ELLESMERE DRAINAGE BOARD.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20002, 9 August 1930, Page 11

ELLESMERE DRAINAGE BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. At the monthly meeting of the.EUesmere Land Drainage Board, the members present were Messrs B. M. Morten (chairman), Hi J. Macartney, F. Miller, G. W. 8.. Osborne, J, Sharp, and H. Pickering. The balance-sheet was received from the Auditor-General, certified' aat": correct. The principal bala;nce9*weres— Biv'er account,: £970 •3s 8d; lake; account, £lls 265; interest . account, £1561. 17s lid; total credit, £2645 17s 7d. ' The chairman gave notice to move at next meeting that the rates be levied as follows:-rl6-32d, 13-32 d, and 9-32 d in the £ respectively in classes A, B, and C of the river area, and 8-32 d, 3-32 d, and 2*32 d respectively , in'classes. A, B, and C of the lake area; Id in Price's drain, subdivision. The rates ed a reduction of l-15d in the £ in the three classes in the river area. Mr B. H. Eggelston; manager of Mr L Harris's property at who wrote/to the Board in May regarding drainage * improvements, sent' a further communication on the- Bame subject. He pointed out that there was a likelihood of damag'o being done ■in the event, of a heavy , rainfall. It was decided to reply-that-the Board -undertook the cleaning ? of; a drain running from the canal bridge to a point adjacent to the propertypreferred'to, : and that it considered the best solution would be to provide internal drains -to carry the water to that point. Mr H. 'S. S. Kyle, M.P., forwarded a letter received from the Hon. W. B. Taverner, . Minister for Public, Works, stating'that the Honi 'Mr Karis6m, who had visited the lake outlet, .was obtaining further details from ' his Departmental officers, and wheii these were available, it was proposed to go fully .into the position. • • After discussing the matter of Government assistance, the' Board' decided that the Minister be requested to make a grant of £SOO a year from the Lake Ellesmere Beclamation and Akaroa Bail* Trust Fund, to be- used for the purpose of providing an outlet for Lake Ellesmere in such manner as the Board may find expedient from time to time. It - was suggested that in the event of the Board adopting an improved drainage:»scheme involving . a heavy capital outlay or plant, the grant could be used to pay interest and sinking fund charges oh a loan. Mr C. H. Mason, of Timaru, submitted a fresh scheme, for improved drains age of the lake, and Messrs D. Jensen, of Greymouth, and J. E. Holland, of Ghristchurch, intimated their desire to present drainage proposals. "The, Board decided -to give, consideration to any plans put forward. The engineer's monthly report stated that ua outlet had" been opened at Taumutu by scoop teams :on Monday afternoon, but the- cutting had been blocked during the night with the heavy sea. It was little use making a further attempt runtil conditions improved.