CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1096, 6 July 1882, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

L do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions e.'tfpressed bt/ our correspondents.'] WAIMATA survey district. TO TUB EDITOR. Bjn,—Alli IW me to ask what per eentuge on the iitnoui, t realized b.v the sale of Government defe, red payment land is refunded to bo apont on r.j ad making, drainage, etc., on suoh lands, and whotbor County Councils or Road Board. tho spending of it P I would also (with your a srroiesion) enquire through your oolumt’is thectual amount already refunded towards cai-ryi »g the necessary road making and drainage”' l 1110 deferred payment land known as the A 'Almala Sei-voy District (Ormond Valley) ah c ' wll ' o ' l '™ s B0 “ l ov<!r ton years ago", disti-iU. tod amon g ei S !lt or ton aeb ’ tiers) containing h bout. 800 acres, tho average price obtained $ bout £2 10h per aero, some

of it fetching £5 per acre ? Now, Sir, I had occasion to pass through the above valley last week, and I must say whatever Board has the handling of the money accruing from such lands, are guilty of gross injustice to those people who have settled on them. Not one penny (with the exception of a useless bridge costing) about £2O has been spent for any such purpose. Looking over the conditions of sale I find selectors have to improve to a certain amount. But with all due respect for the framers of those conditions, l.ow can they improve if these lands are covered with water from top to bottom. If it was not for the drainage and improvements Mr C. D. Berry has made on his section, and which carries off some of the water, settlers would have to use boats ; as it is they have to wade through two or three feet of water to get to their homes, and until the Muhunga creek is deepened from Mr Berry’s drain down, the land will be practically useless. Self-interest is generally the law of mankind, but I am surprised at the want of it displayed by those deferred payment settlers in allowing the above creek to be cleaned out above them for the convenience of a couple of sheepfarmers (and no doubt with the money that is lawfully theirs, the deferred payment settlers), as it will have the effect in time of freshes of overflowing their land more than at present. Apologising for this long letter, I am, etc., G.B.A,