MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 881, 20 August 1910, Page 3

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting ot the Moutoa Drainage Board was held in the Board’s office last night. Present; —Messrs Gower (chairman), Robinson, Carter and Easton, An apology was received from Mr Hammond. The Clerk reported the amount to credit of loan account was i2S4d, and to general account £25 10s pd. Since last meeting 18s 2d had been received on account of general rates and £ll 4s pd special rates. Wages amounting to Bs, and Newth and Carter ,£ls on account of contract were paid on the sth instant. Accounts amounting to £sg 14s yd were passed for payment against loan account and £6 5s against general account. The Engineer reported on the progress of the work for the month as follows :—“The total number of hours worked by the dredge was 122, the number of chains dredged 8)4, which is at the rate of 1.54 yards per hour or 12.32 yards for eight hours. The total number of chains finished by the dredge from the commencement is 33, and the total number of working days approximately 60. The increased pressure of steam and the lagging of the boiler has resulted in a saving of two bags of coal per day, equivalent to over per annum, and the coal bill at present is about 8s per day. The floods have naturally much retarded the work as well as the wet condition of the ground when the dredge resumed its work. On August 2nd, 10th, and 12th, x 6 yards were dredged each day, and on the 1,3, 4, xi, 15 and 17, 14 yards were done. I am ordering a new main chain for dredge. The stringers have arrived for Nye’s bridge. The Government have supplied me with weekly time sheets showing the number of hours worked by the dredge each day and wish these to be regularly forwarded to them. Cook’s drain has been taken out to the full width for about 20 chains, but I have not yet tried the depths. The bottoms of Teen’s and Barber’s side drain are not yet taken out to the correct depths, otherwise the work is completed. I recommend a further progress payment on this contract of ,£25. The banks of Wall’s outlet are sound as far as peg 45, but from that point for 11)4 chains the banks are very unstable owing to a vein of blue sand being met with. The worst part is however between pegs 50 and 56 )4, a distance of 6)4 chains. I recommend that for this length the old bank that has been thrown up when the drain was first cut be removed for a distance of five feet on each side of the drain, which will leave the drain from 3ft 6iu to 4ft in depth. This will necessitate the fence being shifted further back. I have arranged, subject to the Board’s approval, to allow the contractors £5 extra for shifting the bank.” —The report was adopted, and it was decided to ask the owners of the properties to shift fence as suggested by the Engineer. It was decided to purchase a boat for use on the drain and in flood timeThe Board rose at 8.50 p.m.