Hungahunga Drainage Board.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43083, 23 April 1907, Page 3

Hungahunga Drainage Board.

SPECIAL MEETING.

A special meeting of the Hungahunga Drainage Board was held at Te Aroha on Saturday last. Present: Messrs T. Hanna (chairman), T. Stanley, D. Waghorn, H. Magill, W. Lockyer, and the engineer, Mr C. Otway. The meeting was called for the purpose of opening fresh tenders called since it was decided to reduce the dimensions of the four drains for which tenders were previously called.'

Mr Lockyer objected to the tenders being opened before the engineer’s estimates were submitted to the meeting. Mr Waghorn concurred that the estimates should be before the meeting. The Chairman agreed that the estimates should have been submitted, and he thought that in future the engineer should be asked to submit estimates before tenders were opened. He contended, however, that great attention was not paid to engineers’ estimates in such works, and therefore proposed that the tenders be opened. All present except Mr Lockyer agreed, the others at the same time expressing opinion that the engineer should have submitted the estimates.

Tenders. —Tenders for contracts 1, 2, 3 and 4, were then opened as follows : Contract No. 1, Drain No. 1, 248 chains, Laybourn and Stanley (accepted), £2 8s per chain; Thos. Prendergast, £2 14s 3d ;W. Hughes and Co., £2 19s per chain. Contract No. 2, Drain No. 2, 95 chains, Donovan Brothers (accepted), £1 13s per chain ; W. Neeve, £1 15s per chain. Contract No. 4, Drain No. 3, 229 chains (Waihekau), Laybourn and Stanley (accepted), £1 6s 9d per chain; W. Collins, £1 15s per chain; Jas. O’Brien, £1 16s per chain. Tenders for Contract No. 3, Hughes’ drain, were not accepted, as conditions are altered. So far, the following contracts have been let:— £ s Contract No. 1 595 4 „ „ 2 156 15 . „ „ 4 294 5 Total .. £1,046 4 On the motion of Mr Stanley, the tenders of Messrs Laybourn and Stanley were accepted for contracts Nos. 1 and 4. t Mr Magill proposed that Donovan Bros’, tender for No. 2 contract be accepted. Mr Stanley raised objection on the grounds that the Chairman had said this land would have to bo re-classified. Contractors were pooh-poohing the job. He understood that nobody had been over Mr Hanna’s property : he would like to see the ground before the contract was let. The Chairman : If you go on like this you will bring the Board into ridicule. Mr Stanley, continuing, said the drain in question did not go anywhere in particular. Mr Magill took exception to Mr Stanley’s remarks, and said he should come better informed to the meetings. Mr Stanley said that 15,000 or 16,000 acres had yet to be drained, and he did not think it right that so much money should be spent in one corner.

Mr Lockyer said that £SOO odd was going on one drain there. He thought No. 2 should certainly be held over. Before letting this job, he would inform the Board that over sixty ratepayers were prepared to put an injunction on it.

The Char.nan remarked that the sixty were probably Mr Lockyer aid one or two others.

Mr Stanley said he objected to this being Ut> but still was prepared to yield to the majority. They had been assured by the Chairman that it would cost £1 a chain and he did not see why it should be costing £2. Mr Waghorn said that Messrs Stanley and Lockyer should have gone up and inspected the spot when they were asked. Mr Stanley had said that the drain was needed. Mr Stanley : Yes, at about £1 a chain. The Chairman then renewed Mr Magill’s _ proposition *hat No. 2 be accepted. All agreed but Messrs Stanley and Lockyer, being therefore carried by a majority. Mr Stanley then proposed that no tender be accepted for No. 3 contract, (Hughe’s drain), as they were all too hi:h. People were saying that it would take £IOO to clear out the slips from this drain in six months. There was no doubt that the drain would cave in.

Mr Waghorn agreed with Mr Stanley. Mr Stanley said that Mr Broki nshire, who was a good workman, had offered to cut this drain on wages, putting on about eight men whom he would guarantee to wcik as though they were on a contract. Mr Lockyer thought. £lO9 could he saved in cutting this drain if done on wages. Mr Stanley then proposed that Hughes’ drain be widened, and cut four feet down to the solid, up to the end of the outlet, 107 chains, leaving the deepening for summer, the work to he done on day wages. Mr Otway advised the Board to leave wages men strictly alone. Mr Lockyer again spoke in favour of day work —he thought the water would assist a good deal in cutting this drain. Mr Magill asked Mr Stanley why Mr Brokenshire had not tendered, to which Mr Stanley replied that the contractors were all frightened of the difficulty of getting out the solid bottom : he also advocated paying 10s a day to secure some really good men. Mr Stanley thought the amount a ridiculously high tender. Mr Magill asked if the drain would be cut according to specifications if day labour were employed. Mr Stanley replied that it would, whereupon Mr Magill asked what the probable cost would be.

Mr Stanley said that in his opinion it would be £250.

Mr Magill then proposed amendment that the lowest tender be accepted. Mr Stanley thought the work would also get along more quickly by day labour. Considerable argument then ensued between the Chairman and Mr Lockyer. The Chairman then moved further amendment that the widening to the specified width he done by contract, and that plans and specifications he prepared by the engineer. This amendment was earned. It was also decided that the contract for Hughes’ drain should be let next Monday, when specifications would he submitted for the Piranui, for which tenders could he called returnable on the following Saturday (May 4th). It was left with the engineer to do what he considered possible in connection with the Waiharakeke in order to give speedy relief to the settlers affected.

The engineer said he thought the Piranui should be gone on with without delay, and Mr Waghorn added that the County Council would not do anything to Alexandra-road until the ditch was put along it. The engineer said that he would decide by tbe next meeting which was to be the main outlet, and would also decide upon the size for the Piranui drain.

The engineer said that a County drain down Diagonal-road would he a great help, and was worthy of the Council’s discussion. It was decided that the next meeting be held on Monday next, 27th, at 2 o’clock. A communication from the Department, of Lands and Survey asked that the Department be supplied with levels of drain No. 3 in the drainage district, as this drain runs into Waihekau stream. Information was also asked for as to what the Board proposed to do in respect to width and depth of No. 3 drain, the information being necessary to the officer who had to report on the Waihekau drain. The engineer will attend to this matter in Auckland.