HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5315, 20 August 1928, Page 3

HAURAKI DRAINAGE.

MEETING OF UNITED BOARD. The Hauraki United Drainage Board met. at Turua on Friday morning, Mr S.S. Murray presiding oven Messrs W. McDuff, J. M. Thompson, F. L. Hamilton, F. A. Kneebone, J. C. Miller, H. H. Hicks, and the clerk (Mr T. D. Wallace). RATES STRUCK. In reply to Mr fiuuiilton the clerk reported that no to the valuation roll had been received. The formal resolution levying the general and special rates, as advertised, was carried. ARRANGEMENT WITH ELSTOW. A eontribut’on of £25 to tlie Elstow Drainage Board for a, flood-gate a,t the outlet o,f the racecourse drain was authorised. In reply to the boaty! the lands drainage engineer advised that the racecourse drain and .flood-gate were constructed l entirely at the expense of the Ci’iOwn, ajid were not part of the Elsitow-Awaiti scheme to which the Elstow Board was contributing. The cost of maintenance was shared ©’dually' by tlie Lands Department and the Hauraki Board, but when the department handed over control ito thd Elstow Board the majintenance would Jre the joint responsibility of the. two board®. OPOU OUTLETS. In accordance with notice given, Mr McDuff moved that resolution 441 be rescinded. This resolution was as follows: “That Mr R. Hutchinson’s drain gunning from the north-east corner of section .16 to Orchard East Road be taken aver and be improved by enlarging it to 9ft by 4ft by, Ift, and that tilje Road drain, south side, be improved.-by taking up all depth from the Willow Extension drain.”

Explaining Ids reasons, Mr McDuff said .that' he, bad inspected the area during the recent, wet weather, and had found . that the Orchard East Road drain was so overloaded that the water was flowing on to farm lands. A better outlet for the area Would be between Hamilton’s and Miller’s.

Mr Kneebone seconded.' the resolution and Mr. Murray supported Mr McDuff’s contentions. The resolution was revoked, and Mr McDuff moved that the Miller-Hamilton drain b® taken over and improved by laying back to a on;e-to-one batten with a 12in bottom, and that a,ll available "fall be taken up from the Willow Extension drain to the Miller-Alach boundary. . Seconded by Mr Kneebone and carried. . BAKER-MADGWICK DRAIN, The chairman reported raving let a. contract for improving 16 < hams of the Baker-Ma.dgwick drain, and alSo.a contract for improving the Jubilee drain. WILLOW DRAIN EROSION. The chairman reported having, interviewed Mr Scott with reference, to the elrosion of the WillQjw Drain outlet. An agreement had been, arrived at tvliereby the board would plant willow trees to hold up the banks on Mr Scott erecting a fence'. UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE. In reply to a query the Audit Department advised that a drainage brand’s uiiauthorjgfed expenditure was one per cent, of the anfeunt of the gen;era.l a limit of £5O in any one year. FLOODING AT CARTER’S. In reply to telegr.a.ms concerning the flooding of the land near Carter’s corner in July, when, the Wai'ho.u River overflowed' its banks, telegrams were received from Mi’ A. M. Samuel promising representations tot the Minister, from the resident engineer of the Public Works Department at Paeroa pointing out- that the flood had occurred before the stop-bank had been completed, and from the, Minister of Public Works .advising 'that the matter, was being investigated. ■ In a subsequent letter the Minister stated that the flood had been caused by the gap in the stop.-bank. "it would be realised that it wa.s not possible to complete the stop-bank during, the winter, but it would be put in haiyl with the advent of spring and completed by the end of the year. ADDITIONAL DRAINS. In regard to the additional drainage works in the vicinity of Carter’s corner rendered necessary by the Waihou Riven stop-banking, the Minister of Public Works wrote submitting that his previous offer to do the wo t rk desired op the board finding £l5O was a, reasonable one, and. under the! circumstances . the. board’s, offer of ten annual instalments of £lO could not be accepted. JUBILEE DRAIN. ■Mr J. Keijnick, Thames, gave notice of intention to claim compensation in regard to ,the extension, of the Jubilee drain. Hfe would be pleased to confer with the board to discuss any reasonable offer. The chairman and Messrs. Kneebone and Miller were deputled to confer with M-> Ker nick.

BAGNALL’S DRAIN

The Lands Drainage Department,. Kerepeehi, forwarded thfe. plans and specifications ordered for the enlargement of Ansford’s Extension, drain — generally knqwn as Bagnall's. The specifications dealt only with ’the excavation. but there were; other matters. such as tiepain of the flood-gate, which had a corner broken off; removal of willow .trees near .thle floodgate, and the arrangement foq access to bridges, which had been, left to the board toj decide. The total quantity was 15,936 cubic yards. Water-troughs and a tank would require. removing.

Tlie chairman said that the work would' cost nearly £lOOO and only £5OO had been thought necessary. He wa s very much against the outlet as the rccen,t flood had shown that the area it would serve was not so badly off. Mr Hicks moved, and Mr Hamilton seconded, that tenders be called fo,r the work.

As an amendment Mr Murray moved that the cost be ascertained bef A r« tenders were called. He thought that there were more urgent works in the district. Tho recent

flood- had 1 proved that the area was

well off.

Mr, Thompson said that the work was necessary, as was shown by thenumber ,of petitions received by the board. •

The'chairman replied that petitions were no indication. Anyone could, be got to sign a petition. Mr J. C. Millen said he was in, favour. of the work, but was reluctant to support its authorisation until he knew the financial position of the board. He seconded the amendment. Mr Hamilton produced his notebook and quoted figures at length to show that there was ample mo|uey available 1 .

Mr Miller advocated 'holding a special meeting into the. financial position of the board. He pointed but that the drain could not be made in time for use this winter, and a few weeks’ delay would no ( t matter. The amendment deferring the calling off tenders was carried, an|d it was agreed to hold a special mbe-thig during tiro present mO|iith to go into the financial position.

FINANCE.

Tlie clerk reported’ that the position at the bank was: General account, £1133 17s Bd, debit; Horahia loan, £lOl7 18s sd, and Na. 2 loan £72 10s. t ■ The rates* collected during tlie month totalled £26 10s 2d.