PETITION BY SETTLERS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 161, 7 June 1940, Page 5

PETITION BY SETTLERS

OROUA RIVER BANKING. IMPROVEMENT SOUGHT. Ae it was realised that, in view of the present circumstances, the possibility of carrying out a largo deviation of the Oroua River just below the Itangiotu bridge was verv remote for some years to come, a deputation or nine settlers in the lower basin of Rangiotu waited on the ManavvatuOroua River Board at its meeting, yesterday, asking it to carry out the completion of 37ft banking from the mouth of the Oroua to the south boundary of the Hunt Estate, and the banking to the 37ft level of the Manawatu River from Mr Russell’s boundary to the bank already erected on Mr C. Kelly’s property. This request was presented in a petition, the settlers signing it stating that they were prepared to contribute 12£- per cent, of the total cost, worked out on a peracre basis. The spokesman for the deputation was Mr Gifford Moore. “As we are anxious to help the Empire’s and the country’s appeal for greater production, and as we realise that certain banking carried out and to be carried out by the board is likely to have the opposite effect on our production efforts, we beg to ask for this assistance,” stated the petition. “We also feel that, apart from our desire to increase our production as part of our national effort, we are justified in asking' for this assistance j on account of the following facts: Previous to the erection of Duncan’s bank on the Manawatu River, we' signed the petition for the levying of j the special rate to erect this bank on j the definite promise of the board j chairman to the effect that on its completion the next major work would be the completion of this bank in conformity down to the mouth of the Oroua River. As we have contributed largely by way of rates to the above work, we feel that it is incumbent on the board to honour its pledges and assist us to erect a bank to the 37ft level to protect the land from flood waters which have increased largely as a result of these protecting works above us.”

After the deputation had explained its case and withdrawn, the engineer was instructed to take the necessary levels from the Rangiotu bridge to the junction of the Manawatu River, and report later.