RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 179, 12 November 1941, Page 4

RANGITAIKI DRAINAGE

of the low drainage which is retarding production throughout the Thornton area of low country. I hope that as a result of the Thornton meeting the Rangitaiki Ratepayers' Association will take on a new lease of life. There is much to be done of the land north of the railway is to be effectively drained. Yours etc., OLD TIMER.

Sir, —I have read in the Beacon of Friday your interview with Lands Department engineers regarding the present state of the Rangitaiki Plains drainage. After reading that one would assume that all is well on the Rangitaiki, that the Department is immensely popular, and that - ratepayers have nothing to worry about, and even if they have, then it is their own fault. Now Sir, what are the facts? Last Wednesday IVlessrs Innis and Taylor met a gathering of Thornton district ratepayers. Every settler in the area/subject to flooding was tlr&**>' ? two ladies . Those present/ overfished the "limits of the Lands Department's Thornton office in a manner similar to the way the Department's drainage canals overflow their banks and flood the allegedly drained land on which drainage rates of several shillings an acre are being collected. What can be assumed from that? Either that these ratepayers had, something to complain about or else that they were so lazy that they took, the morning off to go along and waste the valuable time of two engineers. -Which explanation do you prefer, Mr Elditor? To begin with, Mr Editor, it is a source of irritation to Rangitaiki ratepayers that the Lands Depart- ( ment in its desire for economy removed its resident engineer from Thornton. Now there is no one in authority on the spot whom ratepayers can call on to discuss their difficulties. The Rangitaiki Plains drainage is said to be under the control of Mr Taylor, who lives on the Hauraki Plains, and is seen here only now and again. Our sympathy is with the Depart, ment's engineers. They have always been good fellows personally, but their main job has been to explain to settlers that the l Department has no money and can do nothing, or else to explain that any proposal made by the settlers is not practicable from an engineering point of view. Your interview with Mr Innis gives the impression that the. Department is not a great deal concerned over the fact that the Ran-' gitailci River at its mouth is a mile nearer Whakatane than it should be. Surely some one has ijlundered in allowing the river mouth to> get in such a state. Would that have happened if a drainage board or a harbour board had been in control? Certainly not. But anything can happen when the Rangitaiki is controlled by absentee officials. The present state of the river mouth is an interesting commentary on 30 years of control of the Rang!-" taiki by officialdom. The most seri--ous problem arises from the fact that Rangitaiki ratepayers have no say in the way the Lands Department runs the drainage. By way of contrast the County ratepayers may discuss roading matters with the County Council, which consists of men elected by the settlers. But the Lands Department can do or leave undone what it likes, and get away with it. What a pity the drainage system is not run by the County Council or by a drainage board! At present we are like the American Colonies, which were taxfid without representation on the Parliament that imposed the taxes. We settlers are billed for drainage rates, but have ho say in how the rates are spent. The Rangitaiki Drainage Scheme has; been a success in ijarts. It has given improved to. land . south, of the railway of the land between the r&jW%y-*and the sea. Mr Innis admitted this land will have to be puanped at the expense of the settlers who are already paying heavy drainage rates.! Surely a case of double rating? And yet, which is the most important end of the Rangitaiki Plains? Why the waterlogged coastal half which is being made to produce cheese under difficulties, while the drier southern half beyond the railway continues to produce butter which is not so readily exportable. Incidentally, how is the Lands Department's developmental work the Orini Block going on? I believe it is not progressing at all because