A CLIFTON COUNTY MATTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1931, Page 11

A CLIFTON COUNTY MATTER.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — T request your permission .to utilise some of your valuable space in order to publicly ventilate the very harsh and unfair treatment accorded certain settlers in the backblocks. I refer to the action of the members of the Clifton County Council in regard to the road reserve question. During the past year the members of this council have ordained that all river flats opposite various sections on the Piko Road, and I understand in other localities also, shall be leased to occupiers of- such sections. The principle applied is quite the right one in most cases, but to quote the following case of hardship, to illustrate my point, should prove that there are exceptions to every rule, and that each case should be treated on its merits. In the year 1900 I took up a.block. of Crown land in its virgin state, with very little road frontage or riVer flat. In 1902 I applied through the Crown Lands. Department at New Plymouth for an extension of road frontage. This was granted me, but apparently through an oversight this area is not shown on the map. No doubt records of this transaction would still be available at the Lands Office. I had the land thus granted felled, grassed and fenced. Two and a half years ago my working partner stumped this land and cleared it of all timber and rushes; since then it has been top-dressed five times with slag and phosphates, as well as being surface sown, the last top-dressing taking place only a fortnight ago. Now the owner of the adjoining section evidently thinks it is time he put the principle as laid down by the Clifton County Council into operation, for on April 20 I received a letter from him notifying me of his intention to fence immediately, he stating that the council had leased him the land, in question. The council have not yet given me written notification of their intention'to f make this man a present, not only of my manure and seed, but a terrible lot of hard work; apparently they have forgotten. This man already has nearly two miles of river flat fronting accessible without crossing the river, whereas my section in question has a little less than 12 chains. They have also overlooked the fact that some years ago this same man approached the council with the view of obtaining possession of this piece of land. After the members had made a personal inspection and obtained the true facts they absolutely refused to grant his request. In view of the above and the fact that the ground was granted me 28 years ago, the attitude of the present council is hard to understand. If they allow this act of' injustice td' be carried out it will force us to reduce our herd considerably, as the balance of the farm has been described as table land with legs up in the air. Such drastic action as meted out by the council shows plainly that they are absolutely ■ out of sympathy with the hardships and slogging up-hill work undertaken by the men prepayed'to go back into the back country to carve out a home and a living on third-rate deteriorated lands, with prices as they are existent at the present momment barely showing a profit.

Another matter I would-like to refer to is the unfair treatment accorded certain settlers in the backblocks in regard to rent charged for road reserves. This matter is causing a great deal of dissatisfaction, not only in this district, but at Tongaporutu and Okau; in fact, in all areas in the Clifton county where road reserves exist, the council having decided to charg 15 s. per acre per year. This appears to., be a heavy tax to impose on the settlers, who have struggled for years to make these reserves productive. This is not the only grievance, for after paying rent for these reserves the settlers have no protection whatsoever, as the council has not made an agreement of any kind nor stated for how many the tenure holds good; in fact, the only written intimation received from the council was an account on ,the bottom of the. demand for rates card. '.When, ope settler' inquired for facts relating to the charges made he promptly received a letter informing him that it was for. rent, also threatening if the said amount was not paid he would be sued. Who is to say that, when these reserves become fully improved the council -will not increase their rent, or treat others as they evidently intend treating me—simply take the land and lease it to someone else ? This gives settlers very little encouragement to improve these reserves, which would soon be over-run with blackberry if vacant. I consider it is time the Government stepped in and afforded the affected settlers, many being occupiers of Crown land, some' measure of protection, not left them to the tender (?) mercies of the Clifton County Council.—l am, etc., T. H. LEE. Okoke, April 22, 1931.