WEST TAIERI DRAINAGE BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3111, 29 October 1913, Page 23

WEST TAIERI DRAINAGE BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the- West Taicri Drainage Board was held on Saturday, a was attended by Messrs J. i. Gibson (.c air man), WJham Tnomson, W. Dee, dames Milltr, and D. Douil. , ( The following accounts were passed lor payment:—General, £1165 9s 4d, of w 101 £565 14s 9d were for hood carnages; loan accounts, £607 13s 2d. ■ The Bngmecr reported that the pumping out of flood ivater on the plain had p 6 ® 1 * carried on continuously, and the water level had been lowered about 10 inches during the month. There was still a large quantity of water to be dealt with, principally 6n the low ground between Henley and Otokia, and in the vicinity of Lake Ascog. Ihe heavy rain showers during the month added considerably to the pumping, especially on the 13th and 14th mst., when the water gained on' the pumps equal to four days pumping. Overton’s pump and the Bate pump were still running continuously, and pump and Ross’s pump were also running, until they were .short of water. M Lean 6 pump and Ross’s pump were also runnmng. Berkley’s pump, owing to repairs to the plant, has not been running. Browns pump, on the “ B ” road, had been running continuously up to the 23rd inst. the engine had to be stopped to allow of some repairs being carried out. As the repairs would take some days to carry out, and as the water was running short, he had «e----cided to stop pumping at this point, iho following works had been carried out during the month:—Repairs to weirs on Ross s and Matheson’s Creeks and the removal of gravel at Mr John Miller’s Creek, iho non outlet boxes into the Lee Crock at Mr Marshall’s and Air Johnson’s had been put in; repairs to river boxes at Berwick. A. drain was now being drakked; the boxes at Thomson’s and Nichols; and the lowering of culverts at Ford’s and Callander’s were being attended io. ihe creek at Air Sparks.’s was now being turned into the contour channel. All the hill water as far as the channel had been opened up, and was now running down it. The concrete weir and bridge on Mr John Alillcr’s Creek had been erected and finished, ’ihe work on the following contracts were limshed, the final measurements having boon made up and completed, and the linal balance duo to contractors Nos 8, 25, 27, and 29. Road bridge and pumphouse: ’1 he water was not low enough to allow of these contracts being proceeded with. The contractor was making seeeral outlet boxes for use on the plain. Repairs at several places on the banks of the VVaioori River had been carried out. Damage to the river banks had been occurring more frequently of late. The river was gradually cutting away the natural banks at several place, principally at the bends of the river, where, aided by the growth of willows and the silt deposit accumulating on the inner side of the bends, the river was being gradually pushed over at these bends, and in a very short time would be cutting into the foot of the artificial embankment. There wore several such points, which required protection. The cutting of the willows, and in some places rooting them out, and the shifting back of the embankment at several points, would tend to lessen this continually increasing scouring effect at the her ds for the time being. So long, however, as the silt was allowed to come down, and the filling up of the lake and river bed continued, the position in regard to this river would become worse, unless something was done to clear out the lake and river bed. Requests had been made for the raising of the - embankment at several points so as to protect the buildings on the inner side of the embankment. — The report was adopted. Alossrs Downic (Stewart and Payne’s letter to the board’es solicitors, asking the board to make an offer for the damage done to Mr R. Shcnnan’s properly by the recent floods, was received.—'J iie Chairman said the original claim for this damage was £IOOO, but the board had offered to meet Air Shennan on the Government valuation basis. That offer still held good. Air John APLeod wrote asking the board to defray the cost of oil and pay wages for the working of a pumping plant that ■was being used to lift water off his section at Woodside.—The letter was received. The Taicri County Council wrote inviting the board to appoint a delegate to attend a conference of local bodies to be hold on October 30 to consider the industrial dispute with the General Labourers’ Union.— The chairman was appointed to represent the board a„ the conference Sir Geotge APLean applied to have a ditch cleaned out on the west side of the Leo Creek from Ross’s Creek. lie pointed out that it had not been attended to for a long time. —This matter was left in the hands of the. engineer. Air D. McDonald wrote requesting the board to clear away some silt at tho junction of the two creeks at Air Campbell’s boundary.—The engineer was instructed to attend to the matter. The Clerk of the Outram Town Board wrote, in reply to a letter from the board, to the effect that in regard to tho pumping of water at Outram it had resolved to do no pumping nor to give any extra assistance towards the work, further than the payment of its rates as part of the drainage district. Tho Chairman said that tho Outram Town Board was taking up a very unfair position. Previously it had expressed the opinion that its existence in that district depended upon certain protective works being constructed. When tho small amount of the rates paid by the Outram people was considered, it was rather too much to expect the board to spend £3OO or £4OO oft protective works in their district. lie moved—“ That the board do nothing until the Outram residents contributed more than the amount of their rates towards the cost of tho work asked for.” —Air Douil seconded tho motion, which •was supported by all the and carried. It was decided, on tho motion of Air Douil, seconded by Mr Miller—“ That the engineer prepare an estimate of tho cost of duplicating three outlet boxes on the river embankment, and also that ho prepare a sketch of the late flood at its height, showing the approximate acreage in the flood area, both wet and dry ”