MANAWATU-OROUA RIVERS BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 2987, 16 January 1926, Page 2

MANAWATU-OROUA RIVERS BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Man-awatu-Oroua River Board was held at Palmerston North on Thursday, when Mr. W. S. Carter occupied the chair. Other members present were Messrs. J. L. C. Harrison, D. Collis, A. Akers, and N. P. Neilsen. The Manawatu Drainage Board wrote asking the Board to join it and the Kairanga County Council in deputation to the Minister of Finance, with a view of endeavouring to get him to expedite consideration of a loan of £4BOO for a floodgate and improving the Board’s outlet at Rangitane.—Received.

The Foxton Harbour Board wrote pointing out that, owing to certain evasion below the Foxton wharf, a sandy hank had been formed in the shipping channel, which, if not attended to immediately, would become a serious menace and the Board had decided to erect groynes that would have the effect of finalising the channel about mid-stream and asked that the River Board’s engineer confer with the writers on the matter. —It. was decided that the sending of the engineer to confer on the matter was not deemed necessary, as the Board did not think the proposal would affect the River Board’s Scheme.

The Sluggish River Board wrote advising that there was a very weak point in the slop-hank in Mr. Holden’s property on the Orona river, just above Mangawhata and Ihnl should the river break through at that point, the works of the corresponding Board would be much damaged. It asked what the River Board proposed to do to avert, the danger. A deputation, comprising six sol tiers from the dist rict , waited on the Board to stress the necessity of rectifying the matter. The Chairman said in reply that the settlers would have to “pass the bat round” to do the work until the Board was in a position to meet the expense. The Moutoa and Makerua settlers were in the same position, but the Board’s hands were tied. The matter at present was not exactly under the jurisdiction of the Board, it being an internal question to be decided by the Sluggish River Board, which could do the work, aided by the settlers, provided that the scheme was aproved by the Manawatu-Oroua River Board.

The engineer, Mr. F. C. Hay, stated that if the erosion was as bad as had been pointed out, something would have to be done, as a break in the bank would be a. seri-

ous matter. The best thing would bo to make a temporary support of willows and poplars, for a Hood might come at any time. The Chairman advised the deputation to place the matter before the Sluggish River Board. To send the engineer down -would be rather expensive and he did not think that it would be necessary. The Sluggish River Board had all power to do the work, Avhile the controlling Board was as yet not operative, besides being out of funds. .With regard to the rates collected, they were used for a specific purpose and could not be used otherwise.