AWAITI DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5056, 24 November 1926, Page 3

AWAITI DRAINAGE.

Sir—The conference ..arranged by Mr Samuel has come and gone, and. it was the first earnest endeavour to try and formulate a schemei whereby the Awaiti district could be efficiently drained. The cup was at -our lips, and .through the attitude of a section of the settlers it was' dashed to the ground before we could ta,stei thes nectar which it contained.; We are to have an opportunity to again have that cup, and there is no doubt that it is only through the persistent efforts of Mr Samuel in pouring oil op the troubled waters, .and the mag- . nanimous spirit of ,the Under-Secre-tary for. Lands that we are enabled to bp in that position to-day. A sultry explosive atmosphere prevailed round the entrance of the hall before the meeting commenced. Immediate-

ly the officials filed in, and before they had been properly seated, or a quarter ’ of the settlers had entered the hall, 'a. chairman was nominated, seconded,

and had placed himself in the chair,

the action showing the temperament -of that section, but surprised the ■other settl.ers. They immediately took up. a bellicosje attitude, the chairman upholding his colleagues and domineering any other settler who attempted to speak, so much so that the conference became a ridiculous farce. I make no apology -for not ■speaking, as none of my statements which appeared in the presjs had been contradicted, which showed, that they were true in fact, and they were with one, exception purposely ignored. The whole atmosphere was redolent with .vulgar abuse against Mr Taylor, drainage engineer, and the settlers concerned combined in an attack to get the officials to over-ride his authority. It became apparent that in their eagerness to have Mr Taylor sacked (a term freely used prior to the conference) they had lost the

point at issue, which was to propound a scheme to give efficient drainage to all concerned. There is no doubt that a severe blow was struck when the Under-Secretary ’for Lands said : “ The Department has absolute confidence in Mr Taylor or he would not be there.” When an injustice is being perpetrated I am always on the. side o'f the under dog, and when so> many kicks are going it is good not to forge,t that during the commission which was hel,d on the Plains a high compliment was paid to Mr Taylor as to his ability. Mr Halligan made a personal attack on me; he spoke of my name being a nom de plume, of my writings being trash, and made other vapid statements, but could not bring forth any reasonable argument to confute what I had written. The, question aiises': Why shduld I have been picked out for personal abuse. Is it because I had the audacity to take-the only course open to me to protest against the methods used by him, detrimental to my interests and the Awaiti West, settlers.

The press report of Mr Halligan’s statements was a revelation ,t°. me, and I differ greatly from them. In the first place the Awaiti West drains were part of the survey plan for reading and drainage, and the district could not have been opened up without them ; in fact,-they were in progress before actual settlement took 'place. It was some years after before tehse drains were connected with the" Awaiti stream, and Mr Halligan, who was then working for the drainage department, actually opened several chains in front of Mir section.’ About that time I was under engagement to the Drainage Department to ■ take charge of- the. Awaiti drainage operations, and I made myself cognizant of the fact concerning the drainage system in that area. From the opening up O'f this block the Awa,iti West settlers never had the semblance of drainage, and during the winter months were continually flooded with water from the Waihou River. Consequently, representations were made to Mr Lo'gan, the then drainage engineer, to have the dra.ins continued past the boundary. During a conversation at that time Mr Logan said : “Until a scheme is evolved whereby the'water can be controlled, this area (Awaiti basin) will always be in a bad way for drainage.” I submit th'ajt the scheme has now been evolved. The* water has been controlled, and this is' the first year we have had , drainage. It is wrong to say the settlers did not know that the blocks were to be, put in the drains. The knowledge was practically general, and the settlers concerned were consulted. • The Crown settlers,in the; Awaiti basin are so insignificant that they are termed “other low-lying land,” and some are anxious that-the blocks be removed ■ and that land be.again flooded, but if they have had eight years’ freedom from Water, is it not up to them to give the “cockies/’ in the Awaiti basin a few years, free from water ? The statements in my previous letters regarding my experience and observations of the drainage were termed trash, but it'is a. curious fact that they were substantially borne out by Mr Campbell’s resume.

However, as the bfocks are to remain, I again put forward a schejne which should efficiently drain the Awaiti Road sections and those in close proximity to that road. - The Awaiti Road main drain to be widened sufficiently to allow a strpng concrete bed and walls to be placed therein. An electric pump to be erected to cope with local water when flood-gates> are not operating. If some such scheme had been brought forward and the same energy wasted on it stfmq progress, would have been made, but instead we have a section of the settlers taking the selfish attitude of having 'their drainage thrown on other settlers and are not concerned whether they are ruined or not, and if one ,of these settlers object to an injury they cry because they have lost a so-cajled best friqnd. r. Adam.