DRAINAGE OF LAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 91, 15 March 1935, Page 9

DRAINAGE OF LAND

MAKERUA BOARD. The Makerua Drainage Board met yesterday, those present being -Messrs H. Seifert (charimnn), W. Jackson, E. ]E. Alabin, J. D. Aitchison, T. D. | Lynch. W. J. Ross and G. Larsen. The report of the overseer (Mr P. V. Tucker) was adopted as follows: —- Temporary repairs to the Mukapai Sump power lino have been carried out. cfore this line can again be used a thorough overhauling will be necesI sary. The cross-arms are more or loss decayed, and all the poles need straightening up and rebloclting. Three small pipe floodgates leading into Birnie and Coombs’s Drain are being attended to. It was found necessary to excavate and relay the pipes, fit collars on the joints and erect parapots and aprons. Two of these floodgates are completed, and a third is now being done. The main outlet of Birnie and Coombs’s Drain will also receive attention. The cleaning of the intersecting channel will need to be started next week, otherwise the cleaning of the old main, Seifert’s, and Akers’s drains will be held up. Attention is drawn to the damage to drains where stock hate free access to them. Seifert’s drain is completely blocked in places. The old main, No.'l and No. 2 drains have also suffered. Reporting on a proposal to buy a tractor, the chairman said that after going into figures it seemed that a tractor would lie hired for the amount the board would have to pay if it owned one. On that score, and on account of the large outlay involved, the committee recommended that no action be taken. The hoard decided to take no action and thanked the committee for their work. The meeting decided that the 10 per cent, penalty on the second instalment of current rates unpaid should bo applied as from May 25. In a supplementary report the over- | seer said three small groynes had been erected where erosion had occurred at Allwright’s bend in a recent 6ft fresh. The groynes appeared to be doing good work. At Mr A. W. Akers’s property the work agreed upon was being carried out and the hauling would Ijo finished this week and the planting also finalised. At Coley’s bend the upper portion of n slip still had to be fascined with willows. The bottom was protected with heavy trees and it would be advisable to leave that section until later when there would be a chance of willows growing.—The report was received. Mr Jackson said the groynes were wholly satisfactory so far. Mr A. R. Whitehead, manager for the Mukapai Flax Company, waited on the board in support of a letter asking that relief from flooding he given the company’s 499 acres of land at Tokomaru. Air Whitehead said that a pump to deal with the water would need to be a very large one.. The land collected the water from 8000 acres. Mr Ross thought the floodgates were quite inadequate at present. They were only 9ft by 41ft altogether and a pump would not bo able to handle the amount of water. The other members of the board agreed that a pump, even of 6(XH) gallons an hour capacity, ns the letter suggested, would not •be large enough to deal with the water and, further, the cost would be prohibitive. On the motion of Air Lynch it was agreed that the board inspect the site on Alonday to see if the floodgates could ho enlarged or what other work could be done to give relief to tho land in floods.

It was agreed that the estimates for the next year should be considered at the next monthly meeting. The chairman was authorised to act in regard to the re-employment of relief labour, for drainage works, the board having earlier decided not to employ relief labour on account of the fire risk. The clerk was instructed to call tenders as usual for the cleaning of certain drains. The financial statement showed that expenses from the general account totalled £l9l 2s 8d lor the month, the principal items being No. 5 scheme wages £25 Is, drain maintenance £l6 12s 4d, river maintenance £76 and pumping plant expenses £45 14s 2d. The sum of £941 7s 4d had been paid during the month for the current year’s rates and £2l had been paid off the rates outstanding from the previous year. The No. 5 scheme wages refunded totalled £76 13s 6d. The chairman reported that there was a scour in the bank near the Alangahao Stream. The position was that the bank belonged to the Public Works Department and the scour had occurred below the main road bridge. —lt was agreed to write to the department asking that the bank he attended to, as it is eroded half way through now. The letter is also to state that the department will be held responsible if any flooding occurs as the result of a washout.