Kapua Settlement.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 277, 1 November 1902, Page 3

Kapua Settlement.

At a mesting held on Wednesday last at the settlement it was resolved that a deputation should wait on the Crown Land Commissioners at Waimate and lay before them the settler*' grievance. Maidames Beard and Fotheringham, Crown tenants, were appointed the deputation. The deputation was introduced to the Land Commissioners by His Worship the Mayor on Thursday last. Mra Beard, addressing the Commissioners, said that owing to the recent heavy flood* at least five of the settlers on Kapua had lo3t the whole or th* largest part of their crops. This left them in difficulties, and it was a struggle for some of them to get sufficient money to pay their rent. In the face of the losses caused through tha floods the deputation asked the Commissioners to grant a rebate of rent. Mr 3 Beard went on to say that the settlers had tried to convert I heir holdingß into dairy farms, but owing to the swampy nature of the ground the seed rotted before it germinated. The settlers were prepared to convert their holdings into graz'ng lands if the Commissioners would reduce the rent in accordance therewith and «ee that an efficient system of drainage of the settlement was undertaken. Mrs Beard suggested that the drain should be deepened and made wider, especially through section 11 and down the Gorge to the railway bridge, just below Mr Martin's section. Mrs Fotheringhara said a report »hould be made as to the construction of the drain as at present. She would like to *point out that the drain was of a bottlenecked shape, the evils of which would be plain to the Commissioners. Mrs Beard went on to say that in the opinion of the settlers the railway people should clean out the drain alongside the railway, e«pecially in their own sections, and drew the Commissioners' attention to the f»ct that the freeholders' land adjacent to the settleraant should not be drained through the • settlement. She suggested that the water ftom Mr Manchester's land and others should be drained into the Waihao river. Mr Williams, Crown Lands Hanger, said that before water could be dwned out of the natural channel the convene of those affected would have to be got. This was the law in regard to the question. Mrs Beard said that the County Council's water might be conveyed to the river through properly constructed channels, and not be allowed to flow over the settlers' land as at present, and that should any money be spent in drainage works tho settlers be given preference of employment on such works. The Chief Commissioner said that their sympathy was witk the settlers, notwithstanding the remarks attributed to one of the Commissioners, " that the settlers should make a duck-pond of their holdings." This had appeared in one of the local papers over the signature " Justice." It was not justice to attribute such a remark to any on? of the C sioned when, as a matter of fact, the remark was made by one of the bystanders. The Commissianer went on to say that it was not within their power to interfere with the drainage of the settlement ; that business now tested Roads and Bridges Department. _ The Land Board postponed consideration of the question of damage by flood until the report had beon made by the person appointed by the authorities in Wellington to enquire into flood damages generally throughout the district, Mrs Beard said an engineer should be sent down to make a report, with a view to a proper drainage scheme for the settlement. With this the deputation thanked the Commissioners and withdrew.