HAURAKI DRAINAGE AREA

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4394, 24 March 1922, Page 2

HAURAKI DRAINAGE AREA

MEBTINO OF THE BOARD. The Hauraki Drainage Board met in Turua yesterday, the following attending : Messrs G. Gray (chairman), R. Heappy, D. G. McMillan, R. Baker, J. Mules, and J. E. Green (secretary)! A DEPUTATION. - A' deputation consisting of Messrs A. J. Heasmani, G* Courtney, J. A'. Robertson, A. P. Ingley, and J. Hamilton waited on the Board.. Mr Heaseman complained about the way those in the central area were being treated. They were not getting a fair run for their rates. The drain known locally as the Thames Valley Outlet was in a shocking condition. Weeds were blocking it, and they would all be soaked before the winter set in. He had previously approached the Board before Mr Gray had been chairman and had been promised that this outlet would be deepened. -He had been told that; there was no money ftr the work, and he wished to know where the money had gone to. The Board should have spent some of the loan money on that piece. The Board hal put in the flood-gate, and that had been all. The drain itself, had not cost the Board anything. ; Mr Gray said the Board had spent a considerable amount ofl money to clean out the Thames Valley outlet. He thought Mr Heaseman was not giving the. Boar ; d a ffair hearing. The flood-gate had been put in and the” mouth of the drain opened up. That drain had cost the Board as much money as any drain in that area, excepting Daily’s drain. The Board this year had been endeavouring to defer the clearing. As there had been i wet summer there might be a dry autumn, and perhaps the Board had held up the cleaning a little longer than they should have. The Board had let the lowest tender in the ratepayers’ interests. Mr Heaseman said he was paying double rates. He differed from Mr Gray’s remarks that they had had a fair deal, and he asked for, figures. Mr Baker said the Board had been about! a month behind in cleaning, the drains, as they could not foresea that the recent wet weather would be upon them. - ; Mr Gray said that every year theip had been an argument over the price for cleaning. , / Mr J. E. Green, Board secretaryi said the tender for the cleaning oui: of the drain in question had been for 7s, which was the highest price paid throughout the wjiole district. . Mr Gray said the big willow drain was being cleaned out cheaper than the Thames Valley drain. '■ Mr Heappy said that one member of the deputation had refused to let the spoil be put on his property. / That member declared the contractors would not put the fences back properly. Mr Green said the contractors must remove and afterwards put up the fences after the spoil had been put on a man’s property. Those who composed the deputation agreed that if* the fences wer3 put back properly they would allow the spoil to be PU'i on their properties. Mr Emerson Dally requested per letter the improvement of a drain, he and Mr Tasker undertaking to maintain it in future. The members made an inspection of A he drains in the central area, and lated decided to have the drains, cleared out). OVERDUE RATES. A letter from Messrs Miller and Son explained that under the Land and Drainage Act, 1908), the Board had. power to ’levy rates and to appoint a time and place for payment. If rates were unpaid within 14 days after the due date they must be sued for. Mr Green stated that from sbine areas the rates had coxae in well, but from others only about a quarter of the rates had been paid. .