Ever Control in City Area

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 181, 31 July 1934, Page 10

Ever Control in City Area

FURTHER GROYNE CONSTRUCTION AFTER RECENT FLOODS Tlio Palmerston North River Board met yesterday, Mr A. E. Mansford occupying tho chair. Other trustees present wero Messrs Ct. Tremaine, J. Hodgens, E. L. C. Aitchison, Jos. Batchelar, W. E. Hopcroft and C. Anderson. Foreman's Report Tho foreman of works (Mr A. Lane) reported as follows; — Above Child Bros. Shingle Works: Tho construction of No. 3 regulation groyne is completed; length 110 feet, cost £l3B 10s; per foot, £1 5s 3d. Gosling’s East: Tho driving of the piles for extending No. 2 groyno is in progress. Two front piles have been driven and tho necessary timber to complete this work is deposited on the site. . A recent flood action accounted for some erosion on tho west bank of Mr Gosling's property above Brigktwater terrace, necessitating the repairing of II chains of tho oldestablished willow bank. Tho cost of this work is £3O Ss Od. Tho necessary material for tho filling in of this breach was supplied by Mr Gosling.

Relief Work: An average of twenty men per week has been employed during tho past month. Tho work consists of replacing 200 trees on Mr Hopcroft’s and 100 trees on Mr Watt's foreshores; tho planting of COO trees on Koehler Bros., To Matai; removing old fence, TC-erecting 30 chains of new fence so as to allow sufficient area for tho planting of tho trees (tho necessary fencing material was supplied by Messrs Koehler Bros.); tho clearing of tho foreshoro behind tlio Dcfcnco property, removing old fence, re-erecting 'lO chains of new fcnco back on to tho original site, and planting of this enclosure in willows. The work in hand for No. 5 men is as follows: (a) Tho planting of 1000 trees on Mr Gosling's property; (b) cutting of the old willows between tho Fitzhcrbert bridge and tho Defence property, and replanting of same. Owing to the unsettled weather and river conditions that have prevailed during tho past month, the groyne construction work has been somewhat interrupted, and it was necessary to postpono this work till tho conditions wero moro favourable.

During the month several freshes liavo been recorded, tho highest being lift din. on tho 17th instant. —Tho report was adopted. Survey of Flood Damage

Reporting specially with reference to tho two recent floods (10ft. Oin. and lift. Sin.), Mr F. Fisher (advisory engineer) stated: —“Tlio flood dimensions as stated aro generally inadequate for eJTeclivo regulation of the river channel and in certain restricted areas of the channel, notably at Durden’s and Gosling bend w r est, where intensified restriction of tho channel has taken place, thereby adversely affecting tho works. Exclusive of these two areas a general’ perceptiblo improvement of the channel is manifest, though not jn a degree desired, and until tlio advent of maximum floods Little can be expected on the scale desired. Regarding tho works adversly affected at Darden’s and Gosling’s bend west, being of a serious nature I reported the matter to tho chairman, who referred it to a committeo of the board, including myself, to inspect and investigate tho matter. Accordingly an inspection was mado on Monday, tho 23rd instant, with tho result that wo unanimously agreed that an additional’ groyne should bo constructed at Durden’s bend without delay, also tlio base work of an existing groyne (subject to damage) to bo efficiently restored. On receipt of the committee’s decision tho chairman has authorised preparatory w T ork iu this connection. I estimate the cost of the additional groyne at £l3O and restoration of the baso of old groyno at £7O, making a total of £2OOO. -The committeo‘also agreed on tho necessity of a groyno to overcome a weakness in the works at Gosling’s bend west, which I estimate to cost £9O. Tho piles required for the construction of all tho proposed additional groyno work aro in stock, as the piles provided for iu the estimates for the final’ groyno at tho Old Racecourse (sinco deleted from tho estimates) can be transferred and used for the construction of tho groyno in 'question, leaving little extra material cost unprovided for In tho estimates. I strongly adviso tho board to adopt the committee’s recommendations as tho circumstances fully justify the’

Tho seventh round of the ltosco cup stroke competitions Vv'ill bo played this week, tho draw being as follows: — Ladies; Mrs Freo and Mrs Aikman, Miss Harwood and Mis 3 Q. Whittaker, Mr 3 Heggio and Miss D. Whittaker, Mrs Peters and Miss W. Peters, Miss V. Peters and Miss Gaustad, Mrs Hancox and Miss Gooding, Mrs Sinclair and Miss Gore, Mrs Walker and Miss Barker, Mrs Wheeler and Miss Thwaites. Men: Stiles and Pink, Hodder and McAvoy, Free and Stallard, Bennett and partner, Adamson and Kemp, Pentecost and Heggio, Ilancox and Young, Rose and Ball, Bicliards and Goddard, Robson arid Godfrey, Goro and Abrahams.