Purchase of the Makerua Swamp.

Manawatu Herald, 26 June 1902, Page 2

Purchase of the Makerua Swamp.

Negotiations which have been pending for a considerable period between Dr Chappie, acting on behalf of a Wellington syndicate, and the directors of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company have resulted in the purchase by the former of the notorious Makerua swamp, an area of several thousand of acres lying on the western side *)f the railway line between Levin and Shannon, for £30,000 cash. The syndicate, relying on expert advice, has satisfied itselt that the swamp may be readily reclaimed, and that a very large quantity of flax will be rendered available by an adequate system of drainage. The proposaUn brief is to dredge the Tokomaru river, and put in subsidiary drains in connection therewith to carry off the water. Dr Chappie visited Makerua during the recent floods, and expressed himself satisfied that an adequate scheme of drainage such as is contemplated will enable the flood Waters to get away without difficulty. It is interesting to note that the total amount of land sold by the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company since the end of the financial year has been something like £43,000 worth —land shown Upon the books as being worth This means that the shareholders are £30,000 (or 33 6d per share) richer than they appeared to be on paper, a state of things remarkable and probably unprecedented in the annals of the colony.