MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1036, 27 April 1912, Page 3

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING

The c ary rr> r "\thh T me'Eng of the . r a dr ard v he in tf . B j.rd’s office last

Gower (chairman], F S. Easton, W. S. Carter, and H. G. Hammond.

The clerk reported the amount to credit of loan account at ,£176 10s gd, and to general account at £4. is 4d. Wages amounting to £2O 19s 6d were paid on the 12th instant.

Accounts amounting to £64 8s 9d were passed for payment against loan account, and £24 19s against general account. A letter was read Irom the Minister of Internal Affairs in connection with the proposed conference of local bodies on the Local Government Bill, introduced by Sir Joseph Ward during the recent session of Parliament, which it is the intention of the Government to endeavour to pass into law. The letter stated that each local authority iu the Palmerston Hospital District was entitled to send one delegate to a meeting convened by the Chairman of the Hospital Board, such meeting to elect two delegates to represent the district at the conference to be held at Wellington on May 21st. —It was decided that the chairman represent the Board at the meeting. At the last meeting of the Board a letter was read from the Railway Department, advising that the time for which the dredge was hired had expired. The secretary replied, stating that it was anticipated that the work would be completed in six months’ time, and last night a letter was read trom the Department agreeing to allow the Board the use of the dredge until September 30th, on the same terms as previously, but if it was required after that date an additional payment of 50 per cent, for hire would have to be paid. The chairman reported that he had let the cleaning of the continuation of Leeu’s drain, and 20 chains of the mile drain to P. Hansen.

Two tenders were received for cleaning Leen’s and the Karikari drains, but as they were considered too high neither was accepted.

It was decided to invite tenders for the cleaning of the balance of the drains—3oo chains. Tenders to close on May 10th.

The clerk estimated that £,'310 would be required for the ensuing year for drain cleaning and general purposes, and a general rate of 9-i6tns. of a penny in the £ to give this amount was struck accordingly. Authority was also given to collect 7-16U1S of a penny in the £ of the special rate. A resolution was passed authorising a temporary overdraft of ,£2OO on the general account. The overseer reported as follows: —“I beg to report since last meeting having completed eight chains 14 yards of new drain for 20 days work. The material met with at the beginning ol the mouth was not very good to dredge, but for the past eight days it has been very good. We had a breakdown on Saturday, April 20th, causing a delay of two days. The shaft ol the grab L. oke and had to be replaced with a new one. While waiting for shaft we took tyues out of grab (some of them being bent out of shape a good deal) and gave them the proper set; the body of crane also had a coat of pain. The contractors for the drain cleaning are making fair progress. Bangley's drain from the bridge south should be completed this week. Purcell’s outlet is finished, but they are not getting on very well with the cleaning of the new drain being hampered for the want of a couple of men.’’

The Clerk presented the balance sheet for the year ended March 31st, 1912, which was adopted, subject to audit. The receipts of the general account totalled £553 15s rod, made up of general rates £SOO 2S 6d, subsidy from Manawatu County Council £45 and rent of office £S 13s 4d. The expenditure totalled £560 19s id, leaving the account at debit to the extent of £7 3s 3d. The chief items of expenditure were: New works £419 18s gd, salaries and office expenses £B2 15s 3d, office rent £26, and interest £ll Bs. The I,ocai Bodies Tuans Construction account opened with a credit of £1202 3s 4d and £3O was received for interest. The expenditure was made up as follows: Main drain construction £770 3s 4d, crane hire £206 9s 4b, engineer £37 xos, accident insurance £l9 12s sd, and bank charges 18s, totalling £1034 133 id, leaving the account in credit on March 31st to the extent of £197 10s 3d. The public debt at March 31st amounted to £6162 15s nd.

The Board rose at 9.55 p.m.