MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3970, 13 July 1929, Page 3

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING,

The monthly meeting of the Moutoa Drainage Board, was held in the board’s office on Thursday even.ing .presided over by Trustee J. C. Chrystall (chairman). Also present were: Trustees B. G. Gower, R. Bryant, D. Purcell and the secretary (Mr. Alf. Fraser). An apology for absence wa3 received from Trustee W. E. Barber. TREASURER’S STATEMENT. The treasurer’s report showed that bank balances were as under: —Bank of New Zealand £lO5 19s lid in credit, Post Office Savings Bank, £O4 15s 4d in credit. The balances of the separate accounts are as follows: —General account overdrawn, £l2 10s Gd, interest account in credit, £llß 10s sd, and the worker's dwelling loan account in credit, £6l 15s 4d. The amount of general rates paid to date was £llO 19s Bd. The amount of special rates paid to date was £IOB 18s 4d. The amount of general rates outstanding was £574 14s 4d while the amount of special rates ■outstanding was £144 16s 2d. Accounts amounting to £347 11s 9d were passed for payment. FOREMAN’S REPORT. The foreman reported as follows :

During the month my time has been mostly taken up in keeping the two flood-gates clear of debris and ■lifting the do'ors of the gates between tides, to allow as much water as possible to be released. In between times gorse was grubbed along the boai-d’s stop-bank at Moutoa and also along the road fronting the board’s house property. In the early part of the month 10 chains of Smith’s drain was cleaned, but owing to the flood waters covering practically the whole of the Moutoa area during the month, no other drain-cleaning has been possible. At present I am engaged in helping the settlers to put up the slop-bank nealr the stte of the old Shannon bridge, which work they were all anxious to get completed as the breach in the bank was holding up everybody. Owing to erosion, it was found necessary to fell the row of pine trees along the bank of the main drain near the flood-gates, as the trees were falling into the drain outlet. Further erosion is taking place at each end of the concrete wall at the south side of the double doors of .the flood-gate and as a very big volume of water comes across the bank of the drain at this point, a small stop-bank, about ]8 yards long by 7 feet by 3 feet should be erected to protect the wall, otherwise the damage may prove to be serious.—Adopted.