GOVERNMENT GRANT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 132, 6 May 1941, Page 3

GOVERNMENT GRANT.

IMPROVEMENT TO STREAMS. Advice was received by the Manawatu Drainage Board at" its meeting, yesterday, jrom the town clerk (Mr J. R. Hardie) that since the fonference of the local bodies held about the Kawau and Mangaone streams, the Palmerston North City Council had received a communication from the Minister of Finance (Hon. W. Nash) intimating that the Government was prepared to make a grant of £SOOO towards the cost of the work and the council liad therefore decided to call another conference to consider the com-j munication. it was therefore proposed that the conference bo convened as soon as possible alter the forthcoming! elections. The work involves improve-, ment to the lower reaches of the Man-I gaone Stream, the raising of the hanks I of the lower Kawau Stream, and im-j provement of the channel from Foxton Line to the Awapuni lagoon, at aj total estimated cost of £!W(JO. i The Minister's letter stated that the grant was subject to 70 per cent, of the labour involved in the work beingi taken from men at present employed; on Scheme 13 jobs, and payment would j | be effected progressively us the work' proceeded in proportion to the expen-l diture incurred, and would be subject to verification of the labour content of the job by the district employment officer. It was decided to refer the letter to the incoming board as it was not possible to do anything about it immediately before the local l>ody elections. The chairman (Trustee P. 0. Mildon)} thought it would bo a very valuable work to the district as iar as the Mangaone was concerned, but the apportionment of the cost was one aspect which would have to be discussed. The question would arise .as to whether', the town or the county would be geting a greater benefit from the work and thus an equitable apportionment of cost would have to bo considered. If the work was gone on with it was one to which the board should bo very sympathetic its far as its side was concerned, if it could be carried out. at a reasonable cost.