WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 222, 31 October 1916, Page 1

WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Monthly Meeting. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Waikato River Board was held on Saturday last. Present: Messrs A. G. C. Glass (chairman), M. Gallery, Pendergast and Cronin, with the secretary, Mr R. Carter. EXCESSIVE RAILWAY IBEIGHTAGE. A letter was received from Mr R F. Bollard, M.P., suggesting that members should wait on the Hon.

W. H. Herries, Minister for Railways, in respect of the request for the railway fr&jghtage on the dredge from Paeroa to Mercer to be remitted. —It was decided to act in accordance with Mr Bollard's suggestion.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. The Aka Aka Drainage Board wrote asking for information as to the southern boundaries of the River Board's area.—The chairman reported that data had alreadv been supplied to the Drainage Board's solicitors. (BEEK OBSTRUCTION. It was decided to instruct Mr Kew, who has made several applications to the Board respecting a tributary of the Maungatawhiri creek, to apply to the owners of the property through which the stream passed to clean it. FOREMAN'S REI'ORT.

The foreman, Mr P. Sellars, reported having made favourable progress in the " sheep paddock " cut. 6111 yards of formation had been taken away and a passage 20 feet wide and five feet deep at low water left, with the result that boats with a draught up to four feet six inches could pass through comfortably. Work on the willows was in full swing, but although all the fascines had been placed in position seme had sunken into the sand and the low groynes required to be further " willowed."

In reply to the Chairman the Foreman said that previous to the last flood a scouring of three feet had taken place in the river between Kaitangata and Pakau and that it was continuing to scour rapidly. The chairman said it would be serious for the Board if work on the groynes as suggested in the report had to be put in hand. The foreman suggested that one portion in particular should receive immediate attention. As regards the Kaitangata groynes, ho said, they could be completely dealt with in six weeks.

Mr Cronin criticised the way groynes had been placed in the river, stating that they were not as effective as those placed in position at the commencement of groyning operations (under different supervision). The chairman expressed the view that it was as a result of this that the groynes had sunk. The Foreman held that there had been no change whatever.in the way the groynes were laid but the chairman contended that there had been an alteration and said that the idea tfas that they should be above the level of the river at high water. The foreman explained that the groynes referred to were put in under different conditions than those placed in position at the outset and he contended that he had proceeded with the work with all possible speed. Mr Gallery urged that the Foreman had had to overcome great difficulties. As the Board's iinances were low it was resolved that work on the Kaitangata groynes should be deferred temporarily and that the Foreman should remain on at the " cut " for another week before proceeding to commence operations in the creeks.