Ruawai And Kaitaia Schemes Compared

Northern Advocate, 24 January 1939, Page 9

Ruawai And Kaitaia Schemes Compared

Apropos of the Kaitaia Swamp drainage problem, the following comparative report made by Mr E. R. Bird, op 14/2/88, is gf interest:— “The engineer of the Ruawai Drainage Scheme took charge in 1901, got on to the job ip a boat, .and spent all his first days walking over the whole area ip mud. - The area, is 12in. below high-tide level. The place was useless without drainage.

“After certain blocks were done, the area of 20,000 acres good land was handed over to a Drainage Board by the Government with a loading of £17,500 as a liability. This has since been reduced to £14„500 by sinking fund provision. Rates Struck, 1937-38 “Ruawai drainage:— A class: General 23d; special Id; total 33d in the £. B class: General 211-16 d; special Id; total 3 11-16 d in the £. “Kaitaia drainage:— A class: Special, l/9.92d; general, 10.23 d; total, 2/8.15d in the £. B class: Special, 7.67 d; general, 3.58 d; total, 11.25 d in the £. C class: Special, 3.29 d; general, 1.53 d; total, 4.82 d in the £. “Ruawai County rate in the • £ is 32d. “Kaitaia County rate in the £ is

1/-.” The Prime Minister of Irak, General Nuri-es-Said, flew to Beirut, in an attempt to overcome the Grand Mufti’s opposition to the representative of all Palestine parties in the London conference. The followers of the Mufti threaten to boycott the conference if the Palestine National Defence Party is represented.

Over 1,000,000 cases of malignant malaria have been reported from Fukien, says a Chungking message. Between 10 per cent, .and 30 per cent, ot the population is affected in the 1 south-west portion of the province. « « • * A cyclonic storm at Fiji during the week-end did minor damage to the plantations, roads and telephonic communications. A Fijian man, with his wife and five children, is reported to have been drowned in the Navua district. • * • • The French Communist Party conference decided to support M. Daladier’s foreign poltcy provided he opens the Sp'anish frontier; otherwise, it threatened to oppose the Government in the impending confidence vote on foreign policy.