Developing Lower Waikato.

Waikato Times, Issue 12183, 19 September 1911, Page 4

Developing Lower Waikato.

HUGE DRAINAGE SCHEME.

RIVER BOARD FORMED

LOWERING THE STREAM.

The Waikato River Board with tea vj'Utiters at Mercer, which hae been formed for the purpose of lowering the Waikato River, is now an accomplished fact, and wtill commence active operations at an early date, app 1 cations hawing; already been called for an engineer to supervise the work. A large area of land, amounting -to about 19&.000 acres will come within the operations of the scheme, and as the bulk of this is at present submerged for the pa f t of the ys'ar beneath f<v ' ee f' e ' o t water, the extent wiii t b ? on the drainin g of this area will be to the district can well be imagined, as when dry the land will n-ate ideal dairying, country. A good portion of the block is settled, but pr f® nt state is practically seless. A large segment of it belongs to the Crown, and for the benefit that will be done to the pS" nm9n i -T a ' the Board aQ ticiFrom thf r ° f upwards of £*MO. irom the Government. The scheme £^ooo° mP h let i ed iS e3timated to cost mrt nf thl ;f noUnt Wlll raised out of the rates over a speciallv constituted area, .extending from beq ° W i^f cer the vicinity of Huntly. USIaS are tbe majority of fche settlers over the scheme- that it has -been found unnecessary to call a public meeting for the' purpose of forming -the special area, the numerous signatures, on the petition being sufficient to enable this to be brought A lar S e Portion of the land which is now worth not more than ° r 15s. will when dry bring Howards of £3O and £4O. In fact the scheme i?, one of the biggest factors or developing the Lower Waikato tnat we know o ,r have heard of.