ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1344, 17 September 1886, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

A special meeting of the Ashburton County Council was held at the Council’s Chambers at 11 a. m. to-day. Present— Messrs W. 0. Walker (Chairman), 0. J. Harper, D. McLean, B. 6; Wright and J. W. l.eadley. UNEMPLOYED. The Chairman said that the Minister of Lands had applied to him asking if work oonld be found for 25 of the Obristcha'ch unemployed under the Plantation Board. He communicated with the Chairman of that Board and also with the District Engineer with the result that 25 of the unemployed had been engaged at 4a 6d a day in repairing plantations injured by the recent storm and in planting widows in the river bed. There was also a cons’derable number of unemployed in the County who, after struggling through the winter, thought it rather hard that employment with Government pay should be given to men from Christchurch. With the apsis*ance of the Mayor and the Sergeant of Police he hid enquired into the applicaiions and found they were bona fide ones. He had wired to the Minister of Public Works, and had received a reply, that tin men would be engaged at the rate of 4s a day if the County provided £1 for £1 on the Government’s grant. This seemingly rate to him unfair, be again wired to fhe Minister and received a reply to the effect that thewages were the same as paid in the Borongh of Waimate and to men working, in or near towns, on relief work throughont the colony. Mr Wright thought there should be no distcintion in the rats of wages. It appeared that those who were most noisy were to get the largest wage at and those who had struggled through the winter and had not urged their claims till they found men were being sent from elsewhere here were not to be treated with justice. He thought Government had made a mistake in this differential treatment. He bad tv?ry sympathy with genuine unemployed, but they must not shat their eyes to the fact that numbers of men would not taka work if it was offered to tnem. Men had refused 8s a day at the Mount Somers railway works, and others, who came to him and threw themselves on his charity, would not do an honest day’s work, and when remonstrated with on their conduct took up their swags and went away. He thought it anomalous that a district which coutri butsd more than it) share towards Charitable Aid in the North Canterbury District should be called upon to contribute towa< ds the maintenance of its unemployed when other districts

ir ere no'. It looked like potting the bordan on the willing horse Ho moved “ that, in the opinion of this Council, the rate of pay to be given to to the unemployed shoo'd be the same ' whether the man reside in the connty of Ashburton or any other county or Borough In North Canterbury, and that having in view the contribution made by the district to the Hospital and Charitable Aid fund it is unreasonable to expect this connty to supplement the Government grant wh'lst other localities are exempted from such charge. Soma desultory conversation, in the conr e of which the Engineer was flues tloned by Mr Harper, took place. The motion was seconded by Me McLean and carried. • Tha question of finding work for the unemployed in this district was left in the hands of the Chairman to arrange. AUXILIARY CHANNEL. Pursuant to notice, Mr Wright moved “That the Engineer be authorised to proceed immediately with the construction of t’a auxiliary water channel from the B\kala for the service of the sea ward portion of the county between the Riknia river and the Wakanui creek. That the cost of the wotk be debited to the district to be benefited thereby, tinder the provisions of clauses 19 and 20 ofriie Ci.unties Act, 18 jo ” He spoße on the motion at conaiderabto length, showing thet it wonld be simply a matter of Dr an 1 Or between the C; unoil and the various districts, some of which were entitled to more money than others. Mr Coster seconded the motion. Mr Harper said that when the proposal came before the Council before, it was postponed because it was intended that irrigation works should be commenced at that snot. He would like to ask if the Council intended to abandon 'bo irrigation scheme. If not, thta channel would have to be enlarged, which would entail very considerable evpense. The question of finance was also a serious one Mt L'ailey spoke to similar effect He recognised the necessity for an increased water supply in their district and moved as an amendment “ That the Engineer be instructed to j repare plans and estimates of cost of taking a supplementary water supply from tha Wakanui creek, Mich auxiliary supply to be made available for Lower Wakanui, Newlands, Seafield and Kyle district"!, the cist not to exceed one hundred and fifty pound?, and ta be charged to the general revenue.” He said a scheme, such as he proposed, would provide water for a great deal of the plains district, and by easing the water races on the Ashburton side would provide more water for the races m the Rakaia side. It wonld also do away with the danger of flooding at the mouth of the Wakanui creek.

Mr Coster said the races supplying the Rakaia district were overfliwiug at their upper end and if Mr Leadley's scheme had the result of augmenting the w »ter in firm they would have to be enlarged, which would entail additional expense Besides this channel would not do away w’tb the necessity for the Rakaia channel Tha Engineer answered a number of questions by Messrs Cottar, Wright and Le?d!ey. Mr Coster said he would oppose the amendment because it would not do aw.y with the necessity for the Rakaia scheme.

Mr Wright said, while ho advocate’ ecomony at all times,yet hebolieved lo true economy. It was no use attempting ha f m asures to meet the failure of the water supply io the Peafield district. He hoped fie Kaka'a work would be put la hand at once. It would provide work tor the unemp’oyed and they would not then be req rired to find £ for £ to keep them on unproduct ve work. Mr Harper moved a further amendmen to the effect that a Committee, consisting of tho Cha'rman, Messrs Wright, Cost r, Le ,d!ey and the m >vor, be appointed to consider the question and report at next meeting. Tha Chairman adv icatad posfp ming the matter for a fortnight.

Mr Leailey obtained leave to withdraw his amendment in the meantime.

A long discussion took place

Mr Ha pet’s amendment was put to tho meeting r «.d lost. Consideration of Mr Wright’s motion wrs deferred till next meeting.

MAYFIELD PETITION. Messrs Morrow and Coskerie waited on thi Council. They stated that they were present: represent Uvea of the ratepayers in the proposed new district and they asked the Council to g.ve the petition Its sp dy consideration. They expressed t.;eir views at some length. (We have already devoted some space # to this subject.) Pursuant to notice, Mr Wright moved ‘•That the Council at this meeting rcciod the resolution passed on July 2 in reference to the Mayfield petition and that such petition be reconsidered.” He said tho rates from the territory which the Committee of the Council sought to include in the proposed district would cover the cost of work on the additional roads included, ten rimes over. The question, howevei, was thi-t the inclusion of additional ground in this case meant the inclusion of ratepayers hostile to the proposed separation. The Council had thus unwittingly the object of the ratep yers and ib was now for it to repair its mistake. Mr McLean seconded the motion. Mr Coster explained the action of the Committee in the matter. They had the petition and counter petitions hefote them, and they came ro the conclusion that the course they recommended to the Council was the equitable one. The Committee considered power was given in the Act to alter boundaries. He was aware that the Council’s solicitor w s of opinion that the Committee had exceeded tbeir powers but he would like another legal opinion on the matter. Mr Harper and Mr Leadley also spoke on the matter, stating tha reasons which led to the Committee’s recommendat on.

Mr Wright replied. He quoted two legal opinions that the Committee hid exceeded their powers He hoped the Council would in fair play to one of its members pass his motion. The motion vas put to the meeting and lost by four to one. The Council adjourn el till 2 pm. [Left sitting.]