RIVER MENACE TO INTER WANGANUI.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1920, Page 3

RIVER MENACE TO INTER WANGANUI.

GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE

Mr Seddon M.P., is in receipt of tho following ietter from tho Minister of Lands respecting the Little Wanganui River encroachment:

“In.further reply to your letter of the 16th January in reference to the position of tile settlers of Hari Hari, owing to recent floods, I have to inform you that this is a matter which is being dealt with by the Public Works Department, whose Resident Engineer was at Hari Hari during the flood, and is .taking immediate steps to prevent further enroachment. He lias forwarded a full report on the matter to his departmental head in Wellington when the matter will, of course, come under the cognisance of my colleague, the Hon Minister of Public Works.

“This Department has very little interest in the land in question as most of tlie settlement is either freehold or held on lease in perpetuity, which can be converted to freehold at the original capital values, these ranging from 5/to 15/- per acre so that the interests of the Department in the land likely to be destroyed is very little in comparison with that of the settlers themselves and in all probability would not am. ount to £IOOO, whilst the loss to v the settlers would lie probably be twenty times as much.

“If, therefore, any further protective works thiyi those contemplated by the Public Works Department are necessary, it iff for the settlers to take the necessary action in conjunction with the River Board, hut in view of the desirability of the adequate protection of*, the settlement from the present threatened encroachment, I am prepared to consider a subsidy by this Department amounting to say, one-fifth of the amount spent by the River Board i.e. a subsidy of £1 to £4.”