MAINTENANCE OF DRAINS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3679, 18 August 1927, Page 2

MAINTENANCE OF DRAINS.

IN MANAWATU COUNTY.

The frequency with which the Manawatu County Council is called upon by ratepayers to attend to drains in the’ county, caused the chairman (Mr. W. E. Barber) to remark at yesterday’s meeting of the Council that it was time the whole question of drains was investigated to ascertain the extent of the Council’s responsibility for maintaining the numerous artificial watercourses. Rarely a Council meeting passes without one or more applications being received for this and that drain to be cleaned out and the attitude of the Council in recent years has been to refuse all liability in the matter. At yesterday’s meeting , of the Council, however, an application was received concerning the cleaning out of an alleged County drain running through private property and in the discussion which ensued, it was stated that the Council had done some work to the drain about 24 years ago. The Council was unable to come to any definite decision in the matter but a special committee comprising the chairman and 'Crs. Boyce and McKelvie was set up to investigate the position. It is likely that the whole question of drains will be fully investigated by the Council in the near future.