MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4477, 12 July 1930, Page 2

MOUTOA DRAINAGE BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of' the Monica Drainage Board was ..held on Thursday evening, presided over by the chairman (Mr John Chrvstall). Also preset were Messrs B. 0. Gower, I). Purcell, W. E. Barber, R. Bryant, and Ihe .secretary (Mr G. V. Eraser). TREASURER'S .REPORT. The Treasurer reported that the hank balances to date were as follows; —Bank N.Z. credit- .C 775 18s 7d, Post Office Savings Bank er. £69 las 4d. The balances were as follows: —General aceounl </r. £560 15s Sd, interest account or. £214 17s lid, workers' dwelling aceounl: er. £69 15s: 4d.

It was reported that lo date the sum of £1242 I.ls lid had been collected on account of current, rates, leaving a balance of £409 19s t d si ill lo be paid. Of this sum £lOls (is 4d was credited lo general account, and £197 5s 2d .to interest account. (Discounts amounting to £36 (is 3d were allowed Ibis year off rates.

■Accounts amounting to £l2B 1.7 s 1 Id were passed for payment. Members commented on the satisfactory position with regard to the -payment of the rates, which were coining to hand very freely.

MOTIONS OP SYMPATHY. '.Motions of sympathy were accorded the relatives of the late Sir Joseph Wlard, Francis Robinson and (Charles Spring, the. Chairman ream Eking that the two latter gentlemen had been worthy citizens. The late Mjr Francis Robinson had been a ratepayer to the Board for ina nv years. FOREMAN'S REPORT. The foreman (Mr. T. A. Robinson) reported as follows on the v. oik carried out during the month: The remainder of Carter's drain a distance ol' 22 chains, was linislied, being deepened 2ft. (Jin., and all *the spoil! on both sides of the. drain removed. This kilter work was carried out each day owing to it being easier to remove the spoil when fresh, thereby saving a considerable amount of time. The general cleaning work being carried out in Smith's drain was also completed, lit. 3in, of spoil being taken out over a distance of 13i chains. When Ibis work was iinished a start was made to deepen Smith's outlet drain, and up to the present 34 chains of this drain has been deepened by lfL 3in., so ilia! between general cleaning and deepening 2ft. Gin. has been taken out ail I lie way along this drain. There sr.iil remains sixteen chains to be completed, Iml the work should be huished by next Tuesday evening, despite flu* fact that there are a large number of big' stumps to be removed in this stretch. The trimming of the latter drain has not been done, but will be carried out .•is soon as the cleaning work is cotnpleled. As the spoil is very heavy and sticky, it was found necessary to raise the -wives of the boundary fence in order to remove it. Considerable damage has been done lo Smith's drain during the month by bullocks, over 25 chains .being alfeeted, making it imperalivr that the drain should be fenced to avoid further serious damage. As 942 hours were pul in in the drains during' the. month, it. was round impossible In give any time to Ihe repair of the leak in the Hood gate reported last meeting. The leak, however, is not a. bad one, but will receive ill Lent ion as soon as possible. The work to he cartied out as soon as the draining is completed is as follows:-—Trim - miiig back spoil on one side of •Smith's drain, removing spoil oil - Mr Austin’s fence along the Kara North drain, the re-cleaning of ■Langley’s north drain (this drain having been done very early in October and linislied in December, with the result that it is looking very dirty at present in placets). The Mile drain was also only roughly cleaned on account of so much deepening work this year, and together with fourteen chains of the Kara north outlet will require reclcuuiiig. Stumps will also be blasted out of the lower end of Dr. ‘Walls’ outlet drain.

The reporL was adopted, and it was resolved to instruct the foreman lo retain the services of one man on the completion of deepening •Smith's drain, to assist him with tile remainder of the work outlined, ft was also resolved that the iirst work to be undertaken must be the prevention of the leaks in the Alain Drain Hood gate if possible. The Chairman suggested that the work in Smith’s drain be suspended in view of the fact that there were other drains cleaned last'yeai' and now in a bail state requiring attention.

'Mr Barber, however, thought that now that the work in Smith’s draiu was so well advanced, requiring indy a lew days Lo complete it should be continued. This was agreed 10. NEED* FOR OUTLET AT DUCK GREEK. Mr. D. FurceJl referred to the absolute necessity for an outIhe absolute necessity for au outlet at Duck! Creek. He pointed out that last year as the result of a Hood 5,000 acres of the best land in the Moutoa. was absolutely ruined because the Hood water was bottled up owing to the absence of an outlet at the locality mentioned. The damage to the grasslands was more serious than if the district had been poisoned. He urged that (he Hood bank at Duck -Creek be cut for a distance of three to four chains, and! ploughed level with the surrounding country to allow flood waters to escape in the future. Mr. Bryant considered that there was little difference in fall between Duck Creek and the Main Drain.

Mr. Purcell said Mini wator was. the hes-l guide. Tic had measured it in liuod lime and I'iiere was three feelmore water inside the hank al Buck Creek Ilian elsewhere, along' the hank. Mr. Bnrher said dial the County kngineer (Mr. Bond) had taken the levels and found that Buek iC'reek was the lowest site.

'Mr (tower considered that (here would he a danger of inundation from spring' tides if the hank was eul as suggested. Members, however, favoured thV ‘proposal, and Mr W. E. Bar,her said •.that in urging upon the Public Works Department the necessity .for large flood gates at Duck Creek In l had bad in view the protection of die area mentioned. The Department, however, had refused to subsidise the project. The chairman mentioned dial 'before anything could he done it would lie necessary to obtain the sanction of die property owners concerned.

It was decided to leave the mailer of canvassing the owners in the hands of Mr. Purcell.

CORRESPONDENCE was read and dealt with as follows : Krom Mr. Alt'. Eraser, tendering his resignation as Returning Officer to the Board. —Mr. G. V. Eraser was appointed to the posit ion. Ei'oni die Government Statistician, acknowledging receipt of statistics in connection with the'Board. —-Received. Groin Mr. Stewart Cameron’s solicitors, asking if’ certain provisions of the Rating Act had been carried out in connection with their client’s property.—field over.

Grom tin' Audit Department, enclosing the Board’s 'balance-sheet duly audited and minus anv lag.— Members expressed their appreciation of the fad dial the ilia lancesheet was relumed imtagged. AX APPRECIATION. Dr. Wall wrote expressing his appreciation of the good work' being curried out hv (lie Board and staled dial for his part, he would he pleased ol do wlial lie could to prevent die work from being spoil! by cattle or other means.

Members expressed l.lieir appro einlion of l)r. Wall’s letter.