Waitoa Drainage.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4372, 11 February 1909, Page 2

Waitoa Drainage.

DEPUTATION TO PIAKO COUNCIL SCHEME REJECTED. CHAIRMAN FAVOURABLE. A LETTER was received at the last meeting of the Piako County Council i c rom R. Math«son, Secretary of the Waitoa Drainage Board, notifying the Council that in consideration of the Board taking over and enlarging the present No. 1 and No. 7 road drains and main outlet' drains on the Waitoa Estate, they considered they were entitled to the £3,000 now due from the Bank of New Zealand towards the formation of the roads and drains, they contending that the making of these drains practically relieved the C/Uncil of all road water. Further they estimated for the upkeep of the drains the Board-should receive from the Council from the rates. The Council adjourned discussion on the matter, and left it over for the new Council to deal with, an arrangement being made with two representatives of the Board that a deputation should wait on the new Council andifully explain matters. The new Council met yesterday, and the Clerk read a letter from the Ohinemuri Town Board, offering to put the £BOO standing in their name in the hands of the Drainage Board, providing the Council fell in with the scheme of the Board. A notice of motion stood in Cr. Manuel’s name, that the resolution adopting Foreman Johnson’s scheme he rescinded. Cr. Manuel said the reason for his moving the motion was, that while the resolution accepting Foreman Johnson’s scheme stood on the minutes, the Council were pledged to adopt the scheme, and as the retiring Council had promised to receive 'a deputation from the Drainage Board, there would be little use discussing .the matter with the deputation if the Council was already pledged to a scheme. The Council had asked these people to form a Drainage Board that the two bodies might work together for the best results. He did not wish to be misunderstood by’ the Council in moving that the motion be rescinded it did not follow that he disapproved of Johnson’s scheme. It was merely to enable the Council to discuss the ques tion of drainage with the Drainage Board. Cr. Bellamy said that although a member of both bodies he did not agee with the scheme of the Drainage Board. He thought Johnson’s scheme the best, but as Cr. Manuel had said, there would be no harm in discussing the matter with the Board. The Council had promised to receive a deputation from the Board, and he hoped they would give them permission to state their case. The matter had been staved off for a very long time and he thought it should be settled either one way or the another, that day. Cr. Thomas asked, seeing that Cr. Bellamy thought Johnson’s scheme b’rt, how they were going to improve matters by hearing the deputation. The Chairman, Cr. Chepmell, said the Board were asking a request it was impossible for the Council to grant. The money was not for expenditure on drainage, it was to be paid by the Bank to the County Council in consideration of the C mncil’s taking over the Bank’s , liability. -It had nothiusr whatever to \do with the drainage of the Block, and the moneyj must be set aside expressly for the purpose of road-making on the Block. To use it for other purposes than this, would be to misappropriate the money’. As for submitting to the Board half the rates, well, that was the most ridiculous proposal he had ever heard ; the Council had absolutely no power to do it. - Cr. Bellamy’ thought the Council should make the Roads and the Board complete the drains. The Chairman : They want us to both chop the isticks and make the fire for them. Cr. Bellamy : The Board is a little bit anxious for the work to be got on with before the winter sets in. Cr. Manuel said the new Council was in some measure responsible for (the actions of the old Council, and they ought to receive the deputation,, as the old Council had promised they should The Chairman said if the Council rescinded the motion it would only’ be making a shuttlecock of the thing and perhaps they woidd be unable to reinstate The Chairman, continuing, said his mind was made up on the matter, which led Cr. Manuel to remark that others of the Council had opinions beside the Chairman, and they might think differently after hearing what the other side had to say. ' At this juncture Cr Manuel aud the Chairman had some heated words over the trouble, Cr. Manuel taking exception to certain remarks of the Chairmau with reference to the retired Council. Cr. Manuel said the old C nradil had done its best to arrange a speedy settlement, as the people were anxious for the w> ik to be done. The Council acted on legal advice iu the matter. The Chairman : You don’t mean to say you were acting on legal advice when you signed an agreement by which you let the Bank get out of paying any of that money until the land transfer was signed. Why’, they simply twisted y r ou round their lingers, and now we don’t know when the money will come to us. The Council was concerned with the dedication of the roads, and there was £3,000 they could not touch until the j Bank chose to give it to them.” iCr. Thomas when the transfer was * made the Bank authorities informed the 1 Council that the money would be paid as j soon as the deeds were registered, which, they said, would not be more than * a week or two, I

The Chairman : “ They had no right to say that; that action has placed us in a position that we arc able to do nothing.”

The Chairman asked Cr. Manuel to withdraw his motion, but the latter gentleman refused, saying he would be ' breaking faith with the drainage people. I After a little further discussion it was ' decided to call in the deputation. The deputation consisted of the whole of the Board, and was led by Mr Henry. The latter explained the Board’s position, and said it was thought if the drainage was taken in hand by two separate bodies affairs would be mixed up. They therefore would undertake to do the work if the Council would grant their request The Chairman said the Council had nothing to do with the drainage. The money was never intended for that purpose, but was to be paid by the Bank in consideration of the Council accepting the dedication of the l’oads. Mr Henry considered the Board was entitled to a fair share of the money, for he thought the chairman would admit there was little possibility of roads ever being formed through swamp country, without having to cut drains. The Chairman reiterated his former re • marks that to hand over the luoney for

drainage purposes would be misappropriation. mi Henry’: If y r ou care to hand it ov«r I don’t think the Bank will object!” The Chairman : “ The Bank has nothing to do with it, and as for asking the Council to subsidise your Board with half the rates, the proposition is simply monstrous. Mr Henry : But we are relieving you of the responsibility of fourteen miles of diaius ! The Chairman said the road drains and drains through the country were two different things and it would be illegal to let this money go for any purpose but that for which it was iutended. Cr. Manuel’ maintained, in spite of the ruling, that the Council would be within its legal limits to let the Board have some of the money to spend on the work. The Council let contracts and made grauts for different works which was precisely the same thing Asa local body they were entitled to do that. The Chairman was trying to draw them from the roads on to the land. The Council could cut through another man’s property’ and pay for it so 1 'ng as it was benefiting the road drains. Mr Henry said that at present the Council as a Road Board was going to run the water into a drain that was not a good drain. They were proposing to put it to the old point; the old outlet would never drain the estate, and to maintain the old condition of things would be disastrous. The Chairman did not hold with taking water out of its natural course as was proposed by’ Messrs St. Hill and Thompson’s scheme.

Mr McGill, one of the deputation, said the Ohine Creek was taking the whole of the drainage at present and under Johnson’s scheme the creek would still have to take it.

Mr Henry asked the Chairman if he was in favour of carrying out Johnson’s scheme in its entirety’. The Chairman replied that he was, and the work would be gone on with as soon as the Council had the money. Cr. Manuel said it was no use hiding matters at all. Johnson’s estimates always fell about 50 per cent below'the actual cost, and his scheme would probably run out at about £7,500 The Council had about £3,000 and were taking on a scheme that would run them into twice that amount. The way’ out of the difficulty was very simple and straight. The Council should make the Board a grant and particularise the road drains and then subsidise the settlers to out these drains. He was prepared tlt move that half the money be granted the Board for the construction of drains. The motion was put and lost, Manuel and Hughes voting for it, Crs, Brady, Bellamy, and Thomas against it.