MIRANDA DRAINAGE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2803, 20 November 1931, Page 5

MIRANDA DRAINAGE.

SCHEME SUBMITTED 10 SETTLERS. ACCEPTED IN MODIFIED FORM. WORK TO PROCEED FORTHWITH At last the Miranda drainage scheme has assumed definite proportions, and a unanimous decision by settlers affected and County representatives to proceed forthwith on the modified scheme submitted by the Lands Drainage Department will see the work soon in hand. At last meeting of the County CrM-nji there was some division over this matter, and a decision to place the" whole position before the ratepayers resulted, on Wednesday evening last, in Crs. Madgwiek. Parfitt, Motion and McChme, accompanied by the County Clerk (Mr E. A. Mahoney) and the Lands Drainage Engineer (Mr E. Taylor), meeting a body of about twenty ratepayers in the Waitakaruru Hall. Cr. McClune, the Riding representative, briefly explained the nurpose of the meeting, and proposed that f’r. Madgwiek occupy the chair. Cr. Madgwiek, ; n taking the chair, aid that the Council felt that the ratepayers of the area were perfectly justified in desiring to know the full details of the new scheme. His intention was to explain what was in the councillors’ minds with regard to the modified scheme, and thereafter to discover what opinion was held by the settlers affected. He continued then to explain how the modification of the original scheme had been necessitated.

After the loan had been carried over the area, application was made to the Government for a subsidy, but the position of the Treasury could not allow a direct monetary subsidy to be given. Council representatives went therefore to the Unemployment Board and were successful in obtaining a vote of £3,000 to be expended along specified lines in hand labour. An analysis of the work, however, showed that there was only £2,000 worth of hand labour possible in the original scheme, and since the total cost was estimated at £12.000, and the settlers had agreed to find £9,000, there was an apparent deficit of £l.OOO. On this account, therefore, the Council was diffident about, carrying on with the scheme. It considered that too big a burden would be placed upon the land within the area. Then the scheme of approaching the Unemployment Boar ! for an increased subsidy was evolved. With the assistance of the Lands Drainage Department the original scheme was modified to include a greater proportion of hand Inbou*'. and on submittal to the Unemployment Board was accepted ns the best scheme yet put forward for the relief of unemployed. A full amount of subsidy was granted for hand ’abour, anti was unlimited in extent since it. was tc continue until the scheme v.as completed. The chairman continued to explain the details of the scheme, as appeared in a recent issue of the "Gazette,” indicating how methods of co-opera-tive contract would be employed, under which labourers would be paid on results.

The Lands Drainage Engineer (Mr E. Taylor) then discussed the modifications of the scheme with the meeting. Originally the scheme was of three parts: A drain would intercept hill water near the base of the hills and discharge it through the Kairito Creek as an outlet to the Gulf. The second part of the scheme involved the construction of stop banking along the foreshore, between the Waitakaruru and Kairito streams, and the last part provided for a certain, amount of internal drainage. It had originally been intended to dredge the outlet into the Gulf, but since this was essentially machine work, it had been omitted from the modified proposals. To bring the whole scheme within scope of hand 'nbour it was found necessary to reduce the depth of the main drains from seven feet to five, which w’as considered to be ’he maximum throw’ for men working in soft ground. He considered that for £7,000 this scheme could be put into satisfactory working order. Mr Mahoney, County Clerk, then vninined the financial side of the scheme. It had been proposed to raise £9,000 at 57 per cent., and this had received the endorsement of the Loans Board. An Order in Council however, had reduced the interest rate to 51 per cent. Shares were practically unsaleable at that figure, so the Council had given authority for the shares to be hypothecated with the Bank of New Zealand. In order that no hold up might result for want of necessary finance in the early part of the work, the Council had voted £2,000 from the general account.

Rates over the lean area had been pledged on the voting paper al sid and 4£d on A and B class lands. As the scheme will not, it is estimated, exceed the figure of £7,000, rates will thus be lessened. For the next two years, however, the maximum rate will have to be levied to meet the requirements necessitated by the methods employed to provide speedy finance for the scheme. Money will be raised this year for the scheme, but no rate will be levied for the current year. Though rates for the next two years will be at a maximum, thereafter they should be - -duced to 4Ad and 3&d. In answer to a question, Mr Taylor explained that the whole substance of the scheme would be carried out, but in a modified form. The only work to be totally omitted was the dredging in the gulf. He anticipated that a little money would be left over for dredging. The drains could be very economically deepened iater on by machinery. The clerk explained that the extra £2.000 could be raised when required, Mr Taylor stating that £1,200 would bo required to deepen the drains. Cr. Madgwiek pointed out that estimates v4ere given on maximum figures, and there would possibly be a considerable saving. Mr Taylor would keep a strict eye on working costs.

One ratepayer asked if any guarantee would be given for a completed scheme at £7,000, the chairman replying that all costs were based on the engineer’s estimates. Mr Taylor said the cost would be about -Od to Is Id per cubic yard of spoil removed. On a co-operative contract scheme the average weekly earnings would be below £3 per week, giving the Council a subsidy of at least £1 for £l. Settlers expressed the apprehension that the flow of water would be increased in rapidity internally, but that the outlets would he insufficient » cope with it, since no dredging w’as to be done. Cr. Motion, however, thought that the water would have a good spread once outside the floodgate. His experience was that outlets, if constructed, would probably silt up. If an outlet was to be constructed, then he advocated a narrow, and deep one, so that a scouring action would be provoked. The chairman then asked the meeting for an expression of opinion. Money was available from the Unemployment Board for the modified scheme. If the settlers turned this down the idea of draining the block would have to be abandoned for the present. If accepted, work could commence in a week, if needs be. Cr. Motion said that £2,000 would be saved by the modified scheme. He doubted if £2,000 would be lost by it,

ns far ns beneficial results were concerned. Cr. Parfitt then gave his views on the scheme, and which practically coincided with those of previous speakers. One point of difference, however, was embodied in a proposal which he intended .placing before the Department's engineers. This was to pay men the rate of subsidy allowed by the Unemployment Board, plus a small amount for every yard they removed. This would enable the Council to reckon on specific subsidy from the Board. The settlers then agreed by a motion, proposed by Mr W. Stretton, and seconded by Mr E. Duffin, to place the matter in the Council’s hands to carry into effect ‘along the modified lines. A hearty vote of thanks to the chair, and all speakers, and the Council in general, then closed the meeting. A matter which arose towards the end of the meeting was the necessary construction of a new bridge over the main canal. One ratepayer felt it necessary that the Council accept some of the responsibility for a new bridge. Cr. McClune pointed out that all the bridges were in a bad condition. There had been a good deal of money already spent on the road. He had hoped the reconstiuction of bridges might be deferred until the road was taking through traffic and hail been ’'•clnred a secondary highway. Then a subsidy on all bridges would be forthcoming. "he clerk said there was a subsidy available on all bridges built, but cases were really taken on their merits. Cr. McClune said that Waitakuiuru Riding had already had a fair amount of public money this year, but there was no harm in asking for more. He would investigate the matter of the bridges.