NEW DRAINAGE BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4692, 30 April 1924, Page 3

NEW DRAINAGE BOARD.

-■ NEGOTIATIONS TO DATE. WORKS AND FINANCE. Though little has been heard recently in reference to the proposal to form a drainage board to operate between the two rivers on the Hauraki Plains, much has been done, thougn progress has been slow, . Since last winter, when Messrs A. H. Rogers, W. E. G. Willy, W. E. Hale, R. Shilton, J. Taylor, J. C. Miller, J. . McKerchar, W. McDuff were appointed to go into the matter, a great deal of correspondence has taken place and many interviews have been arranged. In December last they waited upon the Hons. Nosworthy and Bollard on their visit to the ’Plains and set forth a schedule o£ .works to be done by the Lands Department before the proposed drainage board would take over the area. The Minister of Lands had promised to look into the matter, and the Under Secretary had promised to visit the Plain.-j shortly after Christmas and go into the matter thoroughly. The Minister had suggested that a grant of £2OOO be made instead of having the work done. The Under-Secretary had visited the Plains in February and had gone thoroughly into the matter and pro- / miscd to give a written reply in throe weeks’ time, but this was not done, despite numerous letters and telegrams. In reply to the last telegram M’- J. B. Thompson wrote as follows : “In reply to your telegram of the 14th April I have to inform you that Mr T. W. Rhodes, M.P., was advised on the sth ultimo that a grant of £1250 will be provided, and this, witfc an amount of £750 now available, will make a sum of £2OOO, which can be expended on improvement works whe:« ' the board takes over the control.’’ The secreary, Mr Willy, then wrote to Mr Rhodes, but received no reply. He also wrote to thChief Drainage Engineer asking for an explanation of the £750 mentioned, and on the 26th April received the following reply: “In reply to you. r memo, of 21st inst. I have to advise you that at the present time we have "i a sum of £750 available for expenditure on the area which it is proposed the new board should take over. This is quite apart from the works which we have in hand. It is proposed to find ar additional £1250 during next session of Parliament, making a tool of £2OOO. This £2OOO will oe available to the new board when it takes over control. The money .will, like all Government grants, be paid over when new works to the value are completed or, if the board desires, as progress payments on same.” The delegates thus had an assur- : nce in writing that £2OOO was available. . The rating aspect had been gone in'.o, and the following Mter had i neii received from the Chief Drainage Engineer, Mr O. N. Campbell:— "As promised, I have gone into the drainage rate question and have to confirm my statement that rates are : pent in anticipation of revenue. Thus Hie 1923-24 rates, which are now beJ ig collected, are needed to cover the * maintenance expenditure for that p<;irod. Thus, if the new board came into office on April 1 next it would 1’« necessary for the board to raise sufficient finance to cover expenditure pending the receipt of the 192425 rates. If the board took over control at a date other than the end of a .financial year an adjustment would 1- necessary. It seems preferable Hint the new board should come into office on April 1 next, -or otherwise eu April 1, 1925.” Tlie scretary had ascertained that f’ie Audit Department would insist that the Lands Department pay to the board the whole of the year’s rates collectable from the area co be hand- < d over, less the amount spent during the ciirrent year. For that reason it '■as unlikely that the Department of internal Affairs would permit the •'rainage board to be constituted until Ibe Lands Department.had struck its rates. In order to give the boarl sufficient funds to carry on with until its. own rates became due the delegates have decided to request the Lands Department to strike the same rate as last year. A petition praying that the area bn declared a district under the I-ands RT Drainage Act, 1906, has keen circulated and signed by 89 ratepayers, representing 219 votes, which was a majority from the area. The delerates decided at a meeting on Tues-(i-iv evening to present the petition i" mediately and to ask that the HoraUm. Drainage Area be constituted so ns to be in operation by October 1.