The Lake Question.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 2003, 10 December 1886, Page 2

The Lake Question.

(Bt a Oohtbibdtob). It h&g been repeatedly asked by residents in the Feather*ton district why it ia that the Government ol New Zetland cannot practically deal with the question of the opening and dosing oi the Wairarapa Lakes. It has been pointed oat to me that in this matter certain Datives appear to over role the Government. When tbs fiat has gone forth that the lakes shall be dosed, these natives, who probably have no direct, if any, interest at all in the Lake property, have only to point to the Treaty of Waitaogi or some other almost obsolete arrangement and they are allowed to inundate about 20,000 acres of the very best land in the district; laud that would feed about 60,000 sheep per annum, and carry one beast to the acre, but the closing of the lake renders it (or all purposes of pasture absolutely useless. The settlers ia the vicinity of these lakes, who assert that they have paid a fair price for their properties, awake at times in the morning to find nearly all their land submerged, and they have to wait with Job’s patience for nearly six months before the waters are released and allow the owner to approach their land ; thus about 10,000 cattle per annum have to be lost to the district, and the only recompense to anyone at all is a little fishing for natives who have a very small stake indeed in the immediate district, and are gradually losing even that by their improvidence in other directions. For about two tons of fish to the small section of the community per year wo have to sacrifice such an enormous extent of extra good pasture land. The settlers down there have to submit to all these especial hardships because oar Legislature cannot grapple with the question, but allows this handful of Maoris to put their fingers to their nasal organs and prevent those who consider themselves injured going down and releasng the waters at a time of the year whoa even these aborigines themselves cannot nse the Lakes for the ostensible purpose for which they appear to claim the right. The eaterprieinggraziera in the particular district, after sowing their land down in suitable and prolific grasses, have the mortification every season as soon nearly as the work if accomplished ol seeing all their labour and capital suddenly destroyed by the influx of swans and wild fowl, who most indiscriminately, immediately upon their advent, com* mence to attack the germinatory seeds and ruthlessly scatter desolation wherever they appear. Now if these wild fowls are to be considered before the interests of civilization and progress it is all very well, but feeding wild; fowl and flooding the country cannot tend to very much progress, and if the richest part of the land, indeed the pink of the Wairarapa, is to be monopolised by wild ducks, ike., at the will and pleasure of a few infatuated natives who have no practical end to serve, only that of obstruction, then my ideas of advancement must necessarily taka a back seat. Then again I must urge that the natives themselves would be greatly benefited by the Lakes being kept open. If they wish to fish, it surely must be an advantage to have the smallest area, as the fish must to all intents and purpose* be more easily caught within a smaller compass. Than again the imported fish that the Acclimatisation Society are now liberating in nearly every creek and rivet in the Wairarapa will shortly be of infinitely more value to the natives than the eels and other fish that now frequent the Lakes, and the fish that tbs* (the natives) are now striving to preserve will always be in abundance, because of the better kind which are sure to be preferred, and are so rapidly increasing. A salmon trout grows about six inches in length the first year, and it was only the oilier day that Mt McDougall informed me that an English salmon, weighing about 9) lbs was caught in the Rnamahnnga River down Kahantara way. Neither the natives nor the Europeans need ever fear that in this country there will bo a dearth of fish ; on the contrary, we shall before many years, witness what is every year seen in the old country, namely, wagon loads of fish being sent away to mannre the land and a very rich fertiliser it always proves to be.