HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5195, 26 October 1927, Page 4

HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

UNITED BOARD’S MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Hauraki United Drainage Board was held at Turua on Friday last, Mr S. SMurray presiding over Messrs F. A. Knqebone, F. L. Hamilton, H. H. Hicks, J. c. Miller, J. M. Thompson, W. McDuff, and the clerk (Mi - T. D. Wallace). OUTLETS TO WAIHOU. The chairman reported that with Messrs Kneebone, Thompson, and the clerk he had interviewed thq resident engineer of tilie Public Works'Department, Paeroa, with reference to the department’s proposed work along the Waihou frontage in connection with the Rivera Improvement, Scheme. The engineer had pointed out that the plan previously submitted was merely ,a rough outline cf the scheme, and was not yet finalised. Mr Murray said he had pointed out that Iffiere would be insufficient outlets under the draft scheme, and the engineer had agreed to recommend a 4ft outlet for the Monganui drain and to increase the size of the proposed Wharepoa Road flood-gate to 4ft. With reference to the, shape of the proposed drains, he had pointed out that small battered and wide-bottom-ed drains had proved inefficient in the area, and the departmental officers had agreed to recommend the adoption of one to one batt ( ers and 2ft bottoms. The change in shape would not alter the capacity, but would very considerably reduce the annual maintenance, which was the factor that, concerned the board.

Mr Kneebone sgid it was apparent that the board would bet well advised to keep in constant touch with th® department. This view was shared by members, who pointed out that the board’s policy was many short, straight outlets, whereas the department desired as few putlets as possible, and this caused long, crooked drains.

The board decided to formulate a drainage scheme for the. area for submission to the department for its consideration. A committee comprising Messrs Murray, Hamilton, Thompson, and McDuff was set up to (handle the matter. THE LOANS. About sixty letters were* read- > n connection with the late Horahia itnd Hauraki, Boards’ loans. Mr E..L. Walton, the board’s solicitor, forwarded a copy of the Supremo Court decision on the declaratory judgment, which was (against the board. He pointed out that it wail only by reason of this decision that legislation was promised. Representations had been made to expedite this validating and empowering legislation, as- tihe bank would moot advance the loan money until the clauses in the Local Legislation Bill were approved by Parliament. The correspondence was approved, and it vyas decided to. write to Mr E. L. Walton and thank him for the great amount of weirk he had done on the matter. ' 1 Authority was, given thei bank to sell the board’s loan debentures as soon as it ,was legal to do so. i TE KAURI DRAIN. I It was decided: to call tenders for I the new Te Kauri drain. The work would be in three sectons —from the river to Huirau Road, from. Huirau Road to Hauraki Roads, and from Hauraki, Road to the end. AN OBOU DEPRESSION. W. M. Greenway, E. C. Barriball, and A. A. Fisher wrpite drawing attention to the inefficient drainage along the Kerepeehi-Kopuarahi road, frontage of their properties. It was> recognised that the board had endeavoured to (improve matters by cons! tructing thd Louch-McDuff drain anri by enlarging Price’s outlet, but the ;se works were not efficient enough : to empty the roadside drain. The j vater lay within two feet of the sur: face even in midsummer, and the fai -ms co.uld only be dried by evaporate m. TluV pointed out that efficient and I economi - cal drainage could be obtaii ied by improving the private drain between Barriball’s and Greenway’s ’ which connected with the Loader --Greenway drain. Thirty chains of widening and 30 chains rof widening am' 1 deepening was necessary. The drai n would be fenced by the adjoining lamdowners, and the three writers would contribute £2O towards, the cost of the work.

Mr McDuff said that tLer<& undoubtedly was a problem, whiich the board should solve.

Mr Murray said the diid neot like, the idea of the board constructing' boundary drain'/ it was opening up a dangerous precedent.

Mr Ffamilton expressed, the. opinion that more fall could be obtained to P J ice’s; outlet. More fall, could also* \ie obtained in the Greenway-Doader. di’ain.

Mr Murray pointed out that price’s I outlet was in good, order, a'nd. was ! likely to remain efficient now that the ( banks wqre becoming grafted.

It was decided that the bottom of the roadside drain be tat ,en up. NG AT IDA BRIDGE PUMP.

An account for £27-(W j w as received from the T.ihames Vallie; y Power Board for electricity used. b' y the settlers drain-water pump 8„t .the Ngatea bridge.

At the request of the chaira nan the | old Horahia Board’s minute hot was’ turned up, and a ref solution wa. S read recomjmending the r iew board to 'b ear ' the cost of runnin g the pump u3atil the p umping loan v /as decided on sedition. that t,he necessity for runn '*- ng the pump be decided by Mr McD and the owners.

Mfr McDuff said he had neve.r bee ® consulted hy the owners as to the run " niifig of the pump. The United Board had never been approached by the sfjttlers on the matter. The board decided to decline all i.-esponsjbility. FOREMAN’S REPORT

The. foreman, Mr E. Flavel‘l, reported that slips and weeds had' bee# removed from the following drains: Monganui, Henry-Troughton, Wharepoa Road northside, Factory, T e Kauri No. 1, Hauraki roadside from 1 iVilloow to No. 2 Te Kauri, Zig-zag, Shelly Beach factory outlet. Slips ha d been

removed from the Racecourse, Price s, Willow, Te Kauri No. 2, and LoaderGreenway. The Orongo roadside, had been improved, and repairs had bee,n effected to the No. 1 and Willow floodgates. RATES. After the matter lhad been discussed in committee the chairman gave notice of intention to move that the general rate over the whole ar&a be l%d for ‘A’ land and l%d for *B’ land. Special rates for loans would be. Knrahia loan. 6-8 d and 5/3d; Hauraki loan area, 7-8 d and C-8d for A and B classes. RATE OF INTEREST. The Department of Internal Affairs wrote advising that it was permissible for the booard to pay 7 per cent, interest on bank overdraft. SUBDIVISION. The Department of Internal Affairs fcrwarde.d a copy of the N.Z. Gazette containing the description of the new subdivisions. ACCOUNTS. Accounts totalling £207 were passed for payment.