SHORT OF FUNDS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32424, 28 April 1944, Page 6

SHORT OF FUNDS

DRAIN CLEANING PROBLEM

ROTOKOHU-TIROHIA BOARD REQUEST TO COUNTY COUNCIL In support of a letter already written to the Ohinemuri County Council regarding drainage in the area worked by the Tirohia-Rotokohu Drainage Board, a deputation consisting of two members of the board, Messrs* H. R. Thorp and V. Young, waited upon the council, at its April meeting, to request financial assistance of the board’s work. The amount asked for was £lOO.

As principal spokesman of the deputation, Mr Thorp said the board had been in existence for about 15 years, and it maintained all the drains in its area, extending between 14 and 15 miles, of which about seven were canal drains. What the board, petitioned the council for was financial assistance towards cleaning the outfall drains affecting settlers’ sections in the area. Up to the present the board had been able to carry on its work quite well .with the labour they had had, but now that labour was scarce and costs so high they found themselves unable to finance their operations. He pointed out that until the drainage board took over the work the maintenance of the road outfall drains had been a council responsibility and the board therefore felt they could with reason approach the council for help in shouldering some of the council’s responsibility. They asked for a subsidy of £lOO. Benefit To Roads Answering questions by the chairman, Mr W. Marshall, and other councillors, Mr Thorp said many of the drains and canals maintained by the board were vitally, necessary to the upkeep of roads and highways passing through the board’s area and it was necessary to put these in order before winter. The Public Works Department was willing to help in putting the drains in order if the board could maintain them, but with the present shortage of labour, its sometimes unsatisfactory quality, and its high cost, this was just the difficulty the board was up against, though they had struck a rate to statutory limit.

Mr Young 1 said the board had refrained hitherto from asking any assistance from the county council, but now felt this to ibe absolutely necessary, as they had this year only £BO which they could spend, for work which would cost about £2BO.

In reply to further questions by the chairman the deputation indicated that the board’s present loan of £BOO had about five years to run, after which. they would get som'e measure of relief, but the present position required council assistance. The board spent £4OO last year; this year at least £3>oo would be necessary. The ratepayers in the area had promised assistance in cleaning out the drains. Assistance of Council

It was eventually agreed on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Councillor J. J. Shallue that, provided the drainage board approach the Public Works Department for a contribution towards the cost of maintaining those drains in the area which were to the benefit of State highways, the Ohinemuri County Council make a contribution of 25 per cent, on the net expenditure on drainage in the area, the work to be approved by the county engineer. Before withdrawing, the deputation thanked the council for its courtesy and assistance in the matter.