MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 965, 11 March 1911, Page 3

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board was held in the Board’s office last night. Present —Messrs B. G. Gower (chairman), W. S. Carter, O. R. Robinson and F. S. Easton. The clerk reported the amount to credit of loan account on account current at ,£298 19s 6d, on fixed depositor 000, and to general account £2O 5s 9d. An amount of £5 2s has been received for sale of wheelbarrows and stove and placed to credit of loan account. Wages amounting to ,£27 7s 2d were paid on February i6lh.

1 Accounts amounting to £jo I 16s 1 id against loan account, £,15 ! 12s 6d against general account and ,£2O against No. 3 account were passed for payment. The Clerk reported the contract for Moutoa slop bank had been signed and the work at Duck Creek had been let to W. J. Fullam, and both works were proceeding. The Superintendent of the State Advances Department wrote advising that the further rate of i-aqth of a penny in the £ tor the additional ten per cent of loan must be struck in addition to the 7-i6th of a penny already struck. —lt was decided to let the matter stand over for the present. A letter was received from Messrs Stafford and Treadwell re stop bank through section 57, Moutoa, and the clerk reported this matter had been settled with the owner and the work was proceeding. The question ot a stop bank through laud recently purchased by Mr George Coley was discussed and left over until next meeting. It was decided on the motion of the Chairman seconded by Mr Robinson, that the members of the Board, Messrs Gower, Easton, Robinson, Carter and Hammond sign guarantee bond to Bank of New Zealand lor overdraft up to ,£SOO fot protection bank construction at Moutoa and Duck Creek, to operate as No. 3 account.

Mr Hickford, the Mauawatu County Engineer, reported that he had made an inspection of the old stop bank from the end of Cooksley’s present contract, around the back of Mr Burr’s house to Dr. Wall’s bank on the top side of Smith’s property, with a view of the Board strengthening the old bank. He suggested that the bank be made three feet wide on top, including the present width which is about two feet, and be made an extra 4 feet wide on the bottom, which would mean adding approximately 46 cubic yards to each chain of the old bank. There is about So chains of old bank between Cooksley’s contract and Dr Wall’s bank. The drain at the bottom of the present bank would have to be filled in. It was resolved that the County Engineer be asked to meet Mr Gower to discuss the matter. The Engineer reported as follows : “Since my last report excellent progress has been made with the dredge which has completed a length of nearly 14 chains of the main drain, The only time lost was on Saturday the 25th of last month, when the weather was wet. The total number of hours worked up to last night amounted to 172, and the number of lineal yards dredged 305, which works out an average ot 1.76 yards per hour; the average last month was 1.54 yards per hour. The Railway Department are willing to sell to your Board, lor the sum of ,£1 per cwt, a main chain. I will inspect this in Wellington and if it is in good order will have it sent up as the one now in use will not last much longer. Belore your next meeting I will peg out the diversion off the sand hills as in about two months time the dredge should about be there. The contractor for the Duck Creek embankment is making fair progress with his contract and he can be paid the sum ot £23 as a progress payment. I understand that lately owners ol the land adjoining the Main Drain between the road and the river have sold the laud. This opens the question of your Board acquiring a title to the laud through which the Main Drain runs for its entire length so that no trouble can arise in the luture. I think this is very necessary to be done to protect your Board’s interest.” Dealing with the report it was decided that in connection with the matter of transfers of land taken for drain, that Mr Moore be asked to prepare the necessary transfers and that it be ascertained from Mr Ward if the original drain was taken off the road. The Board rose at 10 p.m.