COMBINED TRENCH DIGGING AND TILE LAYING MACHINE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 7, 16 December 1947, Page 5

COMBINED TRENCH DIGGING AND TILE LAYING MACHINE

A city park of 20 acres is to benefit through use of the Roteho, the combined trench digging and tile laying machine imported from England last year by, Massey Agricultural College. After the draining of several farms in the Sanson district, the machine, the only one of its kind in the North Island, will transfer about the end of this week to Ongley Park, Palmerston North, where it will be in action 1 until Christmas. Carrying out of this work at Ongley Park was promised by the College authorities many months before it was decided that the machine which was imported primarily for demonstration -purposes, would be made available to farmers.

The Roteho, which has been in heavy demand by farmers in the southern portion of the North Island, has now laid about 200,000 tiles, the standard length of each being one foot. It has revolutionised ordinary land drainage operations, insofar as it can work through dry summer weathers. Its largest undertaking to date- has been the drainage of the Milson Settlement block for ex-servicemen. A ' second machine of this type is now in New Zealand, having been imported by a Kelso (South Otago) farmer about a month ago.

Ongley Park, on Park Road, is a recreation area of about 20 acres, on which Rugby fotball has been played for many years. Its surface and sward have been considered too rough for such summer sports as cricket, but the tile drainage work will serve as a necessary prelude to improvement in these respects. Until recently the area was known as Rugby Park. Its name has been changed at the request of sports clubs, as a compliment to Mr A. M. Ongley on his recent retirement from the. presidency of the Manawatu Rugby Union after occupying that office for many years.