MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 455, 1 May 1909, Page 3

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board was held in the Board’s office on Thursday evening. Present: Messrs B. G. Gower (Chairman), H. G. Hammond, J. Symons and W. E. Barber. The Board’s engineer (Mr T. Ward) was also present. The minutes of the previous monthly meeting was read and confirmed.

The Clerk reported that the amount to the ’ credit of the Loan Account was xSs 4d, and the general account was 19s 7d in credit. Since last meeting accounts for wages, etc., amounting to os xod had been paid. had been received on account of loan, and as only ,£3OOO of same was available for the first year, only one more advance ot could be obtained, this, together with the amount standing to the credit of the loan account less amounts to be passed for payment at the meeting would leave an amount of about available for expenditure up to December 14 of this year. The expenditure to date including accounts to be passed at the meeting was 2s 4d, made up of: Labour and material, ,£l3ll 9 s *°d >' 5S4d; engineer 10s; printing and advertising, xos gd ; and sundries £g 6s 5d

Accounts amounting to ,£407 os 8d were passed against loan account, and jC4 5s 2d against general account.

It was decided, ou the motion of Mr Gower, seconded by Mr Symons, that notice be given that the Board intends, at a meeting to be held ou May 28th, to make and levy a general rate of one farthing in the £ (capital value) upon all rateable properties appearing in the valuation roll of the Moutoa drainage district, such rate to be for the period commencing April rst, 1909, and ending March 31st, 1910, and to be payable on June 16th, 1909. The Engineer (Mr Ward) reported that he had inspected a crane in the Petone Workshops suitable for the drainage work, which the Government had offered him at a hire of los per day when working. This crane would lift three tons, but only had a radius of 22ft, and the radius required for the drainage work would be 25ft, but he had arranged with the Government that if the Board acthe offer, they would strengthen the crane so as to give the extra radius required. To make this crane suitable for the work, it would be necessary to get a special grab and bucket, which which cost a little over ,£2OO. Mr Ward also submitted quotations he had received for cranes from differ'ent makers, but the Chairman said that they could not consider purchasing a new crane, as they only had ,£9OO available for expenditure up to December 14th, and the crane would cost nearly that amount. The Engineer said that he estimated the cost of working the crane at £3 per day. He estimated that there was 100,000yds of spoil yet to be shifted, and if the work were done by the crane it ’'would only cost sd per yard, making a total cost ot about £2IOO, thus completing the work well under the estimated price. Up to the present 34,000yds had been shifted at a cost of about £9OO, or a little over '6d per yard, but the work could not be completed at that price under the present system, as it was very easy to shift the first part, but it was now costing about is per yard. If the present system were continued, the work could not possibly be completed at anything near the estimated cost. Mr Gower said that it was evident that if they desired to complete the work they must get it done cheaper than they were at present doing. Mr Hammond said that-it was a question whether the work was to cost one shilling or five pence per yard, and if they could save seven pence per yard by spending £2OO odd, it would certainly be money well spent, and the sooner they got the crane the better, Mr Barber questioned whether they could purchase machinery with loan money. The Chairman said that the Board could not expend loan money on machinery.

Considerable discussion took place on this supject, and it was eventually decided to endeavour to hire the appliances, and the following resolution was carried. It was proposed by Mr Gower and seconded by Mr Hammond, that Mr Ward be authorised to arrange for the use of crane offered by the Government, as explained by him, and also to arrange for the necessary bucket and grip for working with same. The Board rose at 10.35 P- m -