TAIERI DRAINAGE BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 33

TAIERI DRAINAGE BOARD.

The monthly mooting of the Taieri Drainage Board was held on tho Bth, the following members being present i -—Messrs J. T. Gibson (chairman), A. Moynihan, R. Robinson, W Lee, and W. Thomson. DKVUTATIONS. Mr Dow waited on tho board to bring under its notice the fact that in the Henlov district they were very much troubled with water from Bull’s Creek. A great deal of land was submerged, owing to want of attention at some of the boxes. Nearly all tli© ditches were bad with weeds, and wanted cleaning out.—The Chairman said that with regard to the box at Henley he had given instructions and tho necessary work would bo done. After further discussion and some explanation by the engineer, Mr Dow expressed himself satisfied and withdrew. Mr Miller waited on tho beard with respect tc the state of Deo Creek, which was higher than it had been for years. The mouth of the creek seemed to be blocked up. He would Urge upon the board that something should bo done. At the present time they were pumping night and day, but when the creek was low' two or three hours a day was sufficient. He also waited on the board with regard to the compensation claims, as did also Mr Buchanan, -and tho matter was dealt with in committee. CORRESPONDENCE. Captain Hickey wrote with regard to the proposed sale of tho board’s offices. It was resolved that they bo offered to Father Liston at the price previously agreed upon, possession to be given within throe months; further action to be left in the hands of tho chairman and tho secretary. engineer’s report. Tho Engineer reported that during the month very wet wcathor had prevailed. Mid tile work on the contour channel had been practically at a standstill. The contractors who had work in hand were Johnson Bros , Blew, and Buchanan and Keppel. Johnson Bros, had about 40 chains of channel to do, and Plow had the whole- of his contract opened up. but had a good deal of work to do on it to complete it. Buchanan and Keppel had tho framing and foundations m of the bridges at Scott’s and Mao Kay s, and part of the foundations in at Ross’s and Lyall’e. A large portion of the land between the Leo Creek had been flooded by water coming down tho creeks from tho hills, and also by leakage from the stream itself. Ross’s Creek had overflow’od its banks, and the creek through Millar’s had broken away and scoured out a portion of a paddock above the contour channel. The water flowed into the contour dliannol and out at the lower end of it. The land l in the Lake Asoog district hod been under water. The water in- Lake Waipcuri had stood at a level of 2ft 9in, which was 2ft 6in above the level of the land? around Lake Asoog. The drains in the Berkley district had been full, and the pump at the lake had been at work during the month: also ilie pump erected on the drain from Lake Asoog. This lake had been kept down to a level of nine inches above datum, which was l(t 9in below the w-ator level in Lake Waipori. The water level in Lee Creek at‘ the bridge on tho Otokia-Maungatua wad stood ai sft Sin above datum, being about a foot, above the land on either side of it and above the land between the Leo Creek and Kirk’s road. Sir George M'Lcan’s, Rose’s, and Millar’s pumjis had been working during tho month, and would require to work tor some considerable time to get the water off the land. This would entail considerable expense. Claims had been made for damages to these properties by reason of the board having cut a channel to prevent the water from the hills spreading over tho land, and it appeared that the board must either pay the cost of pumping the water off the land or pay for severance for a channel to keep the land from being flooded. Ho had walked down the contour channel on the 28th ult. and although it was full of leakages through the embankments, a.nd from his experience of tho manner in which the embankments had l been built, ho did not expect there would be any 'oakage. Ho had walked along the Leo Creek embankments, and found them leaking considerably, and there was also a strong stream running alongside the channel down to the pump at Sir George MT,can’s. Sir George M’Loan wished tho drain along Lee Creek on tho south side of the channel cleaned out. Some time ago the board had cleaned out a drain along the Lc© Creek bank from Sir George’s property up, and this drain hud brought some water down. A meeting of landholders had been held at Maungalua on December 12, at which the chairman and members of tho board had discussed the claims made for compensation with owners on the north side of Lee Creek. A letter bail boon sent to thorn asking them to submit a claim -for a reasonable value for land actually occupied by the channel through their properties. Several replies had come in stating that the claimants were willing to take Government valuation for land occupied by the channel. Until this matter wa« settled lie had delayed constructing tho channel along the Oulramrßerwick road. Ho was of opinion that this channel should be constructed to relieve tint water in Duck Creek. . , In reference to the pumping plant at the lake, he had made some investigations as to cost of plant, and found that the cost of

| installing* a producer gas plant in a' series ! would be, approximately, as follows, w r ithr ’ out pumps or foundations: — ; Four 28 h.p. engines, with erection... £IO2O i Two producers .. ... 270 1 ' £1290 | Two 50 h.p. engines ... £846 , One producer _ ... 210 £1056 One 55 h.p. engine .. ... £262 One 60 h.p. engine ... 547 Two producers ... „ ... ... 280 £1099 One 100 h.p. engine ... £541 One pioduoer ... .... ; 20* j £B3 i The comparative cost of installing tin electric supply from the Dunedin Corpora* tion, without pumps or foundations, would bo £1825. The cost of fuel for working the .producer gas plant and the cost <4 electricity would be about equal. Tha cost of attendance for producer gas would be mono than the cost tor electricity. The cost of depreciation in plant would also bo more in the case of gas than in tha ease of electricity. Mr Kempsheu had : sent in a letter of protest against putting ! in a box on the dram from Lake Ascog 'to the pump. Tliis pump had been run for 1 194 hours during the past month. As ai large portion of the embankments of tho channel were finished, it would fco advisable to sow them with grass.

With regard to the pumping plant at the lake, the Chairman remarked that personally ho favoured electricity. It would be a costly installation, but the working expenses would be cheap. In the case of 4 producer gas plant the cost of attendance alone would bo very much greater. Mr Moynihan asked which would be the most reliable, and the engineer replied that with electricity there would be very litti* danger of stoppage. Mr Robinson suggested that the matter should be left over for a month pending more definite information as to the cost* and to await a decision as to whether th« board would continue with the contour channel or not. This course was agreed to. With regard to the letter of protest from Mr Kempsnell, it was resolved to leave thr matter in the hands of the engineer, an« with regard to the sowing of the embank* merits it was decided to carry out the pro* posal, using a mixture of cocksfoot, English rvegrass, and Chewing’s fescue. With regard to the letters in re compensation, it was resolved that the matter should bo left in the hands of the chair* man, the engineer, and the dork wiU| power to settle at the valuation of thr land. The report was then adopted. BATES. The Chairman explained that it was im< possible to strike a rate on an acreagr basis in the meantime, and that to strik« one on a valuation basis would be impolitic. He therefore suggested that no rnU should be struck this year, but that after Parliament met the maximum should ba struck for two years or such time as war necessary. It was resolved that no rate bo struck a| present GENERAL. The Chairman drew attention to the fact that the engineer’s agreement with *h'i board would 01 a; fie at the end of th-e month) He thought they would bo well advised ta extend it for another six months. —Both th« Chairman and other members spoke highly of the work accomplished by Mr Elliot, who remarked that the works had taken 4 good deal longer than he had expected. A great deal 01 time had been given tu settling complicated matters of compensation and other things. —Mr Robinson said rhat the ratepayers thought that the staff wae costing too much.—The Chairman replied that £3OO for six months was a mere bagatelle to the board compared with the happy solution of its difficulties. —Mr Thomson eaid they had no guarantee that the works would bo completed in six months’ time. When the engineer waa engaged the district was a very large one, and now that it was smaller the question arose whether hie salary should not be reduced. —The Chairman replied that the same ability waa required whether the district was large or small. —Mr Thomson said that the small district oould not afford to pay the largo salary.—The Engineer explained that if the difficulties regarding property-holders were once settled the planning out would be a short matter.—MV Robinson said that once the plana were settled the whole thing became a question merely of supervision. He moved as an amendment tnat Mr - Elliot’s eervioea be retained for a period of three months. — Mr Thomson seconded the amendment, which was carried. Accounts were passed for payment to a total amount of £551 6s 6d.