PROPOSED DRAINAGE BOARD AT NORTHERN WAIROA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8958, 16 August 1892, Page 6

PROPOSED DRAINAGE BOARD AT NORTHERN WAIROA.

A meeting of Tatarariki settlers was held in the Te Kopuru Hall on Wednesday to discuss the advisability of forming a Tatarariki Drainage District. ' A previous meeting had been held,' and a committee formed to inspect the district, and bring up a report as to what was required and the probable cost, and the present meeting was to hear and discuss the report. Mr. Thomas Bassett was voted to the chair, and on behalf of the committee reported that they considered it necessary to cut a new outlet at Leabourn's, about twelve feet wide, estimated to cost £100; to clean and pave two outlets at Kidd's, £30; to clean and grada Bassett's outlet, £25; to enlarge the drain on the west side of the main road, £137 (137 chains); to enlarge the outlet at Matthew's, say five feet, £50; to clean Seymourls outlet, £20; to cut a new outlet from Watson's to Kopuru Creek, £30: total cost of proposed works, £392. The valuation assessment of the: district to be benefitted amounts to £17.690, and the rates raised by the County Council at a penny rate, together with the proportion of subsidy added, would amount to £91 19s 2d. The district's share of couuty expenses, including charitable aid and interest on £6000 loan, will absorb £50, and leave only £41 19s 2d available from the 2ounty funds. A threehalfpenny rate would bring in £137. The area of the proposed district is 3323 acres, and the committee propose the striking of a rate of sixpence per acrt, which would bring in £83 la 6d. This continued for three years would realise £249 4s id, and the county may be looked to for an expenditure of £125 17s 3d in the three yeais from rates raised in the district. This would come close up to the amount required The Council had spent more than the amount named in the district during the past three years, and their expenditure in the future would probably exceed it. If a Drainage Board be not formed, the £41 available would not do more than keep the main road in repair. The committee consider th»t, after three years of the sixpenny rate, il,would be advisable to continue a penny rate for the special purpose of keeping the draihs clean and in good order. Mrs. Andrevs said that the chairman had spoken of the drainage of the lower farms, but what about the upper farms ? She had endeavoured to jet Mr. Woodhead, when he was chairman in the County Council, to cut the water off fr#m the top end. and if such were done she w«uld have some benefit. It was nothing new for them to be flooded, as all the money had been spent on the low land, and she wo*ld like to know what the committee propoied to do for the high lands. Mr. Bassett said the drains proposed would provide outlets. Mrs. Andrews said she had spent a lot of money in putting a drain between her farm and the next, ana her neighbour never paid a farthiug. It was the water off the hills that did the damage. Mr. J. H. Watsost considered that the drains should be kept clean by the parties through whose property they ran. Mr. F. W. Matthews said they had all suffered a great deal from flood waters owing to the formation of the district, but they were not gathered together to blame each other. They had done what they could. Mr. Bassett and himself had expended £80 last year to keep their properties dry, and when their drains vere cut they were sufficient to keep their lands dry, but settlers on the main road had drained into their outlets, aed they had consequently suffered much from flood water this season. Crops had been destroyed, and they had been prevented from putting other crops in. The grading of the drain from Mr. Andrews' seemed to be at fault, for it ought to drain into Kopuru creek. They knew Mr. Andrews, as well as others, had suffered very much from flood water from the back, and there seemed no way to remedy it but by making themselves into a drainage district. Mr. Emmanuel Johnson said that it was well known that the outlet at Mr. Matthews' had more water than it could take away, and now it was proposed to cut more drains, which would flood it more still. What was mentioned was a drain through Cobbald's. Mr. Matthews said that was a mistake, because it was proposed to widen his drain, and also to divert some of the water into the Kopuru Creek. Mr. Andrews said the body of the water came down by Sills', and very little good would be done unless the water was taken thence straight to the river. The making of Mr. Matthew's drain twice the width would not do it. Mr. Bassett did not agree with Mr. Johnson, as the drains' proposed would be effective without cutting a new one through Cobbald's.

Mr. Matthews said it was a dangerous thing to eufcer upon a man's property, and this brought Mrs. Andrew to her feet in a severe accusation against Mr. Cobbald, and the chairman was obliged to call her to order. It was ultimately agreed, on the motion of Mr. Matthews. "That the report of the committee be adopted, and the settlers form themselves into a drainage district to carry out the proposals." Mr. Seymour seconded, and it was carried with only one dissentient. Messrs. Matthews, Seymour, and Andrews were then appointed a committee to draw up the petition to the County Council.[Own Correspondent.]