HOSTILE FACTIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 19, 13 April 1927, Page 4

HOSTILE FACTIONS

HAURAKI PLAINS SETTLERS CROWN AND FREEHOLD TENANTS (From, Our Special Reporter.) NETHERTON, Tuesday. A quaint situation was revealed during the Ministerial inspection of the Hauraki Plains drainage scheme this morning, when the presence of hostile factions of settlers was disclosed. There are differences between the Crown tenants and those on freehold land, each considering that the others get better treatment under the system now in operation. Proposals to construct or open certain drains in the neighbourhood of the Awaiti Basin are meeting with hot opposition from certain settlers. This territory was inspected by the Minister this morning. Among the requests made by the settlers was that the Government should undertake the maintenance of the existing drains near the Waihou River stop-bank. In reply, the Hon. A. D. McLeod stated emphatically that if the land would not carry its own maintenance, it was no good to the State or anyone else. When it came to a question of maintenance, it did not matter if a man’s property was Crown or freehold. Crown tenants had to carry their obligations just as much as settlers on freehold. When asked to fix a dividing line between two sets of drains, Mr. McLeod said, “If you can’t do it yourselves, we will have to get a Mussolini to do it for you.” When a settler stated that no flooding had occurred before 1907, Mr. L. IST. Campbell, drainage engineer, replied that the sludge from the Waihi mines caused a siltation in the Ohinemuri River and this was a factor in the flooding. It was agreed that, without banking of the Waihou and Ohinemuri, occupation of the adjacent land would have been impossible. Referring to the operation of the various drainage boards and the differences between sets of settlers, the Hon. K. S. Williams said the interest of all parties obviously interlocked. The sooner they got a central drainage or maintenance authority to take complete charge, the better it would be. Mr. C. J. McKenzie, assistant chief engineer, Public Works Department, observed that it was better for settlers to be under an independent authority Under the present system they w r ould always want to lean on the Government.