WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 273, 8 May 1917, Page 1

WAIKATO RIVER BOARD.

Government Aid Lacking.

Money or Resignation ?

The precarious state of the Board's funds and the impbssibility of continaing operations unless financial assistance comes frotp the Government received consideration at the monthly meeting of the Waikato River Board, held at Mercer last Saturday, a unanimous agreement being arrived at by the members present that unless Government money was forthcoming within 14 days they (th 6 members) would resign their offices and would leave it to the Government to appoint a Receiver to wind up the Board's affairs.

The meeting was attended by Messrs A. G. C. Glass (chairman), M. Gallery, S. P. Prendergast, J. Cronin and A. 0. Lapwood, and the Clerk (Mr E. Hallett). Correspondence read included a letter from the National Bank calling attention to the overdraft being exceeded, various creditors asked for payment of their accounts and a solicitor wrote that he had been instructed to take proceedings to recover the amount due to his client.

The Chairman explained that he had interviewed both the Hon. A. M. Myers (Acting Minister for Finance} and the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister for Internal Affairs) and had pointed out to them that there was no possibility of the Board continuing on its limited funds and had further suggested that a River Trust should take the place of the Board. The Hon. Mr Russell informed him tnat he thought the Government could give the Board a subsidy of £IOO per month but he had since wired him (Mr Glass) that the question of granting a subsidy was one for the consideration of the Minister of Lands, to whom he had referred the Board's request asking his colleague, if possible, to give the Board a reply before that day (Saturday). Mr Glass (continuing) said that no word had come from the actingMinister of Lands and all he could see for the Board to do was to disband. It seemed to him that they were blocked by the Minister for Lands. "It was (remarked Mr Glass) pure cussedness and not that the Government was short of money." Mr Glass went on to relate as an instance of how the Board were obstructed by the Lands Department that after repeated claims had been made for the payment of Government work done by the Board they were informed that no vouchers for the work had been received but as the result of further enquiry it was found that the vouchers had been hung up for months in the Government Engineer's office at the Thames. The Clerk, in reply to a question, stated that the dredging 90 far carried out on the Maungatawhiri Creek had cost £349, including £274 for wages, but out of the £SOO loan to be raised for the same debentures to the extent of £220 only had been taken up. The Chairman pointed out that recent rains had demonstrated the beneficial results of the dredging and it was hard to understand why the property owners concerned failed to take up the debentures. Until they recognised their responsibilities nothing further could be done there.

At this stage the report of the Board's Overseer (Mr P. Sellars) wes read to the effect that the dredging on the Maungatawhiri had been finished as far as the traffic bridge. The Maramarua work was getting on well but as the money for the operations was nearly exhausted the worst of the willows were only now being taken out. The Opuatia Creek was going on well, The work at Koto Ngaro was progressing with gool results and there only remained six chains of drain to be cut before tho lake was tapped. Eventually the resolution already referred to was passed for all the members to resign at the expiration of 14 days in the event of no Government money being obtainable and in the meantime operations will be limited to the expenditure of the works for which grants havo been authorised.

OFUATIA. CHEEK. A letter was received from the Wfiikato Shipping Company, Ltd, asking the Board whilst the work of clearing the Opuatia Creek wa-i being carried out to remove the bar of sandstone opposite to Ramsey's farm and thus aid navigation. The Chairman reported that the Overseer estimated the cost of the work at £35 and on the Clerk supplying the information that there was a balance of about £2OO of tho Government grant for the Creek unexpended it was decided that the sandstone bar should bo removed by explosives. A CHAPTER Ot MISIOKTUXEs

Further troubles and misfortunes were revealed in a discussion as tc plant leased to the Waikato Shipping Company, Ltd., one of the barges having sunk in the river and the Company disclaiming liability for the same. An adjustment of the Company's financial obligations to the Board was left over for a conference with Mr Clephane. who i» both chairman of the Company and a member of tne Board.

In regard, however, to a report made by Mr Lapwood that the

launch " Titanic," the property of the Government but under the control of the Board, was lying at the bottom of the river, having been sunk whilst in charge of one of the Company's officials for removal from Tuakau to Mercer, it was resolved to call on the Company to raise the launch and to deliver it at Mercer within 14 days.