MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4040, 11 January 1930, Page 2

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting- of the. Moutoa Drainage Board was held in tbe secretary’s office on Thursday evening, presided over by Mr. J. Chrystall (chairman). Also present were Messrs AAA E. Barber, B. G. Gower, D. Purcell, R. Bryant and the secretary (Mr. G. Y. Fraser).

Prior to the commencement of business the chairman extended a welcome to the new secretary (Air. Fraser). i FOREMAN’S REPORT.

The foreman (Air. T. A. Robinson) (reported as follows: •

Owing to the very bad weather during the greater part of the month the drains have been filled with water and consequently little cleaning has been done. The water is now just beginning to get away. Langley’s North drain has heen finished for a distance of eight chains and 16 chains of swangrass at the lower end of the Kara North drain was also cleaned out to release Che water. This latter work will mean that a start will be able to be made with the deepening of this drain earlier than if it had not heen done. A man put on to assist with the deepening of the drains had to be put off until the weather takes up. The two flood gates ware inspected during the month when it was discovered that [he strong westerly winds bad kept the right wing of the big doors closed most of the time. New rubber packing was put in the top and bottom doors of the Diagonal floodgates as they were leaking badly. A request was made for gelignite and detonators to assist in the deepening of tbe drains. A start is to he made on the Mile Drain on Alonday if the water is low enough. TREASURER’S STATEMENT. The treasurer (Mr. G. Fraser) lepori-d tfiar the hank balances i weres- as follows: —ißank N.Z. in credit £426 2/7, Post Office Savinas Bank £67 15/4. The various hook balances were as follows: — General A/e credit £303 12/11, Interest A/e. £iz2 y/8, Worker’s Dwelling Loan A/e. £67 15/4. The amount of general rates still outstanding are £27 3/1 and special rates amounting to £3 remain hnpaid.—Adopted. AMENDMENTS TO ACT. The chairman speaking in reference to the Board’s proposed amendment to tbe River Boards Act said ■‘that he considered it would he better for the Board in future to forward all remits through the Drainage Boards' Association, which body had been set up to deal with such questions from a standpoint of the whole Dominion. There were eighteen or twenty boards, affiliated with the Association and it was far better to unite on such questions. The remits would either be forwarded direct to the Government or forwarded to the Loeal Bills Committee when it was considering amendments. It was decided to act on the chairman’s suggestion in the future.

. FLOOD-GATE AND DRAIN EXTENSIONS. The chairman reported that he had made an inspection of the Alain Drain with Air. Bond (engineer to the Alanawatu County Council) that day and pointed out where tire Board proposed widening the drain and erecting new flood gates and Air. Bond will carry out a proper survey of the work next week and submit an estimate for the carrying out of the work. AH'. W. E. Bajrber said that Mr. Bond had reported to him that the ■ proposed flood-gates would do an immense amount of good and would greatly relieve the main highway in flood time. The work should be - pushed on with all haste. LAND DRAINAGE ACT.

A letter was received from the N.Z. Land Drainage (Boards’ Association, enclosing a copy of the Land Drainage Act and the proposed amended Act as drawn up by Air. Innes, of Palmerston North. The Association asked for the support of the Board in bringing about the repealing of the old Act and substituting in place thereof the proposed new Act. Accounts amounting to £37 10/2 were passed for payment.