MIRANDA DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2801, 16 November 1931, Page 5

MIRANDA DRAINAGE.

o COUNCIL ACCEPTS PROPOSALS. PROLONGED DISCUSSION. MODIFIED SCHEME TO GO FORWARD. After prolonged discussion which lasted the greater part of the afternoon session of the last meeting of the Ilauraki Plains County Council on Thursday, the meeting decided, on a show of hands, to adopt the amended scheme for the construction of a drainage system in the WaitakaruruMiranda area. Crs. Madgwick, Motion, Parfitt. McClure and McDuff supported the recommendation of acceptance brought forward by the committee set up to investigate tlv matter. Crs. Hale and Mayn registering their votes against, while Crs. Fisher and Reid did not cast their votes. The chairman explained to the meeting the result of his visit to the Chief Drainage Engineer in Auckland, accompanied by Cr. Motion, and their subsequent visit to the Minister of Labour and the Unemployment Board in Wellington. The total result of their activities had been the modification of the original scheme, and the securing of the maximum of assistance from the Unemployment Board which offered to pay 29/- per week on account of married men and 13/6 per week on account of single men, over the whole period of the drainage works. The Unemployment Board considered it the best scheme that had been submitted to them. The Council was authorised to employ as many men as was considered requisite for the work, preference being given to married men. A scheme was drawn up under these conditions, in an amended form, after consultation with members of the council, by the Chief Drainage Engineer, Mr R. G. Macmorran, and was submitted for approval to the full meeting. The idea was to let the work on a system of payment per cubic yard so that the best workers would earn not more than £3 per week. At this rate the Unemployment Board’s subsidy would run about £1 for £l, as it was estimated that the cost of removing a cubic yard would, in the case of a married man, amount to about 1/1. Mr Macmorran's scheme was outlined in the following letter;--

The Suggested Scheme. “The first point was whether a camp should be provided for the men, and this, in my opinion, will lead to more satisfactory results and more satisfaction among the men. In this connection it is advisable for a cook and an assistant to be provided, as it is suggested that the camp be constructed so as to accommodate GO men, all of whom would pay mess accounts. The cook and assistant would be unemployed, and their wages would be subsidised by the Board. “It is also suggested that tools should be provided and issued to men who will be required to account for same at the completion of the work, fair wear and tear excepted, and this Department will account for all tools and (material purchased. Insurance should be paid by your Council, and it is suggested that this should be effected through the State office. “The transport of the men to the work should be paid for by your Council, with the provision that if a man leaves before the expiration of a month, the cost of his transport to the work to be deducted from the earnings due to him. “Supervision should be wholly carried out by this Department’s officers, and this would be kept at as low a rate as possible. It is proposed to place a good foreman on the work, but his wages would not be subsidised by the Board. “After allowing for above items, which are estimated to cost £3,500 at a maximum, there will be approximately £7,000 left for labour, there being £3,500 from your Council and an estimated equal amount from the Board. This would enable the excavation work to be carried out at rates varying from 9d to Is Id per cubic yard. “In order to ensure success of this scheme it is essential that there be only one controlling authority and it is suggested that this Department be in absolute control, but that your Council will be consulted if there is any serious alteration in plans. “The arrangement for the payment of supplies and wages is of prime importance, and I am suggesting to my head office that a special account be opened for this work into which funds will be paid from your Council, and the Unemployment Board, and from which the supplies and wages will be met. It is also proposed that your Council will be supplied with monthly statements of the payments and receipts. "If my suggestions to my head office are approved, I would require

£5OO to be paid into this special account as soon as the work is about to commence, and £3OO within a month after which monthly payments would be required to be arranged.” Council Disagree. Cr. McClune asked if notice had been sent to occupiers of land, the chairman replying that the Department would see to that part of the work. The Chairman: Do you accept the Board’s offer? It is the recommendation of the committee. Cr. Mayn: Our obligation should be definitely fixed. . We have only estimates, so far, I understand. The clerk replied that £7,000 was the Council’s limit. Cr. Mayn: But we want to know that the scheme will be completed? Cr. Hale: We have had authority t<> raise a loan. Since then the scheme has been notified. The drains are not so deep and the scheme will not be as effective. The Chairman: We have got to do the job Cr. Hale: As specified to the ratepayers when the loan was authorised. To raise the level of drains two feet is to break faith with the ratepayers. The Clerk: The loan was for £9,000 to construct a drainage system in the Waitakaruru district. He pointed out that no details were mentioned on the ballot paper. Cr. Mayn: The job will go only as far as the money will go. We want a guarantee that the job will be completed. We don’t want to spend £7,000 on an uncompleted job. The Chairman: We are running the job. The Department, with experienced men, is doing the work for us. They will carry out our instructions and our plans. Cr. Mayn; We should not. work on an estimate. Cr. McDuff pointed out that equipment would cost £3,000. He thought a contract would have given better value. Cr. McClune said there was only one way of getting the work done. The Chairman pointed out that the Unemployment Board’s offer did not have a limit. As long as the Council could find money to pay the mon the Board’s subsidy would be forthcoming. Cr. Mayn again insisted that some guarantee of completion was required. The Chairman: As long as we find the money, the work will be completed.

Cr. McClune: Who has set the price per yard? The Chairman: The Lands Drainage Engineer. Cr. McClune: The price seems to high. The Chairman said that the Department would watch the prices and would adjust them from time to time as necessary, with the authority of the Council. He pointed out that if a man earned £3 per week, the Council was paying on a £1 for £1 basis. If a man earned less, then the Council paid less than £1 for every £1 supplied by the Unemployed Board. The settlers had agreed to find £9,000. Cr. Parfitt: There are one or two safeguards of which the Council could avail themselves. As far as we are concerned we have no legal responsibility as to how we spend the money. But we have a moral obligation The Chairman: That is why we did not carry on with the original scheme. Cr. Parfitt continued to explain that the Council was assisting the Unemployment Board. At the same time the ratepayers had to be safeguarded. The Council would have to see that it obtained its money’s worth. The scheme, as amended, would cost £7,000 whereas £9,000 had been authorised. The scheme could be completed for the extra £2,000 if necessary. The question was: Could they, the Council, give the settlers what was required under the modified scheme? If the subsidy was indefinite, the cost of the work was indefinite. He would like to see the Council committed to a definite amount. He would like to see the mtn given the Unemployment Board’s wages and a specific amount for every cubic yard they shifted. Then the Council would have a definite commitment. Mr Mayn agreed with this view. He stated that the Council would have a possible incomplete scheme. Rather than carry on he would like to see the modified scheme referred to the ratepayers. They raised the loan on a certain understanding. Cr. McClune: The people want the drainage. This scheme is cheaper and is the only practicable one under the circumCnnces. The chairman said that the total job would be completed ?.t a price of between 9d and Is Id per yard. Cr. Mayn; It would not be too much to ask the Lands Drainage Department to complete the work on their estimate. The chairman said the Department had set a maximum wage per week, but it would be a good man that would earn it. Time would not be limited, as the Board had made allowance for a long or a short week.

Cr. Hale: My apprehension is that the settlers are undertaking a heavier burden than they can bear. The modified scheme is not going to give the effect of the whole scheme, and we will eventually be called upon to complete the scheme. The Chairman: I cannot agree. The Chief Drainage Engineer has brought down the scheme and says we will get results. It is not our own scheme. Cr. Hale: We have the experience of twenty years. It has been proved that for results we must have depth. The Chairman: Experienced men give us their opinion. Cr. Hale: We have their first opinion, and in order to cheapen the scheme drains have been modified. Besides, the land cannot stand the burden of loan rates, County rates, drainage rates, and a possible water rate. The Council is faced with a serious matter. The Chairman: These are arguments that should have been raised before. Cr. Hale again protested against the depth of drains, Cr. McDuff failing to agree with him. The chairman said that £2,000’ would remain over from the loan and, if the land was able to bear the burden, it could be used to complete the scheme. Cr. Hale was not satisfied. . The clerk pointed out that the modified scheme would enable the land to improve and the £2,000 could be spent at a later date. The chairman said that if the Council was going on with the scheme, the only practicable one was before them. Cr. McClune thought it a good idea to call a meeting of ratepayers and place the whole position before them. The chairman said the only bar to progress would be the inability of the land to bear the burden. Cr., Parfitt said the scheme could only be deferred at the best. The recommendation of the committee was then put to the meeting: “That the offer of the Unemployment Board to subsidise the construction of a drainage system in the Waitakaruru area, at the rate of 29s per week for married men and 13s 6d per week for single men, be accepted.” This was carried on a show of hands, Crs. Hale and Mayn voting against it, and Cr. Reid and Fisher not casting a vote. The scheme having been/iccepted-by the Council, the following resolutions were passed to place it in working order:— “(a)) That the Land Drainage Department be asked to undertake full control of the Waitakaruru drainage scheme, the Council to be consulted in any serious alteration contemplated”; and “(b) That the clerk be authorised to arrange the necessary finance by the sale and hypothecation of debentures, and that he be authorised to pay instalments to the Lands Drainage Department as they were required”; “(e) That the clerk be empowered to advance up to £2,000 from the general account to the Waitakaruru Drainage account, pending the arranging of finance by the sale and hypothecation of debentures.” It was decided that councillors would meet the people of the Waitakaruru area in the Public Hall, Waitakaruru, on Wednesday evening next, to discusse the adopted scheme.