A SETTLER’S TROUBLES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4846, 29 June 1925, Page 2

A SETTLER’S TROUBLES.

LETTER TO DRAINAGE BOARD. BREAKING THE MONOTONY. The proceedings at meetings of local bodies are usually very tedious, though now and then there conies a letter the reading of which breaks the monotony. Be they foolish, abusive, or merely humorous, they are all read by the dork for the council or bo.ard to decide whether they shall be received or, not. The. following letter, intermingling pathos and humour, Was read and received by a drainage board on tne Plains recently, and doubtlessly members wished th,at the writer had a more pleasant topic: — "Yours of the 2nd, together with rate notice as a double reminder, to hand. I regret that I am unable to encluse remit for amount due, small as it is, but I may state that I am fully alive to my obligations to. your board, which is doing its. best. I wish to draw your notice to the fact that I am paying a very-heavy rate as a grazing rate through want of adequate drainage. If the settlers could only see and call the grazing account a drainage rate and pay same to your board for a big general sure scheme and keep their stock at home on a dry farm there would not be this yearly drama of robbing Peter to pay Paul (drainage and grazing rates). I am grazing on Mr —: —’s to get a living and - pay a grazing rate, asi I must exist if passible. I will do my best, to give you some (the lest if possible) in July or else August. I regret to have to place these hard facts before you, but it is bedrock. Wheli your board pushes its drain through as an extra outlet you will get your rates to date. If not, it will always be the Peter and Paul drama (drainage rate unpaid, grazing rate paid, so as to grit stock out of paddock). The siprit is willing, but the exchequer its low —in fact, below par.’’