WORK IN DRAINS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3267, 24 May 1943, Page 5

WORK IN DRAINS

DAMAGE DONE BY CATTLE PIGS CAUSING TROUBLE ? CLEANING NEARLY FINISHED That pigs were at present troublesome and cattle were still damaging the board’s drains most of which had now been cleaned, was disclosed by the foreman, Mr W. Johnson, to Thursday’s meeting of the Hauraki United Drainage Board in reporting on work done during the month. The report read as under: — “I inspected the Louch-McDuff drain which Mr Tye had asked me to do and found that cattle had damaged a good many chains of the bottom of this drain. The pigs had also done a fair amount of damage at the first bend in the drain down from the road. I inspected this same drain later with Mr Fox and Mr Green. I am leaving this matter with them to explain. ’’The pipes which Mr Dean had asked for permission to put -in as a crossing have been put in to specification to about eigjit inches below the bottom of the drain. While inspecting drains to pass for payment, one of three I would not pass. This drain is known as the Shell Bank drain. I interviewed the contractors and asked, them to go over about 14 chains of the bottom which they refused to do so I hg,d to get one of the area members. Mr Hill and Mr Green the secretary, to go out with me. I am leaving this matter in their hands to explain. Cleared on Wages

“Piako roadside drain south side has been cleaned from Hauraki road to Mr Hicks’ boundary bend in the road. f I would ask the member to inspect this drain along by Mr Scott’s and Mr Schmidt’s. There is also a portion from the bridge at the road down towards the floodgate which should be rebattered.

“Gumtown roadside drain from floodgate to Huirau road has been cleaned on wages.

“Madgwick-Baker’s drain from the floodgate to Gumtown road has been cleaned on wages. There is a portion of this drain where the pine branches will have to be cut as they are nearly down in the bottom of the drain. This is from the road towards the floodgate. There is also a set of pipes which will need timbering to prevent clay from falling in. This same drain will have to have the bottom graded up under the pines for a good many chains. There is ample money over out of the cleaning to complete the job. Cattle Do Damage

“Sutton drain from floodgate to Madgwick-Spencer boundary has been cleaned. This same drain still has the bottom to be taken up from where the batter has been laid back on the south side. “Orongo Ferry roadside drain is now completed, the rest of the weeds have been taken out of the bottom of the drain. “The cattle damage in the AnsfordBagnall drain has now been repaired and a portion of the bottom has been graded up. It will take about another two days to complete this job. This will be from Hamilton road to the Zigzag drain end of pine trees. The slip on Zigzag drain bend near Hamilton’s road has been removed. “Slips just up from Hauraki road have been removed from the Wharepoa roadside drain, southwise. Bottom Graded Up “Piako roadside drain, south side, has had the bottom graded up from ' opposite Mr W. R. F. Elvin’s to Mr Hick’s boundary bend in road. The pipes which Mr McComb asked permission to put in the Soldier’s drain for a crossing have now been put in. Mr McComb rang up and asked me to be there when they were put in. I helped to put these pipes in. They were put in a cradle. “I inspected the Ngatea roadside drain, north side from Mr Schultz’s bridge to Speedy’s boundary. This drain I could not pass. I saw Mr Green and told him to stop payment till the bottom of the drain was cleaned up or if the contractors would not complete the job to stop £2. Fences In Bad Order “While inspecting Spencer’s and Spencer-Madgwick drain I found the cattle were getting in both these drains. In Spencer’s drain the fence needs repairing in a couple of places, also a place where there had been an old cutting put in. This needs to be blocked. These are on the west side. “In the Spencer-Madgwick drain, thefence needs repairing' on the west side while the east side has practically no fence at all. I understand this fence has been down for a good many years. I spoke to Mr Madgwick about his fence and he will explain all about it to the members. These same, two drain outlets hack «f the floodgate will have willows out and channels

opened up so as when floodwater comes it will give them a chance to scour out. “While inspecting drains at Ngatea I saw Mr Cleave’s pigs in the Orchard East roadside drain and Johnston’s internal drain both of which were showing slight damage by pigs. More Damage To Drains “While inspecting A.I. drain to pass for payment I found that cattle were getting in and starting to damage the bottom of the drain. They were going down the farmer’s drain into the board’s. I interviewed the farmer. Derkin, and told him to block his drain to prevent the cattle from doing any more damage which he promised to do. “I also inspected the Orongo boundary drain and found the fence along Mrs White’s boundary on the soutn side needs repairing badly. The cattle had been in the drain but had done no damage to speak of. There are also some pine tree tops which have fallen in from the north side and need to be removed. I saw Mr W. Clark while I was on my journey and he said he would attend t;O the job. Pigs In Drain “I inspected the Tiapari drain from Hill’s boundary to Kopuarahi-Kere-peehi road to pass for payment and found that pigs had damaged a portion of the batter of the drain on the north "side and also another portion of the drain had been damaged by cattle. I saw one of the members, Mr Hill, and got him to inspect this dam-

age with me. The contractors in this drain had burnt several small pine trees. The land owner has put in a claim for 30s for damages. This has been stopped from the contractors. I am leaving this matter to Mr Hill to explain. “Torr floodgate which was in a bad state has been taken off and replaced by a new wooden one. “The clay had. to be dug out from around the wings of the Mangonui floodgate so as to trace the leakage. This has been done and filled in again. This drain has to have the bottom shovelled up from the floodgate to Mr Schultz’s top bridge so as to empty the dead water out of the drain. “The timber which the * members ordered a while ago has now come to hand. It has been stacked in- the depot garage. It had to be filleted so that the air could go through. “I inspected the stopbank at the back of Christie-Hudson’s along with two members, Mr Hill and Mr Roy Green. I am leaving this with them to explain. “I also inspected the Shell Bank drain with Mr Hill. The batters will have to be laid back for about IS. chains. This is just past the lime works. Mi- Hill will explain what caused this trouble.

“Piako roadside drain, south side, in front of Mr Kenrick’s cowshed, is getting in a shocking state through cow manure from the cow yard and

water being used for swirling down the yard. It has got the bottom of the drain in a bad state for about nine chains.

“I reported a while ago about the fence which was removed from the Madgwick-Baker drain by sharemilkers. I think Mr Darrah promised to replace the posts. While I was cleaning the drain a while ago-I discovered he had a couple of loads of posts delivered on his farm. I asked Mr Green to write to Mr Darrah to see if he would let the' board have the posts "which he promised to replace. “ I am now working with the men in Piako roadside drain on the north side from Hill’s boundary and now up to Treadaway’s.” Discussion In reference to the Lough-McDuff drain, the chairman said he had inspected it and found that there was quite a lot to be done to it. He informed the agent for the owner that repairs must be carried out. In reference to the Shellbank drain it was decided to write to the manager of the Lime Works, asking him to have the damage to the drain repaired and the drain restored to its original state. The chairman reported that he had seen Mr Davies about the Zigzag drain and had made .arrangements with him to have the work completed to the satisfaction of the board* On the motion of Mr Schultz, it was decided to notify the contractors of the Ngatea roadside drain that the woi’k must be completed by May 31, otherwise the board- would retain £2. Mr Madgwick reported that six chains of the Madgwick -drain had been fenced and he was waiting for posts. The serious state of the Kopuarahi stopbank wa*s reported upon by the area members, Messrs Hill and Green, and on the motion of Mr Schultz the matter was left in the hands of the chairman and area members, with power to act. On the motion of Messrs Schultz and Green, the arrangements made

with the Hauraki Plains County County Council to erect a temporary crossing of the board’s drain with the council’s water pipes, was confirmed..