ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1278, 2 July 1886, Page 2

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

The usual monthly meeting of th® Ashburton County Council was held at the Council Clumbers today. Present —Messrs 0. J, Harper (in the chair), J. Jackson, E. S. Coster, B G. Wright, D. McLean, rnd G W. Lerdley.

KOHTXNK. Theminu'Tsof the last meeting were read and conformed, the Rangers' repo ts and diaries, and a st dement of the business done by the Chairman since last meeting were laid on the table.

CHAIRMAN’S STATKM'NT. The Chairman’s Statement was road as follows;—The amount of the reward offered by the Council for the discovery of the person who had tampered with the sluice gates at Pudding Hill has been paid to the Sergeant of Pohce, on application by him, for disiributicn, permission from Government having been obtained by him to receive it Messrs Walker and

Ivess ha e informed mo that they will do their best in trying to give effect to the Council’s wishes as to a clause being inserted in the Amended Counties Act providing for division of ridings without petitions being first received. Mr Steward also advises mo that, in conjunction with the members for the district, an endeavor will be made to reduce the sheep rate as proposed by the Council in its resolution passed last meeting. The Commissioner of Property Tax has written to say that £362 9s 3d, being subsidy Mount Hutt

Road Board £lB7 10s, and South Bahai Road Board £174 19s 3d, has been passei for payment to the Council’s credit. Th Chief Surveyor having approved of th specifications for a further contract, Black ford and Kedclifte road, tenders for thi work will be placed before the Council tc day. The reserve at the intake, Puddin Hill, as applied for by the Council som time back, the Chief Surveyor notifies i me will be surveyed and grantei Arrangements have been made since la 1 meeting with Mr Neate to poison grai for d’stribution, ana a quantity has bee applied for and given away. T 1 amount of £l3B 14s 9d has been spe: out of the vote, and the balance will 1 used in preparing a further quantii without delay, as that already prepare has been distributed, and there are co stant applications for more. The Sou Pakaia Road Board applies for refund £ll Os Gd for grain purchased, arranged by the Council. Letters fro Mr Walker and the Surveyor-General < the matter of main roads will be rea and by which the Council will see th the Surveyor-General has no power delineate on the map the course of main road. The Christchurch Charitat.. Aid Board states that it has no objection to the receipt of this Council’s contribution in quarterly instalments,as suggested. A circular from tho N.Z. Railway Reform League will be read, asking the Council to sign a petition to Parliament for the appointment o( a Royal Commission to consider tho scheme of railway reform. The Minister of Lands asks the Council if it will be willing to accept a delegation of power to appoint trustees under the Cemeteries Act 1885 as regards tho Waterton Cemetery, as he states it is the (. !Biro of tho Government to place all cemeteries under tho control of local bodies Mr Brown, tho chairman of the meeting hold at Wakanui some little time back to consider tho question of water supply granted for tho Wakanui Mill, lias forwarded tho resolutions passed at that meeting for tho Council’s consideration. Mr Wilson has ids o written, requesting tho Council to make provision for tho overflow of water on his land from the Wakanui Crock Mr Lyttelton has sent the amount duo on tho race through Rokeby, and asks tho Council to consider his case, giving particulars of tho circumstances in connection with this matter. Five hundred copies of tho Irrigation Committee's and Engineer’s reports, together with map, arc placed on the table, and (ho Clerk would like to receive instructions as to whom tho Council wish to s. ad them. ENGISE Ell’S KKPORT. Tho Engineer’s repoit was read as follows : Ashburton Gorge Road : The contractor is now at work on the formation north of Stour river, and is making progress.—Rakaia Gorge Road ; The improvements on the lower section of this road are being carried out satisfactorily. These, together with minor works on tire upper section, will bo completed during the month, and within the stipulated amount.—Blaokford-Redch'ff road : With the exception of a certain amount of surfacing which has still to be attended to, the work of formation on Mr Forbes’ contract is nearly complete. Some fords have yet to be put in on the Little River section. I have prepared specifications, etc., for another contract in the vicinity of Cascade Glen, consisting of light earthworks, and tenders for that contract wi'l be placed before you to-day. Before the work there is finished I sha’ l have detail sections prepared, and tenders called for the remaining length near Terrible Gully.—Fencing channel, Lyudhurst road, near Thompson’s track; This fencing is now on the point of completion.— Willow Planting : If the Council propose to undertake any willow planting in connection with the approaches to the Ashburton Traffic Bridge, the present is a favorable opportunity for having the work dona, /n expenditure of £2 or £3 will also be necessary In extending the willow planting at north approach Pudding Hill Bridge.—Plains Water Supply: This supply has been well maintained during the last month, though the frosty weather has interfered with the flow of water to a small extent. The auxiliary channel has been cleared out to (its original capacity, and the distributing races are, generally speaking, in fair trim, as least as far down as the railway line. Between the railway and the sea there are several defective points still. These will be overhauled before the winter passes. The two new fords on Wilson’s road, Wakanui, have been put in I recently, but one of them is imperfect, and will be put to rights this week. The fencing at ends of culverts has been completed since last meeting of the Council.—AshburtonRangitala Water Supply: I have levelled and marked oil the proposed branch race near Winslow, and tenders are invited for to-day. Some of the owners, however, now decline to pay the contributions required, and till funds are provided, the work will, of course, have to remain in abeyance. As directed, a small guage has been put in Willowbyraoe at ipw.er end of Mr Croskill’s property to prevent oacroasbment of storm water.—Maintenance Contract; As the months’ extension 0' time allowed the contractor fjas now expired I beg to report on tho present condition gi tin races under his charge. N race, from it upper end to E.S. 33014, about 6 miles is in bad order, and very much overgrowr I in places and filled with weeds to a considerI able extent. For a farther distance of S miles the race la in good order. Near E.S, 34024 there is a large overflow, and from this point to E.S. 34189, a distance of 5 miles, the race requires clearing and widening in a good many places, From said E.S. to Borough endowment reserve, 4 miles, the race is in fairly good order, and from that to its lower end, a distance of three miles, it is quite choked with weeds and vegetable growths. NI is in fair order throughout, with the exception of a portion cast of the railway line, which requires overhaul. O race is in bad order from its upper end to reserve 2005, more especially tl;o two miles northwards of tho old Valetta Railway Station. From said reserve to lower end the race is jn pretty fair order, though nothing has apparently b.cen done to clear the weeds and Mr is in some of the hollows. 01 is in fair running order, but the owner has had to clear out a considerable portion of it himself. 02 is in very fair cider, Q 3 has been cleaned in parts, but there is considerable waste of water from the unoleaned portions. Gi is in pretty good order, on the whole. though some portions of it here and there should have Had more attention. —P race, for nearly 0 miles from Hinds flume to Hackthorne-Eangitata road, is in a very imperfect condition, partially filled with weeds, and overflowing in several places. For a further distance of 11 miles tho race has boon cleared in a fairly systematic and cllioient manner, but even hero tho original size of the race has not been maintained. From E.S. 28187 to its lower

end, a distance of 11 miles, the race is in bad order in many places. PI race, at upper end, is quite overgrown as far down as Mr Dellow’s section. Prom there downwards it is in better order. P2 has been partly cleaned in parts, but in the vicinity of Maronan it is in a very foul state. P 3 requires to be gone over more or less for nearly its entire length. Q race has had a little dene to it, but is still imperfectly eleam 1 in several places. Q 1 race has been fanly well cleaned along the r upper half of its length, and very indifferently along the lower half. E race : For a distance of fully a mile, near E.S. 29702, the race is c full of weeds and rashes, and the waterway is 1 so contracted that scarcely half the requisite supply can pass, and there is considerable waste of warter at that place. Lower down, , with the exception of bad plaoesjin E.S 28595 1 and 31001,the race is in fair order. B 1 has been cleaned to some extent as tar down as South road, but the lower end is equally in want of overhaul. S race, from Limestone creek, is in bad order, especially from E.S. 31097 to I 31087, a distance of about 3 miles, where it is much obstructed with raupo and other growths. SI has been gone over to some , extent, but not sufficiently. This race, being on a flat gradient, should have been cleared out more efficiently. Trace, Montale, for the first seven miles, is now in fair order; for the next eight miles additional cleaning is required in parts. From the Bridge road to termination the race is passable except a mile at lower end, which is too contracted.' T 1 is in fair order throughout. I must explain i that, whilst the contractor has endeavored in i most instances to keep a clear waterway along : the centre of the races, he has made no effort t to maintain them to their original widths and I capacity; and what little stuff has been taken 4 out has been left in most cases on the side j slopes, and ready to be trodden in again by stock. The fords (with the exception of 3or 9 4) do not seem to have been touched. Several 3 of those with the races adjoining them are ' partially filled with silt, thus raising the 8 water to a higher level, and causing it in some - instances to flow out on to the road through g the wheel marks formed by road traffic. I e regret lam unable to present a more favor--0 able report on this item of maintenance, but I. the circumstances do not justify it. I must say, however, that considerable improvement a has been effected during the last three - months, that is since the contractor was n allowed an additional price. A deposit of 13 upwards of £3O is due to the contractor on the satisfactory completion of his contract. If 1 > the Council should decide to determine his y contract now, I would suggest that at least id the more defective portions of the races be i- made good before deposit is paid. County ; h bridges : I will report on the subject of paint--3f ing and tarring, Ac., at next meeting of 18 Council. IRRIGATION PLAN AND REPORT, , n It was resolved that copies of the irriq gallon plan and reports should be forwarded to the Road Boards in the county and to the Selwyn and Geraldine a County Councils. i- WILLOW PLANTING.

The Engine ;r was directed to have willow planting at Pa ding Hill and Traffic Bridge carried out WATER RACE MAINTENANCE.

It was res Ived that ihe deposit of the maintenance contractor should be returned as soon as he had repaired the most defective parts of the system under his control. Con ideratio.i of further arrangements for cleaning races was postponed uut:l next meeting. SEPARATION. A p titioa from a number of ratepayers in Mayfield D.strict praying for separation from jthe Rargitata Koni District and the constitution of a new ro d district was presented by Mr Wright. Mr Wright moved that iVleaan Oos'er, Jackson, and Loadlcy should be appointed a committee to report upon the petition. Mr Harper presented a petition from ralepajers in ihe H>;agifata district, objecting to the boundaries proposed for the new distrlc .

The two petitions were referred to the Committee nominated by Mr Wright. APPORTIONMENT OF PONDS. It w,!s proposed by Mr Wright seconded by Mr Losdley and carried—“ That the Council at its next meeting apportion the gross income of the yeir from a ! l sources >n the maimer indicated by ssctioa 19 of the Counties Act Amendment Act 1885.” VOLUME OP WATER. Mr Wright proposed "That the Engineer be instructed to gauge the water running in »ll main drains and c o ks between the rivers Ashburton and Cangi'aha to the eastward of the main South lino and that such gauging be made at interval not exceeding two months”— Mr Wright explained that the object of the motion wrs to procure data by which ohjecdons to the irrigation scheme might be answered. Should the proposed system of irrigation be completed, the owners of land which might be flooded or prejudicially affected by other means would attribute their losses to the works undertaken by the Council. Ir, would be well to bo prepared with an 1 authoritative reply —Mr McLean seconded the motion which was carried IRRIGATION, |

The Chairman obtained permission to withdraw a motion for the division of the county into five-subdivisions for future irrigation wortcs, of which he had given notice. He said he had mistaken the course to be adopted. It would first be necessary to obtain petitions from the ratepayers asking for the sub-divisions. On the motion of Mr Wright seconded by Mr Jackson, it was resolved “ That a petition may be drawn up and circulated in districts 1 and <2 and that agents be employed to obtain the signatures required.” The Irrigation Committee was empowered to give effect to the foreeroin'r revdution.

THE KABBI’I’ Mr Sutton, the sheep twi rabbit inspector, waited upon the Ctmcc'l, and reported he had made an inspection of the county, and had found rabbits in various parts The rabbits wore inrreasi gin the mountainous parts of the county, and unless some active measures were taken to check the increase they would become a very serious nuisanceThe Council went Into Committee for the purpose of discussing the matter and on resuming the Chairman reported that the following resolution had been carried —•* That the ratepayers be informed that the inspector has advised the Council that rabbits must be destroyed.”i

rabbits must be destroyed or the Act will be enforord, and that clauses of the Rabbit Act be advertised:

At 1 p.m. the Council adjourned until I 2.30 p.m. 1 ' The Council resumed at 3 p.m. NEW ROAD DISTI ‘Cl’?. The Committee reported recommending that the prayer of the petition presented by Mr Wright for the constitution of a new road District should bo granted. The Committee asked for an extension of time in which to report upon the petition of ratepayers la the neighborhood of the racecourse and Dromoro for the constitution of a new road district. Thp rpport was adopted and the extension of time spplled for granted. [Left sitting ,j