Waitoa Drainage Board.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4389, 23 March 1909, Page 3

Waitoa Drainage Board.

A meeting of the above Board was held in ihe Secretary’s (Mr Matheson) residence on Saturday afternoon last. Present : - Messrs Matthew Henry (Chairman), T. Bellamy, Corrigan, Makgill, and Matheson. The numbers were read and confirmed and correspondence dealt with,Jj —Drainage of the Block— Mr W. C. Kensington, Under-Secretary for Lands, wrote as follows to the Chairman, under date "Wellington, February 17th, 1909: —“With regard to your letter of the 2nd ult., addressed to the Right Honorable the Minister of Lands, I am directed to inform you that I have instructed Mr Wu. C. Breakell, the Government Engineer in charge of the Hauraki Drainage Works to consult with you as to the drainage operations of the Waitoa Drainage Board, and also as to wlmt subsidy, if auy, should be granted to your Board for this purpose.” Th<3 Chairman reported in accordance with the wish of the letter, and after consulting Messrs Corrigan and Matheson he interviewed the Government engineer, Mr Breakell. At present two schemes are in vogue, one by the Board’s engineers, Messrs St. Hill and Thomson, and the other the Piako County Council’s—or better known as Johnson’s i scheme. By the former scheme the whole of the water is drained into the Piako river, while Johnson's scheme takes the water into the Waitoa river. Mr Bfeakall strongly favoured taking the drainage into the Piako, he could not understand the reason for taking the 'water across into the Waitoa. where there is no room for it, while there is plenty of room in the Piako. If not handicapped in any way Mr Breakell contended that the drainage works would be up as far as the boundary in about two month’s time. In addition to the outlets previously referred to in another outlet could be given in what is known as Cribb’s outfall (between No. 7 and No. 8.) Mr Bellamy took strong exception to the Chairman acting in the manner he had. He said it looked as if the Chairman intended to run the Board on his own account. He considered the matter should have been brought before the Board in a proper way. Mr Matheson : The letter only asked the Chairman 1o meet the Government Engineer. Mr Makgill said that as far as the two schemes went, they were road schemes. What the Board required was a drainage scheir.e. Also, the Board had promised to give the Council a guarantee to keep the reads in order. This, he contended, they could not do. Mr Matheson : The guarantee was given only on the understanding that the Council refunded half the rates. Mr Makgill : That the Council would never do. He said the Board would have to abandon the idea of taking the water along the in ads. The Chairman : The drains must be kept along the roads. Mr Makgill; Well, by keepiug the drains, you must keep the roads. Until something is done to the Waitoa Creek things on the Waitoa Estate will remain much the same as ever. The water will have to be sent down its natural course. Mr Bellamy said that St. Hill and Thompson’s scheme was not as good as Johnson’s, as by it an attempt would be made to take the water uphill. The Chairman said that since Mr Bellamy became a member of the Piako Council he had turned completely round. Mr Bellamy : I always contended Johnson’s the better scheme. When I am on the Council I speak as a Councillor and when on the Board, as a member of that body. Mr Matheson : Let us trust you keep the same views in both. The Chairman said he did not think Mr Bellamy could do justice to both bodies. Evidently he cannot work the two

It was mentioned that while the fall in the Waitoa is only nine inches to the mile ; according to St. Hill and Thompson’s scheme there are 42ft of fall in six miles in the Piako. The Chairman said he felt sanguine the Piako County Council would forego their scheme. He hoped they would. —£lo,ooo Loan— It was resolved that the Secretary write asking for power to borrow £16,000. —Levels, etc , A iletter was read from Supervisor Johnson expressing his inability to give the information asked for without the permission of his Council. —Waiharakeke Drains — The Chairman was instructed to inform Mr Allen that at present the Board is not in a position to do anything in this matter. —Overdraft, Secretary, and Solicitor — The arranging for an overdraft ; appointment of a Secretary and Solicitor, were briefly discussed, and left over for the present. —Date of Meetings— It was resolved on the motion of Mr Bellamy, seconded by Mr Maksill. that the Board meet on the second Wednesday in each month, at 3 o’clock. —Snagging the Waitoa — The Chairman said that Mr Breakell had informed him that this work was being pushed ahead. The work, so far, had had the effect of lowering the Waitoa some 3ft.