ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1456, 14 January 1887, Page 2

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

. The ordinary monthly meetiDg of the Aahburton County Council was held at the Oouncil'B offices, Baring Square, today. Present— Meaara W. O. Walktr CJbainy.il), E. G. Wright, D. McLean, 0. J. Harper, aud G. W. Loadly. OttilßAlAN's STATBMBNT. The Chairman said ;— By iSect : on 45, CoHnfciea Act, 1886, the Council can deal by special order with the division of Ridings represented by two or more Councillors. Thin npplies to the Ashburton Hiding as at present constituted, and if the Council desires a division, it can now be proceeded with. The question of irrigution, as a practical meana of increasing the production of the dry plains, ia one which m a season such as this forces itself on everyone's notioe. Without a practical test of the results attainable, and the actual cost to the farmer, no system of irrigation is likely to be adopted involving a loan. I would suggest that the Council should consider whether any suoh praotical test could be condocted by them as would tend to solve this problem. The College at Lincoln might be aekod to assist, and the fielwyn Council might also be invited to discuss the question if the Council is averse to undertaking the task alone. Section 291 of the Counties Act, 188& will be found, 1 think, to give the Oounoil the necessary power to undertake such experiments, riincelast meeting I have accepted the following tenders for a further contract for Blackford and Fedcliffe Boad, viz., J. AfcFarlane, £93 Is 6d, and M. Latch, £156 Qa 6d, the latter teoder to be reduced to bring the amount to the balance of the Government vote still unexpended. The Commissioner of Crown Lands informs me that there is no legal authority to reeerve a piece of land for the purpose of exchanging it for private lands, which the Council wished » a?- wIt JV. Mriynsley at the intake, Pudding Hill, for river protection purposes. A circular from the Bruce County Council, suggesting an alteration m the mode of distribution of Charitable Aid, will be read. The Wakanui Road Board Las forwarded plans, &c, as required by law, to the (bnncil on the subject of closing a road between Mr Trevurza'a and Mr Monis's land. Mr Butteries: wiites objecting to the closing of the road. Mr Foßter, of ScottesdeD, informs the Counoil that a fire occurred m one of the

plantations on tho 10th instant, which he and Mr Stevenson succeeded m putting out after it had burnt three acres, and if the Council sees fit to remunerate him for his trouble, he ia willing, so fur as he is concerned to place the sum to any charitable purpose the Council may think fit Mr Stevenson also applies for some remuneration for the trouble he took m this matter. The Mount Sorasrs Road Board applies to the Council to build a traffio bridge over the water race m front of the Post Offic ). The overseer of the unemployed, lately employed by thi* Council, his replied to the statements made at the Council meeting respecting himself and the gang under him. Tbia reply will be read to day. The amount of rateß collected to date is £3668 16s sd, leaving £1258 8s ltd outstanding. Ihe supply of dog collars for this year has been received from the contract r, and is ready for issue. Several holders of slaughtering licenses have applied to the Council for renewals Hib year. A return of dog collars *old since 1881 is placed on the table. The Council will notice that last year more collars have been sold than any previous year. This, no doubt, is owing to the active steps taken by the police m summonsing owners of unregistered dogs. ROUTINE.

A "return of dog collar* sold sinoa 1881, water raogerß Nob. 1 and 2 reports and diaries, and a statement of business dona by the Chairman since last meeting, were laid od the table. bngineer's bbpobt. The Engineer's repoet was r. ad as follows : — Proposed Auxiliary Water Supply Wakanui creek— l have staked out the lines and prepared working seotion and all other details for proposed workß, and tenders will be placed before you to-day. It is not unlikely that with havrest work now at hand, the tenders may be found to be m excess of my original estimate, but it seems inadvisible to postpone the ere., outjon of the work m view of the benefit whioh might sjill be derived from it this autumn, " Enlargement of races, Rakaia pistriot-e Of tha eight contraots let at last meeting, to be finished by 20th insfc., all are oompleteS eziapt No. S eontraot and a small portion of No. 2. A large additional supply has been tamed into the Domain, whioh, however, haa not reached the lower A.eton district yet, but is generally making that way. Tha full effeot will not be obtained till the '20th inst, when all the speoified works will be completed. The uses of tampering on F and El races, ia Somorton snd Porno districts, have not yet bein discovered, and I fear this is still going on to sorao extent as the flow m raoeg m South Bakaia diatrjot is very Variable and intermittent, whioh should not bo the oasg with the head of water whioh is on now » though tha drought has rendered the raoes very absorbent m some places. — No new drift has taken place recently from the sandhills at Aoton, but thp sand formerly displaced is still troublesome' from lodgment m (1)9 raoe, and absorption of the supply. " Ashburton-Raagitata water supply— The souroea s$ the Hinds gorge and Limeßtona creek are both so low that the supply from each is reaching only about 6 miles down from the inlets, oonsequently the distriots towards the lower end of T and S races are suffering, as also the Baling district on line of E r»oe. I hare, as far as practicable, made good the deficiency by turning more m from the branoh conneoted with the South Ashburton Eiver. The enlargment of 04 and a branoh raoe on Bouth side of Mt Somera Bailway have been finished and a good supply has been turned into race, whioh yesterday had got down to the vicinity of Winslow. The saturating of tho race a fresh m that district m such dry weather oooupies a considerable time. Jjj order to provide for a similar oontingenoy or extreme drought, it would be advisable to open up ' a connection between Grioe's creek and the Willowby race joining the latter m or near Messrs Chapman's property. Suoh an auxiliary supply would render permanent the present service brtwetn that point and the sea, and admit of other branches being formed— Tb\o inlit at Lagmhor has had to be deepened during the month jn prder to keep up the supply for Wheatstone district, and this is being well maintained.

Wood's oreek.— The outlet of this oreek has been improved as authorized by Council. Taylor's Creek improvement. — Those works, whjoh were let m 8 oontraota, may now be said to be completed with the exoeption of a small portion of No 5 contract, whioh cannot be undertaken till oropa is cleared off, and No 2 contract, whioh is of small extent and has not bo^n commenced. Blackford— Bedoliffe road.— The contractors have not yet started work m Terrible Gully district. Mr Leitoh applies for a mouth's extenpjpn pf time during harvest. Plantations. — The oontraotor has ploughed strips at most of the plantations along $ or more of the sides and m widths varying from 6 to 33 feet, according as road traffic would admit. The ploughing is pretty fairly done except the angles whioh have been missed m most cases. The plantation! near main line of railway whioh had strips ploughed previously, would require to be ploughed again, as the tussook growth is almost as atrong m them now ai on the others. Indeed, from /this cause about 4 acres of tha plantations adjoining B.S. ' I7IBQ, near Soottsdean, has rioently been maeh damaged. The fire originated at the railway, no doubt from sparka from the engine, and soon extended to the plantation, the whole area, of which (20 aor«8) it would have swept had it not been arrested by Mr Foster, and others who assisted him, Main I^raia, Wakanui— With the exception pf come minor extra works rendered ntojisary by extension of ford At Seaview and some small items, of fimshingthesa drainage works aw completed. ' Watercourses, Aahbttrton to Rangitata^d have completed the guaging of these for 2 months ending December 81, and the reiult will fairly represent this summer's flow m each of the water ecurses.

Traffio Bridge, Ashburton— The recent dry weather has oansed some warping and springing of spikes m a few of the planks, whioh will be refixed m a day or two. Soveval planks have aleo been damaged evidently Jby rtokless passage of some heavy traotion engine. I may state that the bylaws as applioabla to engines are being disregarded. Except m one or two instances about the time tho Bridge was opened, owners bare been pausing their engines ovar promiscuously without any permit or precaution whatever. AUXILIARY CHANNEL. OonsUornti -n o F tho clcuna m jhs Engineer's roport bsaung on this question wan deferred till the tenders were opened. WATER SUPPLY UPPER HINDS DISTRICT Mr "Wright thought tie supply of water In this diHtrict might be rnpplemented m dry seasons from tho south br»i>oh of the Ashburton, provided the roaaa w-re enlarged TheEng'nfer said th's could be done An expeudilure of about £160 would be invalued m enlarging the mains and eubmains to a sufficient extent.

After aomo farther diEoassion it was deolded to consider m oonjunotion with thin matter Iho fiuccce3?n< clause of the Engineer's report whioh dealt with the desirableness of effaoting a connection with Grloe's oreelf, It was polntod out that suoh connection wonld, m addi'icn to equalising the Bupply m the Winslow diitriot, have the efivot cf reduoing tho strain on the resources of the races higher up, and that m- re water would then be avai'abo for the Rangitat* district.

Mr Wright read a letter h« had received from a number of ratepayers In the Willowby disttiot, ask'ng him to endeavor to have a similar soherne io that proposed by the Engineer carried out. As settlers m that district Buffered greatly In t*>e ttammer time from want of water, he moved thit tho Engineer's reo>mmend&tton be adrp'ert, intimately taat if thmwdi should cot answer tho purpcß) of Boffioiontly augmenting the Rangltata ■apply, be would also ask the Oonnoil to sanction the expenditure of £150, which the Engineer had estimated was requisite to enlarge the races. The Engineer's recommendation relative to taking a supply of water from Grice's creek was adopted. PLANTATIONS. Messrs Foster and Stevens vrrote, stating that on the evening of the 10 h they extinguished a fire which occurred m one of the Oonnoll'a plantations. Thry asked if tho Council saw fit to grant aoy remuneration, Mr Foster stating tlub if the Council granted him anything ho would give it to any local charity the Coanoil might decide upon.

Tbo Council reoorded its thinks to Messrs Foster and Stephens. Th) matter of remuneration was refetred to fie PJantationa Committee.

With reference to the olauso m the Engineer's report with reference to those plantations the boundaries of wMch had been ploughed, It was resolved hat the work be required to be dooo atriotly ■ooording to contraot.

Mr Wright moved "That fn order to prevent, as ftr as possible, tho destruction of pubHo and private pian'a o o and of flhoep pastures by fire? rr'gliaiing with the T o o motives, th» Railway Dfpivttnent be requested to have the laud ploughed for a diVnnoo of ono chain apon each Bide of tho railway wherever praotlc •ble." Mr Harpor leoonded the motion, wMoh was unanimoas'y carried. TRAFFIC BRIPAIS. Mr Harpor enriorsod tho remarks made by the Engineer m his report with reference to traction -engines oroeiing the traffio bridge. fie moved that the Engineer be instruafed <o see that tho bylaw relafng to engines be strictly enforced. WATBR SUPPLY. LOTTEn KAKA.U A deputation of five gentlemen from the district near tho mouth of the Rafcaia waited on the Council to complain of tho Intermittent water supply. They said there had been no water m the raoas m their district since the 5 Hi inst. Mr J. Oaborne, vho acted as spokesiran, said that m oonsequenoe of the failuro of tho water he bad been put to a lors of about £100, He complained of Ju "onncll not acknowledging tho receipt of a letter written about a month ago. The Chairman said the Jetter had been referred to the Water Supply Committee, which Committee had sot met yet: Mr Osborne also complained of the BegUgenoa of the water ranger. Beveral of |the members of th de'pulatipn made statements explaining what was 'necessary to allow the water to roach their land. They complained of ttmperiflft, and negligence on \be part of tho water ranger. ~ It was pointed out that the district m charge of the water ranger w«a too large for him to exerciso proper supervision over it.

After some consultation tho deputation thanked the Council and withdrew.

It was suggested that there ?hould be three rangers, one for each of the districts jnto which the county bad been divided. The matter wa» dpf erred till apportion* meDt of water charges. Letter which had been written by Messrs Oeborne and Morrow were referred to the Engineer for his explanation as to the ranger's alleged negloot to attend to Jhe complaints m^de, BLAOKFORB RRDCUFF BOAJ). The contractor was granted one month's extension of time. iPOLOaiEa. .Apologies for non attendance were received from Messrs Jackson and Oostor. PBOTHOTIvn WOBKS. Mr 3. Dayldspn yafted on the Council and applied for a remission of ('he rate to* protective purposes levied on hino, Ho bad done work to the value of £6 or £7 In the way of river protection and It would he necessary for him to do more. It was decided that as the Oonqoll had In the past declined to grant similar aplioatlono it could not ooosider^the present one. 9 In accordance with the wl«h of the pro. pofcer cp>VHido'«tlon of Mr Jaokson'u notice of mo h oi having reference to the question «i the unemployed wan defer/ed t '1 nfcxs ordinary meeting. PATMINTS. The usual monthly accounts were passed for payment. 'VAKANUI PROTECTIVE WORKS. The Wakanui Protective WorKs Committee obtained a month's extension of iime to bring up their report, HOSPITAL AKJ) OHARJTABLE AID. A circular was read from the Bruce County Council, asking the Council's co-operation m the matter of Hospitals and Charitabi* Aid. Tho demands on the funds of the Coun f y Council on this Bcoro had b"en gradually increasing, till now thoy bad assumed very large proportions. With a view to coping with the matter, the Bruce County Council hnd gasped the following resolution ;— "That e'acji County pouncil provide for iiß own poor,* and that the contribution to hospitals be the proportion of tho cost of each patient." The Council deeired Ihe co-oreration of the Aehburton Council, m order that an amendment m the direction indicated might bo made m the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act. It was pointed but that by each Council fiqtrib, uting Charitable Aid within its own istriot, each onso would be personally known to the members of the Council, and imposition would be instantly detected. Consideration was deferred. CLOSED ROAD A. letter was read from the Wakauul Road Board Intimating that at a public maetlng of ratepayers It had jjeen dpoid^d " tt» close a certain road known a'l Trevarz'a'i road. Mr t>, Bufcterlpk wrote objecting %o tho dosing of the road an It gave aooeßß to one of h'« iectfon«.

.After eomo 'liscinsinn Mr Lead ley moved " that tho resolution pasted at the ineating of ratepayers te negatived. Mr Wright, Beoonded. Mr H>rpor moved as an amendment lint the matter bo roferrtfd to the Committee appointed to o insider a s"mu!tu qnemion m tho Hnugitaia district " The Chiumiau seconded the emend* ment, which on being put to the meeting whs lost and Mr Londloy'a motion carried. BRIDGE Tlio Mount Some;s Uoad Bontd Kro'e I aek'npr the Council t build a bridge over ! tho witer race m front of tho Mount i Somnrs post (ifl^o. The Council cl oided to build the bridge if tho Road Beard provided « li 3 nuterhl. KBHBUVB The Hampstead Town Board requested the Council to vest m it lteeervo No 1415. it wob though the Council had no power to act on tho Town B mrd requested but as it was indented the Towa Board desired ihe reserve for the purpose of a reoreation ground the Oounotl decided it woud effer no ol j iction to suoh a use being m-ide of the ground. It was ultimately decided to reply that ooneidoratiou would be given to the matter.

pollikq booth: The Hampstoad T< wa Board wrote asking tbe Council ( o appoint a polling bocth for licensing elections within the Town district. It was resolved that the Council did not thing it neopssary as there was no publiohouße wi hln the die tr lot. RATfS. A letter was rend from Mrs Hawkina applying for a remission of rates ['.eft Sitting]