MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 845, 28 May 1910, Page 3

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board was held in the Beard’s office last night. Present: —Messrs Gower (chairman), Robinson, Carter, Easton, and Hammond. The clerk reported the amount to credit of loan account at 5s qd, and general account Zd> 2 4 s 3d. Since last meeting wages amounting to ,£26 9s 6d, and payments of ,£69 15s on account of drain contracts had been paid. The total amount of public debt for which interest amounting to ,£ioq is 8d has to be provided is The engineer reported as follows on the progress of the work : ‘‘The whole of the Kari Kari drain is now satisfactorily completed. I again levelled the bottom between the bridge and Deen’s, and found it to be well taken out, and recommend that this section be paid, the length being 33 v) chains, at the rate of six shillings per chain. The length from the bridge going north is also completed. I inspected Daugley’s drain towards the river, and find that the contractors have practically finished 70 chains, and the work is being carried out to my approval, and will be finished next week. The dredge is working very satisfactorily. The amount 01 work done all this week averages threequarters of a chain per day. This day the distance travelled was 18 yards. Arrangements are made for logging the boiler, which will shortly be done. The cost of this will be more than repaid in the saving of coal and the maintenance of steam pressure. The diagonal drain for some time to come will be-the only outlet for all the drains. I recommend, as I have already done, that the high place be taken off and the willows near the bank cut down so that the water can freely get away to the river. I suggest that your Board make application to the Government for the ten per cent, which was due on the old loan. I have interviewed Mr Poyuton on this matter, and he advised that advantage should be taken of the cheap rate of money now obtaining.”

A letter was read from Messrs Saunders Bros., pointing out that the drain to be brought up to give them an outlet will not, according to the marked plan, be brought up to the point where it will do the most good, and asking that they be given another outlet, which would be much more beneficial, in lieu of the one marked on the plan.

After some discussion it was decided, ou the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Easton, that Messrs Saunders Bros, be informed that the Board regrets that it cannot see its way to divert from the original plan of connecting drains marked at a meeting of ratepayers. Accounts amounting to ,£24 19s were passed for payment against loan account, and £6 ns 2d against general account. The statutory resolution giving notice of intention to strike rates as follows was passed : —A general rate of 3-i6ths of a penny in the £, capital value ou all the rateable property in the Moutoa Drainage District, and a special rate of 3-32iids of a penny in the £ on all rateable properties in the special rating district. In connection with the engineer's suggestion that application be made to the Government for the ten per cent, which was due on the old loan, it was resolved ou the motion of tliCjSChairman, seconded by Mr Carter, that an application be made to the State Guaranteed Advances Office for the ,£6OO already sanctioned by the ratepayers in connection with the £6OOO loan. The following tenders were accepted for deepening and widening drain connections :—Contract No. 2, L. Neilson; contract No. 8, Newth and Saville. The acceptance of a tender for contract No. 3 was held over pending arrangements being made with owners of property to have fence, which at present overhangs drain, removed. At 11.20 p.m. the Board went into committee to deal with the matter of the engineer’s salary.