DRAINAGE CONTROL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 8, 8 December 1936, Page 9

DRAINAGE CONTROL

MANAWATU BOARD. CONSTRUCTION OK FLOODGATE. The monthly meeting of the Manawatu Drainage Board was held yesterday. Those present were Trustees P. G. Mildon (chairman), D. Prouse, It. Tanner, F. J. Russell J. Collis, H. It. Green and W. E. Thomas. The report of the overseer (Mr M. Wilson) was adopted as follows: —"Improvement work. —Burke's drain : Fair progress has been made with this work, approximately II chains having been completed. During the last fortnight the work lias been slowed up a little on account of the hardness of the ground, but slight adjustments to the scraper have been made, with good results. Main drain: Cleaning and improving of this drain a.re still being carried out, but owing to several freshes during the last week, other work had to be carried out, such as cutting goatsrue and attending to Burke's drain." The board considered again a request from the Sluggish River Board for a contribution toward the cost of securing an originating summons to clarify a point raised in a judgment by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M. The board had for consideration a newspaper report of the judgment, and it was briefly discussed. The chairman commented that in order to be sfire whether it was worth while taking legal action to clear up the point a solicitor would have to go through the judgment, comparing it with the sections of the Act it referred to. On the motion of Mr Prouse, it was decided to hold the matter over to see if there were a.ny further developments before the next meeting. The chairman reported that the members of the board had inspected the site of the new floodgate to be built at the location of Moore's floodgate, which was washed away some time ago. It had been decided to proceed with the work in January. Preliminary arrangements for the inception of the undertaking were made by the board. The repairing of a floodgate near the Milson deviation was referred to, and it was decided to write again to the Pailway Department, asking that the department undertake the work, if a start had not already been made, the members being of the opinion that the work was the responsibility of the department. The Auditor-General returned the board's balance-sheet for the year 1935-36 audited and found correct.— The chairman congratulated the clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) on the fact that there were no "tags" on the board's balance-sheets.

The chairman reported that arrangements had been made with the Labour Department for the continuance of a supply of unemployed labour on the same conditions as at present. — The chairman's action was confirmed. The clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) reported that of the total rates for this year (£4773 15s) £727 7s had been paid. That was 15.23 per cent, of the total, and at the December meeting last year the corresponding percentage had been 9.06. It was possible that a portion of the increase in payments was due to the sending out of a circular by the Kairanga County Council stating that the 10 per cent, penalty unpaid rates would be added soon. Some of the county ratepayers had paid their drainage rates, toil, in paying the county rates.

The' board endorsed a proposal by the clerk that the Christmas holidays be from December 24 until January 12 for the office staff and from December 18 until January 4 for the outside staff. Tile chairman extended seasonal greetings to the members of the hoard, the staff, the clerk and his staff and the Press.—Mr Tanner replied on behalf of the board and said the chairman had done excellent work in the course of the year. The board was fortunate in having such a good chairman and such an efficient clerk.

Other members spoke in a similar strain.