MAKOWHAI DRAINAGE AREA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 219, 14 August 1940, Page 9

MAKOWHAI DRAINAGE AREA

OBJECTION TO RATING. Objection was raised, when a deputation of five settlers waited on the Manawatu County Council, yesterday, to their being rated in the B class of the Makowhai drainage area, of which the council is the controlling authority. Mr J. Graham (Feilding) accompanied the deputation and acted as spokesman. Mr Graham outlined that objections had been lodged, but the Magistrate (Mr It. M. Watson) had adjourned the hearing so that the objectors might meet the council. Other objections would have been lodged had the settlers known that they were to be rated. The objectors now wished to save the heavy expense of a Court sitting if they could. It had been admitted that none of the land beyond Taylor’s Line would benefit from the scheme. Until something was to be done to land beyond Taylor’s Line all that land should be excluded from rating. • The chairman (Cr W. E. Barber) pointed out that the main drain (costing about £40,000) had been put in at no cost at all to the settlers. Mr Graham commented that the settlers were being asked to contribute £2OO, in all, annually for work which did not benefit the class B area. Cr W. E. Pearce, as an objector, said that the water flowed over the upper, land which was without drains. He had never seen still water on Taylor’s Line —only below it. The settlers in the lower area now had their objective, a drain. It was an injustice to ask the settlers on the higher land to maintain. a drain for the settlers lower down. The higher land was not swamp country—it had a clay bottom resting on shingle. Cr J. Boyce suggested that if a creek on Mr Taylor’s property were cleaned out it would give an outlet for a much greater area. The chairman said lie had looked upon the main outlet as merely the beginning of a big scheme. There was no reason to think that the larger scheme would not develop. After viewing the area, ho had thought that the objections could not be sustained. Cr H. J. Fagan said that the late Sir James Wilson had been interested in a drainage scheme there, but it had been shelved then because of the difficultv of providing an outlet to the Rangitikei River in flood periods. If a big outlet were provided it would have the opposite effect, because a large drain would let a depth of Bft of water onto the lower land from the river. The deputation then withdrew, and after discussing the subject in committee. the council decided to sustain the classification.