KAWA SWAMP DRAINAGE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 651, 14 March 1914, Page 5

KAWA SWAMP DRAINAGE.

CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION.

At the Hamilton Supreme Court sittings on Thursday a case involving a claim of £ISOO for compsnstion made by owners of Kakepuku Block, No. Bc, from the Xawa Drainage Board. The claimants were nine Maoris, and they set forth that the public works undertaken by t e board's authority had injuriously affected their property, by reason that the aaid works had destroyed the eel pas, and accordingly the use and character of the piece of land in ques tion, the supply of eels having been stopped. Dr Bamford and Mr Brown appeared for the claimants, and Mr Reid, K.C.. with Mr Luxford, for the defendants. There were on the bench with his Honour, Mr Justice Cooper, Mr J. A. Young, M.P., as assessor for the respondents, and Mr J. A. Ormsby, assessor for the claimants.

Dr Bamford, in opening the case, aaid the drain had been taken through a comparatively high ridge of land. The land in question was vested in the claimants, and dec ar«d to be inalienable by the Native Land Court. The important suply of eels for food dated from time immemorial. So important was this considered that battles had been fought for the possession of this prolific swamp. The Kawa eels, had a very good character among the Maoris, and they were frequently bartered for other food supplies. The exact commercial value of the eel was not easily reached, but the Maoris took fully 20,000 eels from this pa ea«h year, and if they put the value of 3d on each eel, a very large amount was realised. After hearing a considerable amount of evidence the fu ther hearing was adjourned till June 15th.