LAND DRAINAGE

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3250, 3 November 1932, Page 5

LAND DRAINAGE

MANGAPIKO AND MANGAHOE STREAMS.

PROPOSAL FOR EMPLOYMENT OF RELIEF WORKERS.

A meeting of representatives of the several local bodies concerned in the proposal to employ a large number of relief workers in widening, clearing, and deepening the Mangapiko and Mangahoe streams, to drain extensive swamp areas in the triangle between Cambridge, Te Awamutu, and Kaipaki, was held in Te Awamutu on Wednesday. There were present: Messrs C. G. Downes and W. J. North (Te Awamutu Borough Council), J. W. Peake and V. H. Nolan (Upper Mangapiko Drainage Board), J. R. Flay and J. G. Wynyard (Lower Mangapiko Drainage Board), and W. McGee and A. H. Parish (Mangapiko Drainage Board), with Mr J. W. Civil (Waipa county engineer). Mr Flay apologised for the unavoidable absence of Mr Sutton, who had been appointed at the initial meeting as convener, and Mr Downes was unanimously voted to the chair. Mr J. G. Wynyard acted as secretary. Correspondence was read in connection with the endeavour to obtain the co-operation of the Minister of Employment and the Unemployment Board, in which it appeared that that Board was agreeable to the project, by absorbing relief workers from the neighbouring towns and disti'icts. Mr Peake said his Board’s clerk had interviewed Auckland officials of the Unemployment Board, and had received encouraging support. RELIEF MEN AVAILABLE. Mr Wynyard said Mr W. HallJones, of the Public Works Department, Hamilton, had visited Te Awamutu and obtained full particulars of relief workers in Te Awamutu and Cambridge districts. The totals were 101 and 84, a total of 185. He understood the local Unemployment Committee would be approached. The chairman said Te Awamutu Committee had not yet been approached, but he believed that both Cambridge and Te Awamutu commit•tees would be willing to allocate men needed as the project developed. To a question, Mr Civil said about 60 men were employed in the Waipa county on “ over the fence ” works. At least half of those men would not now be required, but the County Council wanted to continue to employ about 28 men on road and quarry works that were already in hand. The chairman said the Borough Council employed about a dozen men. Mr Wynyard said six men were being employed by the new Pirongia Rabbit Board on its project for clearing farms in its district of rabbits. Mr McGee commented that extermination of rabbits was really a winter job. Mr Peake said that 50 men were not required all at once. He thought 20 men would be ample for the preliminary work of clearing the banks of streams of blackberry and rubbish. Then more men could be employed, gradually absorbing 50 or even more. Mr Civil said it would be desirable to determine first what part of the scheme should be tackled first. Mr Nolan thought men on the drainage work could be engaged for 12 successive working days per month; then another party of 12 men could follow. The men who had completed their 12 days’ work would then be available for harvesting or other employment.

ESTIMATES AND PLANS. It was agreed to frame estimates and plans on the basis of employing 50 men, and that the most-needed work was at the lower end of the Mangapiko, down-stream from the railway bridge.

Mr Play said that from the railway up-stream for some distance the creek was fairly clean. Below the bridge the removal of wiliows was the biggest undertaking, and this was not a task for relief workers, as experts were required for the killing of the trees.

Mr McGee said the Mangahoe was in very fa r order except at the upper end. If this part was widened it necessarily followed that the widening would have also to be done at the lower end. He assumed that all the Boards concerned would co-operate in the expense of the work below the junction.

Mr Civil said if men from the Cambridge end were to be employed they would have to be used in a handy locality, or transport costs would be too heavy. Mr Parish said he understood the project was to establish a camp at a suitable point. The opinion was expressed that better results would be obtained from men who could reside in their own homes at Te Awamutu and Cambridge.

Mr Nolan advocated putting a gang on at the lower end to remove blackberry and rubbish from the banks and shift logs that were in sight in the stream up to the junction. That should be the first job.

Mr Flay said the blackberry growth was very dense along the Mangapiko for long distances. QUESTION OF COST.

Mr Peake inquired if all the Boards concerned were able to participate. The cost to each Board would 'be considerable before the task was completed, apart from the wages paid by the Unemployment Board. He suggested that the Boards share on the basis of the award of the Commission that sat at Te Awamutu three or four years ago.

This was provisionally agreed to, so far as united work below and near the junction of the two streams (in the borough) was concerned. ft was stated that thus about two miles of the stream would be affected. Te Awamutu Borough Council, the Tuatua-Moana Drainage Board, the Upper and Lower Mangapiko Drainage Boards, and the Mangahoe Drainage Board were concerned in the lower reaches, and the Upper and Lower Mangapiko and the TuatuaMoana Drainage Boards were concerned in the work as it progressed up the Mangapiko, and the Mangahoe Drainage Board would be responsible for its own stream from the borough boundary upward.

Transport costs were discussed, and it was shown that the cost of bringing men from Cambridge would be prohibitive. The Cambridge men would later be engaged, when work was tackled in the higher reaches of the Mangapiko. Mention was made of the need for killing willows in the lower reaches, but this would be a lengthy and expensive undertaking, not contemplated in the present project. AREA AFFECTED. A long argument ensued over the proportion of cost to be borne. It was stated that 40,000 acres of land were drained by the Mangapiko stream, and 24,000 acres by the Mangahoe stream. Mr McGee said his Board was not prepared to contribute on that basis, which would mean that Mangahoe would have to pay three-eighths of the cost of the whole scheme. This was too high, and inequitable. Mr Wynyard showed that the Commission’s finding, in the £3OOO loan expenditure of three or four years ago was: Lower Mangapiko 15/35ths, Upper Mangapiko 9/40th, Mangahoe 3/35ths, Tuatua-Moana 7/40ths, and Te Awamutu borough 3/35ths. Mr North suggested that the united Boards bear the expense of clearing up to the junction, then Mangahoe Board pay for its own stream. Lower Mangapiko pay for' work in its own area, and Upper Mangapiko. pay for work up-stream from the Lower Mangapiko Board’s boundary (at Storey’s br i d PRACTICABLE BASIS. The chairman said the most practicable basis would be: For work on the two miles up to the junction of the two streams, the Borough Council and the four Drainage Boards would pay on the basis allocated by the Commission; for the portion of the Mangapiko stream up to the boundary of the Upper Mangapiko Board’s district, the Lower Mangapiko, the Upper Mangapiko, and the Tuatua-Mo-ana Boards to share the cost; above that boundary, the Upper Mangapiko and the Tuatua-Moana Boards to bear the cost; and for the Mangahoe stream, the Mangahoe Board and the Borough Council to bear the cost, the Council contributing only for work done within its boundaries.

This eventually found favour, and it was decided to ask all the five bodies concerned to signify their agreement as quickly as possible, so that work could proceed without delay, as the work could best be tackled during the summer months. Consideration was then given to the question of which body should assume responsibility for having the first two miles of the proposed work done, and it was decided that a committee of the chairmen of the three Drainage Boards be appointed. AN AMALGAMATION. Mr Wynyard said he had forwarded to each Board a copy of the legislation bearing on the proposed amalgamation of three Boards. Since then the Upper Mangapiko Board had resolved in favour, the Lower Mangapik Board had followed suit, and the Mangahoe Board wanted more information. Mr Peake said if there was prospect of securing similar favourable treatment by the Government as had been given to the Mangawhero Drainage Board there would be little objection, but it would not be an attractive proposition under present economic conditions if the settlers affected had to shoulder additional expense. He suggested asking for fuller information on those lines. There was nothing more certain than that amalgamation must come if effective administration was to be secured. (Hear, hear.) It was mentioned that every year the project was delayed made the cost of killing the willows greater.

It was decided to defer further consideration for a later meeting, pending fuller information being obtained, and the committee of two representatives from each Board affected appointed at the last conference will be asked to attend to any matters bearing on this subject, with Mr Downes as chairman and Mr Wynyard as secretary.