LAND DRAINAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 207, 3 August 1931, Page 8

LAND DRAINAGE

MANAWATU BOARD MEETING. The monthly meeting of the 3lanawatu Drainage Board was held to-day, 3D D. Prouse presiding. Also present were 3lessrs Coiiis. 3lildon. Russell, Tanner, Thomas and Hamlin. The overseer (3D 31. Wilson) reported as follows: —An average of 10-5 men per week have been employed under, the No. 5 Scheme. The following work has been carried oat during the month: —Rutledge's Drain cleaned, top portion improved. Thompson s Drain cleaned; Hamlin's Drain cleaned and improved (not finished); Bunnythorpe Kairanga Road improved and deepened (not finished); two new drains have teen completed on Aorangi Road : Doherty's Drain cleaned ; Boundary Drain improved (not finished); No. 4 Line Drain improved (not finished). A large gang of men were employed improving a drain on private property, the owner paying tor transport of the men. Good progress is being made with the re-elec-tion of the fence on the banks of Bourke's Drain. Silt that had accumulated at culvert in 3lanson's Drain has been removed. The men who could not be transported have been employed on improving the 3langaone Stream. I have paid several visits to Bourke's Drain rioodgate. Owing to the unsettled weather various drains have taken longer to finish on account of the water.

The chairman reported that the Kairanga County Council had been granted permission to make cuts in the =tcpt>ank on the Kairanga-Bunnythorpe Road to drain away water. 3D Doherty, Aorangi Road, waited on the board, with the request- that a private drain on his property be cleaned. This would be the first time the board had carried out such work to this drain.—liie chairman point-ed out that under the Act the board would be responsible thereafter for the cleaning of the drain if it- did the work. It the Act were amended the work could possibly be done. 3lr Tanner said he considered that the fencing of the 3lain Drain should be continued as the material had been purchased. The labour, being furnished under the No. 5 scheme, would be gratis. There was a distance of about 55 chains to be fenced.—The matter was held in abeyance until the next meeting.

Ihe chairman reported that 3lorris’s Drain was a private one and that the board was not responsible.

3D Tanner asked that a number of small jobs be completed as the occupiers would otherwise consider that the board was not doing its work.— The chairman replied that they iiad been overlooked previously and that there were men available. On 3D Tanner's motion it was resolved- that certain drains be given immediate attention. “These small things make the board useful,” he commented, adding that men living in the vicinity could do the work.

3D_P. J. Small, an ex-member of the Unemployment Board, waited on the board, and stated that a history of the Unemployment Board's activities would be compiled and would be sent to practically every Government in the world. D' possible, he would like the 3lanawatu Drainage Board's works included in the “history,” stating particulars of the benefit obtained. The statistics would be forwarded to 3D Malcolm Fraser, in Wellington. In conclusion 3D Small praised the very fine work which the board had done in relieving flood menace in its district.. It was resolved that the matter be left in the hands of the chairman and the engineer. The financial statement disclosed an overdraft of £2333 2s lOd in the general account. There was a credit balance of £1 14s 4d in the £1250 loan account and £4 12 s 2d credit balance in the £SOO loan account. In connection with Burke's Drain and 3lain Drain improvements, an overexpenditure of £97 lbs 4d was shown.