ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1498, 4 March 1887, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Ashburton County Council was held at the Oounoil Chambers to-day. Pressnt : W. O. Walker (Chairman), E. G. Wright, E. S. Coster, D. MoLean, Q. W. Leadley, O. J. Harper and J. Jaokson. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT The Chairman said;— All the necessary documents have been signed m connection with the loan of £3500 for the proposed Mount Somers tramway, and the Colonial Treasurer Informs me thai the money ia available on application. The Surveyor General writes to say that tbe Minister of Lands authorises the Council to use the tramway reserve for constructing a tramWay from Mount Somers station to Mount Somers ccalpit. The Mouut Seniors Road Board has written, asking to be eopplied with the plans of the tramway before a tender Is acoeptad, and pointing ont that the consent of the Board is required according to Section. 263 of the Counties Aot 1886. I have rep led that the Oounoil Ib aware of the necessity of consulting the Board, and that the plans will be submitted as requested.— Itent to the various Road Boards m this oounty a letter reminding them to apply to the Government for the subsidies due to i them, and have also applied to the Govern- i ment for the subsidy due to this Council, i —Dog collars have been furnished to Mr 1 Tuoker, South Rakala, and Mr Cooper. : Alford Forest, for sale ss recommended By the South Rakala and Mount Somers Road Boards respectively. — The amount < of rates paid to date is £4069 10s 6d, there being still outstanding £^57 Ui lOd . As this balance is coming to hand very •lowly it would bo as well if the Council ; took legal prooaedings to' recover the i tame unless paid by a certain date, — Mr i Hawdon, as the Council will see, states ". he will be prepared to replace the treei i destroyed by fire m the Council's plantation when the proper season for planting ] arrives, — The Charitable Aid Board J applies for the balance of the contribution { Of this Oounoil towards charitable aid I purposes. — The petitions to form irrlga- t tion districts Nos 1 and 2 are now m oir- < eolation, and Messrs Simpßon and M kelg j are endeavoring to obtain the neoessary i number of signatures.-— Offers for the proposed irrigation farm have been invited and these will be placed before the Coun- | ell to-day. —The Hampßtead Town Board has written reßpeotiug a water supply for that district, to be used m qase of fire. < ROUTINE I Rangers (Nos. 1 and 2) reports and i diaries, a statement of business done by i the Chairman since last meeting, and a i statement of accounts of the Lyttelton harbor Board were laid on the table. i .'. , ' ENGINEER.^. RSPORT. The Engineer reported as follows : — Auxiliary Supply from Wakanui Creek :— ( The contractors have made fair progress with ( the works on both contracts dnring last month. About 'two thirdsof the earthwork on No. 1 eontraot has been completed. At the intake a short deviation will be necessary , m order to avoid severance, and I will take the levels and otherwise arrange that matter ' early next week. About half the earthwork on No. 2 eontraot has been completed, and ' the -works over the entire length Bhould be finished by the end of this month, When the new supply will be available. Plains Water Supply.— ln order to r. certain extent to obviate the difficulty whioh arose through the continuance of sand drifts at Aoton on the E2 race, it was neoessary to make some deviations and alterations. After taking levels, Ac., these were immediately carried out, and the water has made satisfactory progress towards the lower end ever since these alterations were completed. The lower end of the races, along the sections for a length of a mile or two m each have been somewhat intermittent during the month. This was oaused not from any defeotive supply, but rather from partial negleos of maintenance by many of the ocoupiers during the harvest season. During the last sor 6 weeks, too, the growth and accumulation of weeds seem to have been greater than m any corresponding period m former years. The work of clearing is being overtaken to some extent now, but it will require to be more generally followed up before a satisfactory remit is obtained. Ashburton-Bangitata Water Supply.— The eupply from the South Ashbuiton river hasbeen Veil maintained lately, and there is also now a copious supply both from Limestone Creek and Hinds Gorge, but the races generally throughout the district are not m good order. I some time ago put on men, at owners' expense to do up the worst portions, and this will have to be continued unless greater improvement is made. Two branches on Coldstream Estate have still a short supply. There is also a deficiency mNI race, near Chatmosß, but all the other raes are fairly supplied. The new race from Grice's Creek has been completed, with tbe exception of some small work at the intake, whioh has been temporarily held over, as Mr Stoddard, senior, the owner of the creek, has meantime ' withheld bis oonsent till some matter connected with the' cleaning of the creek is adjusted. ' The small branch race at Winslow ' for temporary Bupply has also been completed since last meeting of Oounoil. I baVe not had time to go into the details of the scheme for the small supplementary supply near |Montalto, but will do so soon, and meantime there is no privation, as the existing sources are again fully supplied. Taylor's Creek Improvement. — With the exception of No. 2 eontraot, which will be finished m a fortnight, and some minor works at Nos. 8, 4, and 5 contracts, which will oooupy a few days, these works may be said to be completed. Upper Bangitata Traffic Bridge. — One hundred kauri planks have been delivered at the bridge for purposes of renewals and repairs of old portion of decking. This lot was included m the recent eontraot lor portion redeoked, but through a shipping mistake was not forwarded at that time, Ashburton Traffic Bridge. — It will be nectssary to lay m a small Btook of planking for casual repairs of deoking of this bridge, it might be e.ither heart of black birch or V.D.L. The only damage to be apprehended is from reckless drivkg of traotion engines The Bpeed of these over the bridge should certainly be. restricted to a mile an hour. There are also 50 plankß required for bridges m upper districts. Mount Somers Tramway. — During last month I staked/ out the line of this tramway over its entire length, arid have prepared working sections, specifications, &0., for the earthwork m three contracts, tenders for whioh will be placed before yon to-day. lhe total

length approximates to 8J miles. The question of junction with the station works at Mount Somers station is an important point Whioh Bbonld be settled early with the Railway Department, as also the supply oi rails. Further contracts would also have to be advertised for sleepers and ballasting, and also for the construction of a bridge over Deep Dreek and another, over Woolshed Creek. Guagiog Streams Ashburton -Bangitata.— The record of these for two months ending 2nd February is not yet complete, but will be so m about ten days. TRAFFIC BRIDGE. It was resolved th%t heart of birch be used for repairing the planking of the traffic bridge, and that the Borough Oounoil be asked to pay part of the cost of repairs, ln the same proportion as the original contribution. ' Considerable discussion took place as to the reckless crossing of traction engines, and It was resolved to take Bteps to enforce Ihe drivers of such engines to oross the bridge at a reasonable paoe. THE UNEMPLOYID. Persusnt to motion Mr Jackson moved " That it be a recommendation from the Council to the Government as follows :.— With tbe view of affording a standing system of relief for the unemployed oi the oolony ', Ist, that all Road Boards should be bound to find work for any applicant, and each workmen to be piid at the rate of not more than 4s per day ; 2nd that tbe Government shall annually re fund to each Road Board a sum equal to one half of the whole amount spent oo such work " Consideration was postponed till after lurch. payments The usual monthly accounts were passed for ray ment. IT CENSING COMMITTEES On the acoounts fur expenses incurred m connection with the recent elections of Committers for the licensing districts within the county, Mr Jaokson said that the Council had some time ago, with a view to saving these coats urged upon the Government that tbe County Council be appointed a licensing Oommlttee for the whole county. No action had been taken towards giving effeot to the CounoU'o recommendation, and he thought that further representation on the subject should be made. Mr Wright while not adverse to the proposal, would point out that Councillors might not feel inclined to take upon themselves the odium which might possibly arise from having unpleasant duties to fulfil. Mr Harper thought that if (he Govern* ment took the recommendation of the Council into consideration it would be necessary to make the proposed alteration general m its application to all Committees. For his part, he thought tluyt the election should be made triennial instead of annual, as at present.' By th's means a great deal of expense would te saved. The Chairman recogalsed that Mr Jackson's motion had for its object the reduction of expense and the eimplifioation of the administration of the licensing law. Still he thought it tended to strike at the root of the main principle of tho Licensing Aot, whioh was that tbe ratepayers m tbe various districts should have the privlfge of electing persona to administer the law. Perhaps it might meet the casa if Mr Jaokaon amended his motion m the direction of making it optional whether the ratepayers m the various districts should elect a Committee or leave tbo axlminatration of the Licensing Aot to the Council. Personally he wa? m favor of the eleotion bf Committees being made triennial. After some further discussion, a motion proposed by Mr Wright and seconded by Mr Harper was oarried as follows: — " That m tbe opinion of this Council It is desirable that the Licensing Aot be amended In the direction of making the eleotion of the Lioensing Committees for a term of three years instead of one year. PLANTATION FIRE. The water ranger reported that ho had Inspected the five acre plantation at Wheatatone whioh had been swept by the. He had found that about 80 per oent of the trees and a few of tbe stakes m the fence had been destroyed He had reason to believe that the fire had bern started by some boys, but he had been unable to find out who the culprits were. Matter referred to Plantation Committee. WATER SUPPLY: The Hampstead Town Board wrote asking whether they oould secure a supply of water for fire prevention purposes. Ref err ad to the Engineer. REPLACING TREES. Mr O. G. Hawdon wrote stating that he would replace, when the planting season arrived, the trees destroyed by a fire In the Council's plantation at Wester* field. RETURNING OFFICER'S RFPORT. The Returning Officer, Mr F. Mainwaring, submitted a report ln regard to the Licensing Oommlttee whioh had been elected for the various districts within the Oounty. MOUfiT SOMERS TRAMWAY, A letter was received from the Mount Somers Road Board m reference to the route of the Mount Somers tramway. The Beard, m accordance with Clause 263 of the Counties Aot tf 1886, providing that the consent of a Road Board shall be obtained before a tramway be taken along any road, suggested that the plans of the proposed tramway should be submitted to tho Board before any tender for the work be definitely accepted. The letter had been replied too the Chairman explaining that the neceesity which existed for hurrying m the work had prevented the plans being submitted to the Board before. CATTLE IN RIVERBED Mr Rattray, milkman, wrote stating that several times lately his cattle, while grnzing m the riverbed, had been impounded. As the animals ware In oharge j of a oonpetent man he asked the Qouncll I to give instructions to the poundkesper not to impound from the riverbed ln future when the cattle were m charge of a herdsmiu. After a long discussion the Oounoil resolved that as it was compelled to protect the publio plantations it was net prepared to interfere with the poundkeeper m the execution of his duties. RATES. The Oletk was instructed to sue for all rates outstanding after the 31st inst. SLAUGHTERING LICENSE. A renewal of a slaughtering license was granted to Mr E. Thomas. IRRIGATION. In response to the Council's advertisement calling for offers to lease the Council a bloak of 100 acres of land for experimental irrigation purpose", six tenders were received. A Committee, consisting of tho Chairman, Messrs Harper and Wright, was appointed to select from the blocks tendered or others the most suitable section of land for the purposes of the Council, m establ'shing a trial farm under an irrigation system , MOUAT SOMERS TRAMWAY. Tenders for this work, ia three contracts, were opened. Several tenders were received, bu 1 ;, aa they materially exceeded the Engineer's estimate, it was reaolved to call for fresh tenders to be m by a fortnight. A special meeting of the Council will be held on March 18 to consider the tender*. [Left sitting] yn— —————— ■