WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 25, 30 March 1915, Page 3

WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

'J h-2 usual monthly meeting of the Waikato Rives; Board was held at Mercer on Saturday last, when the following members were present:— Messrs A. G. (J. (chairmao), R. Clephane, G. P. Prendergast, J. Cronio, M. Gallery, A. Lapwuod and the secretary, Mr E. Hal let. GOOD PROGRESS.

A communication was received from the Board's engineer, Mr Kennedy, stating, in reply to a lett°r received irom Mr Sellers, overseer of the works in the river, that it was nrst rati?fsctorv to h.ar that th2 river was ljKC'icg : o i apicily. £6CUO I.tJAN. Me?srs Hall, Skel'on and Skeltcn, the Board's solicitor?, wrote re the £6COO loan for which the Board had made application from the A.M.P, Society. They asked the Board tu have all the ( retolutions on the subject, excepting the one striking the special rate, re-passed or confirmed. Everything would then b2 in order and the cle k could go to town and make the n cessary declaration. The chairman proposed, and Mr Clephane etccnded, that the resolution as rrentiored in the communication be, confirmed. The Board agreed, and the secretary web instructed to attend to the matter. WILLOWS BLOCKING RIVEK. Mr K. L. Ramsey, Opoutia, wrote on behalf of Mr H. Ramsey, stating that the Opoutia liver was impassable for craft, and urgently required cleaning. Willows were blocking the river and if they went down the stream they would damage tha- Opoutia biidge. Mr Clepnane was empowered to deal with the matter. LfIKE ROTO NGARO.

The chairman reported thit in I company wi h Mr Skcet, Comj missioner of Lrown Lands, and Mr Bregman he recently visited the drain near Lake Koto Ngaro. They were informed by the ratepayers in the vicinity that they wanted it cleaned out and a new road made. It was a zig-zag drain and would j have been expensive to clean. They j suggested to the ratepayers that a new drain, dug in a a?aight line, would be more serviceable, the soil from toe drain to be place on the suggested new road, and that a special rate be struck in that part of the district. Mr Skeet informed him (the chaiiman) that probably the Government would give a heavy i subsidy and suggested that if the j settlers were agreeable, and were prepared to give the necessary land, that a petition should be presented asking for the services of an engineer to set out the work He (the chairman) therefore proposed arrangements should be made to issue a petition, backed up by the Board tu drain Whangape creek to Koto Ngaro lake and road alongside cf it and for Mr Bregman to get

I signatures ?nd to forward the petition to the Board and then to the Government. Mr Lapwcod aeconded the motion, which was cinried, and the chairman and Mr Clephane were instructed to draw up the retition. MISUNDERSTOOD. Mr F. W. Pyne forwarded an apology to the Board, regretting that he had made reference to the manner in which the Board had expended loan money on the Maurgatawhiri czeek. He mentioned that he had misunderstood matters in connection with the loan. The chairman said that Mr Pyne had been informed by people at Fikeno that the Board had been

using loan money under false pretences and had written away about the matter. By his (the chairman's) instructions a letter had beer, sent to Mr Pyne explaining that thy money referred to was grant money. MAUNGATAWHIRI STREAM. An additional letter from Mr Pyne was read, stating that Mr Deane had repoited that the cut in the bank, on the Maungatawhiri stream, had been re-opened. He asked that it should be closed as the water in the winter would flow through (he cut a r d not through the channel. He (the writer) considered that the Board were not treating them (presumably the ratepayers at Pokeno) ■ fairly over the grant. | Mr Prendergast was of the opinion ' that if all the water in the creek | poured through the cutting it would '■ not do any harm, but Mr Gallery i considered that it wa9 the Board's | duty to see that water did not go !on any of the property. I Mr Prendergra't said that Mr i Pyn« had not seen the work. The | ratepayers were all satisfied with | it. He (Mr Prendergast) understood ; that Walker, an employee of the j Board, did the work without instructions and would be closing it again. The matter was left to Mr Prendergast to attend to.

MISCELLANEOUS. The secretary reported that Mr Sellais was keeping a sharp "look out'' on the weak points of the groynes owing to the fresh in the river, which was very strong. Mr Sellars asked permission to take men from the work they were on, it necessary, and Dut them cn work on the groyaeaThe Board gave their consent. Mr Sellars alst made application to the Board fo insure him acd the secretary was instruct;:! to obtain the rate ot premium!*. Mr Cronin reported that two willows were stuck in the Maungatawhiri creek, at the railway bridge.— It was decided to have the willows removed. ! The secretary reported in connection with the official visit of the j works' on the river, on the 14th April, that a large number of those invited had intimated their Intention of being present. HE PORTS.

Mr Sellarß reportid that in company with Mr Cronin he had inspected Whangamanno creek and found willows very bad in places, and he had authorised the foreman to proceed with the work and to draw out the worst of the snags. Un the :Jr<l instant he visited the Kangiriri creek in company with Mr Clephane, and found the stream in a bad Btate. Willows growing on the banks were touching the banks on hoth sides. They had l since been attended to. He had also inspected Hit close piling work and found it effective. In the Bay next to Maiora Bay, where a groin whs being driven in, work was slow. The river was eight inches lln wet < haii whru he hist barter! I operations about nine munlha ago, | and it waß falling at the rate of half 8D inch per day.