CORRESPONDENCE. MOUTOA DRAINAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 485, 25 September 1909, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

MOUTOA DRAINAGE.

REPI/V TO MR CARTER.

[To the Editor.]

Sir,—*ln reply to Mr Carter’s letter in your issue of the aist, kindly allow me space in your columns to point out: that he cannot yet “see a hole through a ladder.” Every ratepayer in the Moutoa drainage district knows how Mr Carter fought against the formation of the Board though admitting the drainage scheme would be a great benefit to everyone concerned, himself included, and a man who will stand in his own light, well —miff sed ! As to the statement Mr Carter credits me with when discussing the diagonal drain in Palmerston N., he entirely misquotes me. Whatil did say after explaining my views to him, which he did not approve of, was this : “ I consider in the interests of every ratepayer the work should be done, and as a representative I will do my best to get: it done, and if after hearing my reasons, they are not satisfied, they can bump me out next election.” I think every unbiased ratepa.i er will agree with me that the diagonal drain should be taken over by the Board for these reasons; (1) The Board has practically completed ninty - two chains of the new drain between Mr Easton’s mill and the Kari Kari drain and all the water on the Shannon side of my place is going out through the diagonal drain at the present time, (2). The Board is making public use of this drain to relieve the ratepayers and I think it only just the ratepayers should contribute to the cost of clearing the willows, (3). By clearing these willows and letting the water away we are facilitating the work which we now have in hand. (4). The ratepayers at the Foxton end of the district- must get a benefit by onethird of the water going out the diagonal instead of flowing down on tothem. (5) The Board has now spent . nearly hundred pounds in erecting floodgates on this drain and to abandon it for the sake of spending a few pounds in clearing the willows seems to me ridiculous. (6). Is it just to expect a private individual to remove obstructions from a drain that is used by the Board to relieve quite half the ratepayers of the flood and surplus water. The above I contend is quite sufficient to warrant me taking the stand I have in the matter and if the Board were to call the ratepayers together every time there was an expenditure of a few pounds there would never be anything done. Re the little shafts of light Mr Carter sees filtering through the ladder ; is it really light or that airship again. In conclusion, Mr Editor, in fairness to the other members of the Board, your reporter should, I think, have given a full report of the discussion anent the Chairman’s remark to Trustee Symons for seconding my motion. lam etc. H. G. Hammond. [Our reporter states that Mr , Symons gave as his reason for seconding the motion, that after seeing the drain he was quite satisfied that in the interests of the ratepayers the work should be done. Mr Easton also said that Mr Symons still had an interest in the matter, as, although he had disposed of his property, he did not hand it over until the first of October.— Ed.H.]