MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1025, 30 March 1912, Page 2

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

MOM THEY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board was held last night. Present; —■ Messrs B. G. Gower (chairman), H. G. Hammond, F. S. Easton, O. R. Robinson and W. S. Carter. The Clerk reported the amount to credit of loan account at ,£261 16s 1 id, and to general account at £6 os 4d. Wages amounting to £27 19s were paid on the 16th instant. No tenders were received for the drain cleaning contract, and it was resolved to extend the time receiving same for a further fortnight. Accounts amounting to 6s 8d against loan account and £6 5s against general account were passed for payment. The overseer reported under date March 20th: “I inspected Gaiter’s outlet as instructed and find that the drain is in a bad way, caused by the cattle in the paddock on the south side trampling the sides in. It would be advisable to get it fenced off to get over the preseat trouble. However, it the the new drain aud the Kari Kari are cleaned it will relieve the top end of any water, which at present cannot get away. Under favourable circumstances it will take fully six months to complete the main drain. The dredging is not so good as previously, as we are hampered a good deal with timber, etc., aud if the material is no better for shifting for the next 80 chains or so, it will be quite six months before we can deepen with the crane.” The engineer further reported under date March 28th as follows: —“ I beg to report since last meeting having completed n l /i chains of new drain, in 24 days work. The material shifted was about 2,689 yards, giving an average of Ix2 yards per day. The dredging for the past two weeks has been hindered a good deal through the solid nature of the limner encountered. There is stili about 79 chains to ba completed.” SPECIAL MEETING. At the conclusion of the ordinary business a special meeting was held to pass a special order in connection with the additional ten per cent on the original loan of ,£6OOO required to complete the drain. When the Board previously made application for this additional ,£6OO, the Superintendent of the State Guaranteed Advances office pointed out that the.original rate ot 7-ioth of a penny in the £ yielded just sufficient to cover the amount required for the original loan. With regard to the security lor the further loan of ,£6OO it would be absolutely essential that a fresh special rate should be struck by the resolution gazetted, which need not be confirmed or advertised in the usual way, but simply passed by the Board. Unless the Board struck a fresh rate, there is at present no security for a further loan, and under the circumstances it could not be granted. The Clerk reported that the additional loan had been provisionally approved, aud would be available as soon as the special order striking the additional rate was gazetted. He also submitted a statement in connection with the valuations, showing that a further special rate ot x-isth of a penny in the £ would require to be struck to provide security tor the additional £6OO. The original special rat: of 7-i6th ol a penny in the £ would have been sufficient to cover the whole amount, but since that was struck a new valuation had been made, which resulted in the total valuation being reduced by ,£8,611, thus necessitating a further rate of x-isth of a penny in the £ to cover the whole loan.

A motion iu the usual form, striking the additional special rate, was passed ou the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Hammond, aud the Board then adjourned.