Waitoa Drainage Board.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4435, 13 July 1909, Page 2

Waitoa Drainage Board.

The monthly meeting of the above Board took place in the Secretary’s (Mr Campbell’s) office yesterday afternoon. Present :—Messrs M. Henry (Chairman), I H. Magill, Thos. Bellamy, W. J. Corrigan, and R. Matheson. Minutes of last meetiug were read and confirmed, and correspondence dealt with. —Plans of Works The Clerk read a telegram from Messrs St. Hill and Thomson, the Board’s engineers, to the effect that they were forwarding plans.”—Mr Magill said it was a most extraordinary procedure to forward plans in this fashion without the I authority of the Board. —The Clerk reported that he had received the plans of No. 1 Road Drain.—The Chairman said he supposed the plans were the outcome of work they are doing for the Board.—Messrs St. Hill and Thomsdn also ‘.forwarded an nccount for £4B 4s, being 50 per cent, off 4 per cent, of the estimated cost of work on No. 1 Road, viz., £1,205.-Mr Magill asked if there was any resolution of the Board substantiating the claim.—The Chairman : There was the usual arrangement. —Mr Magill : Is there an agreement between the Board and the engineer.—Mr Bellamy said there were plenty of drains to go on with outside the road drains. The Ohine Creek should have been the fir;t to receive attention. Any man with ordinary common sense would never have gone on with the plans, after hearing what took place at the meeting of Waitoa settlers, at which Mr St. Hill was present. It could easily t»e seen that the settlers were against it. The arrangement entered into with the Engineers wa9 for 5 per cent, y The Chairman : It is evidently a clerical error, 20 per cent is the usual allowance. —The minutes of the first meeting were referred to, which shewed that the engineers were to be paid 4 per cent on monies spent under their supervision.— Mr Magill : Exactly so; that is the arrangement between the Board and the engineers.—Mr Bellamy said he was against giving the Engineer just what 1 was asked. —Mr Magill contended that the engineers should only be paid a percentage on work carried out under their Anything outside of this is pure imagination on their part. We are only wasting time discussing the matter.—The Chairman : We might waste time if we don’t take notice of it. Mr Bellamy : We have lost plenty of time for nothing already. The minutes endorse the agreement with the engineers. —Mr Magill : And they cannot claim one copper coin more than the agreement states. —The Clerk said the resolution would bind the Board. Mr Magill moved that tho Clerk write to Messrs St. Hill and Thompson drawing their attention to their agreement with the Board made on loth December, last, with regard to remuneration, wherein it was decided to pay 4 per cent, on the money expended under their supervision.—Mr Mathieson said there could be no harm in calling their attention to it He thought, however, the Engineers had a claim. — The motion was seconded by Mr Bellamy and earned unanimously. —Engineer It was resolved to reply to a letter from Mr S. B. Sims, C»1C„ to the effect that the Board did not require his services,

—An Objection. — A copy of the Piako County Council objection to the Board taking over No. 1 and 7 roads was received from the Minister of Interal Affairs, and inviting remarks on same.—Mr Mathieson said the form should be filled in and answered. The great majority along No 1 were in favour of the road drains being vested in the Board. —Seconded by Mr Coriganand carried. The Chairman and Clerk were instructed to reply to the objections, copies to be. sent to the Piako and Ohineifturi County Councils. Strikidg a Rate. — The question of striking a rate to pay accounts was deferred till the next meeting. A statement of accounts is to be made up. —A Contradiction.—

The Chairman said that certain misstatements had been made at a recent meeting that he did not intend to classify, also that he was not authorised to apply for a Government subsidy- The minute book would shew the statements to he incorrect. His motto was: “ They say, they will say. and let them sayj” This was all the business.