DRAINAGE BOARDS' AFFAIRS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18667, 25 March 1924, Page 4

DRAINAGE BOARDS' AFFAIRS

THE ELSTOW CANAL LOAN.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT ]

TE AEOHA. Monday.

The Elstow Drainage Board met at Waihou on Friday, Mr. T. J. Andrews presiding.

The Piako County Council wrote stating it was prepared to contribute £37 10s toward the work in connection with Moyle's Outlet.

It was decided to raise a preliminary sum of £1000 out of the proposed loan of £30,000 so aa to permit the board to call tenders for an immediate start with the work of constructing the huge canal iD the Awaiti district. It was pointed cant by members that it would be necessary to proceed with a number of outlet drains before * the winter flood waters would retard work. Mr. VVynyard, a member of the board, telegraphed to the effect that the State Advance's Office would have no money available for the Awaiti loan of £30,000 for at least three months, and that the Public Trustee would in all probability advance a portion of the amount. With regard to Moyle's outlet work, the board decided to inform the Commissioner of Crown Lands, that both the board and the Piako County Council are prepared to adhere to their respective promises to subsidise the work on the condition that it is carried out at the sum available, viz., £412. In vie\y of the erection of a new hall at Elstow, and in response to the wish of the settlers in that district, the board agreed to confer with the engineer of the Piako County Council with a view to altering the course of the deep drain which at v>rese:at rufaa in front of the site. The following contracts were let: — Priest's stopbank; Gould's outlet; upper end of Johnson's creek; Ngutumanga outlet; Horn's Outlet lower part of Johnson's creek; Bunkley's outlet and Pawes' outlet. MEETING OF WAITOA BOARD. CLEANING OUT THE RTOR. [ex telegraph.—own correspondent] TE AROHA, Monday. The Waitoa Drainage Board met at Waitoa on Saturday. Mr. F. W. Walters presided. A resolution was carried urging the Government authorities to proceed as early as possible with the cleaning out" of the Waitoa River; and a further motion was passed asking that Baker's outlet be cleaned out immedi-' ately. It was agreed to request the Government to transfer the balance of the grant from the Piako River stopbank account to the fund for the Waiharakeke Stream improvement scheme. Permission was granted the New Zealand Dairy Company to construct a concrete pipe culvert, 4ft. in diameter, at its factory at 'Waitoa. The following contracts were let:— Darlington's outlet; outlet; No. 2 road drain ; Rush ton's No. 1 and No. 2 drains; Nala'soutlet; Cooper's No. 2 drains; Nala's outlet; Cooper's and Perrin'soutlets Cribb's, Deverell's, and Gleeson drains Toturakuna outlet; Phillpott's, B. Deviation, and West's outlet. THE MANGAWARA DISPUTE. CASE FOR PETITIONERS.

[by telegraph. —own correspondent.]

MORRINSVIIiLB. Monday.

The abrupt termination of tho proceed iitgs of the Mangawara River Board Commission through tho refusal of tho petitioners-, to proceed "with tho case, has caused considerable interest in the Morrinsville district. Mr. E. C. Pilldngton, of Tauhei, who is one of the xnembes of the Mangawara River Board, in an inter view, stated that the petitioners' objection to Mr. Adams as a commissioner is based on the fact that the latter was an expert witness for the board when the objections to the first classification were heard. The objectors called expert evidence to show that the works proposed by the board would not benefit the objectors' land. The board called Mr. Young and Mr. Adams to support the classification. Tho main grounds of the petition is that tho proposed works of the board will not benefit the great mass of the ratepayers. Mr. Adams has already stated on oath that they will. The petitioners therefore claim that Mr. Adams cannot support a recommendation that the prater of the petition be granted. Mr. Pilkington said that the petition was siened by 128 ratepayers out of a total of 155. Mr. Pilkington stated that in the upner area there were ratepayers five miles away from the nearest proposed works. Practically no- work had yet been done, and tho rates were so heavy that many settlers were unable to pay.'Those in the Orini district appeared to be the | worst oil, one man having £40 to pay in i rates. In the same district alone 70 summonses for rates had been issued. Tho hardship did not rest there, for it-was maintained that the Orini area would not receive any benefits from the proposed works.