Makerua Plains

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6834, 15 April 1932, Page 8

Makerua Plains

DRAINAGE BOARD MEETS The Makerua Drainage Board met in Palmerston North yesterday, when there were present Messrs. H. Seifert (chairman), H. Akers, J. H. P. Liggins, T. D. Lynch, E. E. Mabin, W. Jackson and G. Larsen. Einancc The clerk (Mr. N. I. Nielsen) submitted a financial statement which disclosed a credit of £165 IS/10 in the intersecting channel loan of £1350. The bank overdraft in the general account on April 1 was £5043 4/6, while by April 14 it had increased to £5287 18/11. Outstanding rates for the year 193031 amounted to £203 11/6, and for 193132 there was owing £2735 6/1.1 (general) and £5-19 4/9 (special). General The chairman reported that a tender approximating 11/6 per chain had been accepted for deepening Seifert’s drain. Messrs. P. E. Baldwin and 11. 11. Cooper waited on tho board seeking (lie enlarging of a drain through the land of Messrs. AVood and Co. in order to facilitate tho How of water from a drain along tho boundary of Messrs. Reielicl’s and Stiles’ properties. The board pointed out that the drain through Wood and Co.’s property did not belong to it, and advised the deputation to make application to Messrs. Wood and Co. for the work to bo done. The Minister forwarded approval of the £350 loan debentures being hypothecated. —The board decided to approach the bank for tho money.

Floodgates Damaged The overseer (Mr. P. V. Tucker) reported that the damaged llood gates on the Mukapai drain had been replaced by spare gates taken from the intersecting channel. At low' water he had found a leak under the sill of tho Makerua drain Hoodgates. This fault had been overcome by putting a concrete wall at both ends of the culvert below tho sill and down into the solid clay. The gates from tho Mukapai drain had been doubly strengthened and would be placed in the Makerua drain as soon as the protection work at Coley’s bend was finished. The deepening work in No. 1 drain was being done by No. 5 relief schemo workers, but little progress was being made, as few men were available. For the current week ho had six single men for two days each. The bulk of tho Coley’s bend protection work had been carried out, and tho job would have been finished but for wet weather. Thcro remained tho concrete weights to bo placed on the groynes, and fences to bo repaired. The work had been carried out below tho estimated cost. Eight Tokomaru married unemployed had been placed on farms, leaving two married men and two single men employed by tho board. Tho wallows cut along the main drain and the Tokomaru stream had been burned. The following flood gates needed repairing: No. 2 drain (cost £10), Seifert’s drain (cost £445/4) and the emergency gates (cost £6 15/).

An Urgent Work Reporting on the matter of tho Te Punga cut, which was necessary in order to protect Coley’s bend, tho clerk said ho had written the Unemployment Board stressing the urgent nature of the work and asking that an unemployment camp be established there. Mr. J. Linklater, M.P., had also been made aware of the position and had since advised that a camp w r ould be established. The Public Works Department had reported having forwarded particulars to headquarters, and was awaiting instructions.

The chairman said the work was extremely urgent. If the bank went at Coley’s bend thousands of acres would bo covered with water, probably for weeks. Mr. Mabin sought advice as to whether the board had a legal duty in connection with the matter, and asked if the work could not be started out of the rates. The chairman said the board was unable to raise a loan, but the general rate had not reached its limit. Mr. Mabin undertook to get the opinion of tho board’s solicitor regarding the board’s responsibility. In reply to a request for information as to the results of representations made to tho Government to havo local body indebtedness rearranged so that accrued sinking funds could be used for the purpose, the Eastbourne Borough Council advised that the Government had indicated that it intended giving the matter of local body finance special consideration, but no indication of its proposals had been given. The original proposal of tho Eastbourne Borough Council was that annual sinking fund payments should bo postponed for, say, four years. The clerk reported that tho overdraft limit for tho year would be £12,160 (75 per cent, of the rates struck), and it was decided to apply for that overdraft, members remarking that it would bo needed. Willow Plantations

The overseer presented a special report upon the board’s willow plantations. Tippler’s (below Shannon bridge) work had held well and the willows had a good hold. No further work was needed except the planting of more willows. t Wall’s protection: Tho willows on top of the bank had made good growth, but seven chains needed planting over the river bank (cost £ls). Lower Whitaunui: About ten chains of planting was required from Boss's drain down-stream to the present protection. Twenty chains of willow fencing would require re-erection. Upper Whitaunui: Tho protection work was holding well, but three chains of willow fascining was required over tho river bank, with 18 chains of: fencing to be strengthened and 1000 willows to be planted on top (cost £74). Lower Poplar: This protection of willows had becomo dry and buoyant. More willows should be placed on the existing cables and weighted with concrete. Ton chains of fencing required strengthening (cost £96 10/). Upper Poplar: Tho protection was sound, but extensive planting was required and 70 chains of fencing would havo to be strengthened (cost £65). Opui bend: This work had held well and willows out of tho reach of stock had mado good growth. Thirty-one chains of fencing needed strengthening

and 3000 willow stakes should be planted (cost £3O). Western Poplar: Willows over the river bank had made good progress, but 2000 required to be planted on top of the bank and 20 chains of fencing required strengthening (cost £2O). Hansen’s bond: Only live chains of willows out of 31 chains planted had grown, the balance being washed out. An inspection by the board was advisable. Buglass’ plantation: Willows planted on the bank had grown well, but 31 chains of fencing needed strengthening (cost £ls 10/). The various works suggested were referred to the estimates, which will be considered at a special mectimr on Wednesday, April 20.