TRUSTEES OF MANAWATU DRAINAGE BOARD MEET

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7296, 5 August 1930, Page 9

TRUSTEES OF MANAWATU DRAINAGE BOARD MEET

Control Discussed The monthly meeting of the trustees of the Manawatu Drainage Hoard was held yesterday morning. There were present: Messrs D. Prouse (chairman); D. Collis .R. Tanner, F. J. Bussell, Pi G. Mildon, A, ,W. Hamlin and W. E| Thomas. In regard to the artesian flow from the Kairanga Dairy Company’s factory on to tho Longburn-Rongotea road, the chairman reported ho had gone into tlicj mattor and an effort would bo 'made to reduce the flow of water. i Tho chairman .reported that in coim pany witli Mr. Tanner, ho had inspect; od tho stopbanks built by Mr. R. Moore, at Rangiotu. He said there was no doubt that it was very necessary work and Mr. Moore was asking the board to contributo towards the cost. Ho undorstpod it had cost £ls and it was for the board to decide whether they were going to subscribe or not.

Mr. Tanner explained that the £ls included £5 for' the land. Bo couldn’t see why tho board should pay for the land. The bank was certainly of great benefit to tho settlors above it, but they had apparently refused to contribute towards the cost. Ho didn’t think tho board should contribute anything. Mr. Hamlin said ho thought that when tho work was first mooted, the board had made some sort of a promise to subscribe to the cost. Mr. Collis was of the same opinion and added that if tho board was to bonafit as a result of the stopbank, they should help pay for it. Mr. Thomas considered that the settlers above the stopbank should pay their share. Mr. Tanner explained that the stopbank was at present unprotected and there was always the possibility that it would be washed away. It was not so much a matter for the board as for tho settlers concerned. Tho clerk read the minutes covering the visit of tlio deputation and explained that tho board bad not been committed to any, expense. The chairman thought the board might contributo £5 towards tho cost of the work, but Messrs Thomas and Russeß moved that the request be turned down and this was carried. £1250 Tacnui Easin Loan. Tho clerk reported that the Local Government Loan’s Board had sanctioned the raising of the loan of £1250 for improving the drainage of the Taonui basin by enlarging Burke’s and Main drains. Continuing, he said that tho majority of tho ratepayers had already signed the ratepayers’ consent and the board now awaited the consenting Order in Council before the special order for raising the loan could be proceeded with. It was resolved that a sub-committee consisting' of the chairman, Messrs Tanner, Mildon, Thomas and Hamlin go into the question of the proposed work and bring down a report as to tho best way to go about it. The clerk explained that Mr. H. Hands had written stating he would not support the loan unless relief was embodied to effect the cleaning and deepening of the natural water course through his land and the land of ratepayers adjoining.—Mr. Hand's letter was received.

The chairman reported that tho contracts had been let since last meeting for the following works: —Buick’s, Small’s. Bennett’s, Boundary, Clovclca, Ryman’s and Balsillic’s, Hughes’, Dalcfield’s, Clausen’s Whiskey Creek (top portion!, Collins’. Lovelock’s, Mitchell’s, Rutledge’s, Wi]soni’s, Leigh’s, Thompson's, and Shannon’s. Kairanga-Bunnythorpe Road. The Kairanga County Council wrote intimating that the council was prepared to remove the spoil excavated from the drain at the lower end of tho Kairanga-Bunnythorpe road,_acros3 the road, provided the board paid half the cost. —Mr. Collis thought it a veryfair offer and that the spoil, which was a big weight on the bank, should be moved. Mr. Mildon thought the cheapest way to deal with tho spoil would bo to use it for levelling up ground between the drain and tho road. Mr. Tanner agreed that that would bo the wisest thing to do. Mr. Hamlin mentioned that the road was very narrow there and that the road would have to be widened sooner or later. Mr. Collis contended that the board should make a straight out offer to the council. He moved that the county be offered £5 to shift tho spoil to the other side of tho road. —This was adopted. H. N. Lancaster wrote stating that tho part of tho drain through Rutledge’s had not been cleared out for years, if ever, and asking that the board give some relief by having it cleaned out. —Tho matter was referred to tho chairman and Mr. Mildon, with power to act. Mrs. L. G. Rawlins, London, wrote thanking the board for cable of sympathy in respect to tho death of her brother, Mr. F. W. Connel (late clerk to tho board). Overseer’s Report. The overseer (Mr. W. J. Goman), reported that tho following work has been carried out during the month of July:— Some 35 chains of Mitchell’s and Tanner’s drain has been cleaned costing Ss 3d per chain (including eight chains deepened); US chains widened in Whiskey creek costing £1 5s 4-)cl per chain.