DRAINAGE WORK

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LII, Issue 37, 8 May 1931, Page 7

DRAINAGE WORK

THE ENGINEER'S REPORT.

Mr James Mackenzie, clerk and engineer, reported as follows to the Ellesmere Lands Drainage Board at its meeting this week:— Unemployed Relief Work.—The following are the details of unemployed relief workers engaged for the various weekly periods prior to the suspension of the No. 5 scheme on 11th April: a Week Number Wages ending engaged paid. 14th March 17 £42 18 0 21st March 37 £81 18 0 28th March 38 £83 16 0 4th April 45 £93 15 6 Mth April 43 £90 11 9 £394 19 3 Work under the No. 5 scheme was resumed on the 27th April, and for the week ending 2nd May 16 men were engaged, the wages being £28 13s 6d. For the present week 18 men are employed in and about Halswell, and arrangements have been made to start 15 more on Monday next, at the M^in drain, Tai Tapu. With regard to the proposals for absorbing unemployed labour in the construction of a permanent outlet for Lake Ellesmere, I am informed by the District Engineer, Public Works Department, that a survey party will be sent down shortly for the purpose of collecting data. Officers of the Department made a preliminary inspection of the locality yesterday (Tuesday). Lake.—During the middle of last week a very heavy sea washed over the beach and enlarged the bank considerably, the height being now 10 feet 6 inches and the width about 7 | chains. The water is now standing at 9 inches on the gauge. This is lower than usual for this time of the year, as the following table will indicate: Ist May, 1931 .. Oft. 9ins. Ist May, 1930 .. Ift. 9ins. lst May, 1929 .. 2ft. sins. Ist May, 1928 .. Ift 7ins. Ist May, 1927 .. lft Bins. lst May, 1926 .. lft. 6ins. lst May, 1925 .. 2ft. 4ins. Since the outlet closed on lst February the water has risen only 12 inches, equal to 4 inches per month. Dragline Equipment.—Your committee met on Bth April to consider specification for the supply of dragline equipment for work at Lake Ellesmere, following which tenders were advertised in the Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin daily papers. Several tenders were received and considered at a further meeting on the 29th, and further investigation is being made before coming to a final decision on the matter. In the meantime your committee requests authority to accept tenders for supply of the necessary equipment for a total amount not exceeding £3000. Hart's Creek.—l have discussed with Mr W. McMillan, of Lakeside, the question of cleaning Hart's Creek, and am of the opinion that it would not be advisable to attempt the work with the Board's weedcutter for the following reasons: (1) Risk of taking the machine across the lake; (2) Doubt as to there being sufficient depth and width of water in the creek for the machine to work satisfactorily; (3) Possibility of doing the small amount of work more economically by hand. River and Drains.—The bottom weed has been cut by hand on the upper portion of the Halswell River, ) and the sides have been trimmed. ! Good work has been achieved by the unemployed by removal of willows ! and widening Nottingham's branch of i the river. It was found necessary to engage a traction engine for a few days to haul the worst of the trees. The* sides of the river have been cut from Greenpark down. The short length of drain entering the river at Pope's Bridge, Halswell, affecting the drainage of Mr E. McCarthy's land has t>een thoroughly cleaned out by unemployed labour. The lower end of the Tai Tapu Main Drain has been widened and deepened with unemployed labour, and it is proposed to continue this work next week. Other drains which have received 1 attention are Hunter's, Ellesmere ! Road by Dawson's, Minchen's creek, : Greenpark Flat drain, Morgan's Racecourse Drain and Price's Drain.