Kaeaea Drainage Board.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 285, 13 August 1910, Page 5

Kaeaea Drainage Board.

To the Editor,

Sir, —In your issue of the 20th July, I notice a paragraph headed "Kaeaea Drainage District," and then a list of settlers' names attached thereto, in which the writer, named S. Riddle, says will come within the boundaries of this drainage district, and be rated for draining purposes. This is the first I ever knew of it being a drainage district and would you kindly inform me how long it has been a drainage district. Now, sir, I should like to say further that I have never been asked (and other settlers are in the same position, so they tell me) whether I was agreeable to my name being put down on this list to be rated for drainage purposes, and which is, I consider, to put it mildly, a liberty that S. Riddle had no business to take upon himself, and I would never dream of putting his name down to any scheme without asking his permission. Of course, it may be ignorance on his part, still it is a thing he should not do. And who wants this drainage scheme? I have been round asking several settlers, but they all tell me they can do their own drainage when they are ready, except Mr Williamson, who told me he has ten acres he wants draining. Of course, Riddle Bros, have large pieces of swamps in their holdings, but they knew that when they took up the sections. But to get up a drainage scheme and then put settlers' names down to it who have no swamp to drain, why it would be a gross injustice, and one which would not be tolerated and would be entirely wrong. In any case, I venture to submit that it is far to early in the history of our settlement to talk of drainage boards. Why, the place is only five years old, and we have not made tucker out of our places scarcely yet. We ought to get all our bush down and in grass and ring-fenced, so as to have cattle secure and our nice fern hills brought into cultivation before we even dream of drainage boards. Then, when that is clone, and before the drainage comes along, we ought to be thinking of getting some metal on the by-roads, as we cannot expect the Government to do it for us. At present our wives and daughters have to stay in all the winter as they won't face the mud, when, if we had a bit of metal on they could get out for a spell in the winter (our slack time), and get braced up for the long days of hard work in the coming summer. And when we get the metal on we shall get our stores in for just about half the present charge which is a terrible handicap to us back-block settlers. At present we have quite enough to pay with rent and interest and one thing or another without a drainage rate. In fact, as a settler said to me the other day the drainage can wait another ten years. And those settlers who want drainage, well, let them do their own. I don't suppose any other settlers will object. If I had swamp to drain I would get my coat off and into it, and never think of trying to form a drainage board to help me to do it. Drainage boards are luxuries that back-block settlers can't afford just now.- —I am, etc., F. ELWOOD, Kaeaea.