I do not know who ths Syndicate is composed of, neither do I care, but I would not Kite bo see the Napier public come to grief, as I have resided in the place nearly 20 years, and I honestly think if there is anything in the swamp which will assist the over-burdeued ratepayers, let them have it by all means, as I consider they have paid enough already for white elephants. Of course, I am rather at a disadvantage at present in' data, but I will, 1 trust, soon be in Napier again, when I can soon have everything at my finger ends as heretofore. — I am, &c,

Ex-Resident. Danevirke, January 18th, 1899.