ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1681, 7 October 1887, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Ashborton County Council was held today, Present— Mesar a E. G. Wright (m the chair), D. MoLean, E, S. Ooater and G. W. Leadley. chairman's statement. The Chairman said :— The Wakanul, Mount Butt and Upper Ashburton Road Boirda have agreed to look after the for3a In tbelr districts at the expense of the Council. —The Aehburton Volunteer Fire Brigade asks the Concert's patronage to a social gathering, to be held on the 12th Instant, to raiae funds to Bend a competitire team to the Fire Brigade Demonstration to be held at Cbrlstchurch m February next. — Mr Gerard has written to the Council respecting the damage done to the Black Mountain track by the flood m July last, and offers to maintain the track on certain terms.— The Government forward! a "Gazette" containing an Order-in-Councll delegating powers under the Gtmetsrles Act, 1885, to this Council m respect to the Mount Somers Cemetery. — A olreulsr from the Wattaki County Oounott> inggeitlng the adoption of some simple method whereby titles to road lines exchanged or otherwise required for public use can be obtained, will be read, — Tht Committee appointed by tbe Connell has accepted a tender for making up - the breaoh at Digby's bridge, and Its report will be placed before the Council to-day. —The balance sheets for the six months endiog,3oth September are placed on tha table. The amount of rates collected to date la £4807 12s Id, leaving £119 13« 3d outetanding. 1164 dog collars hare been pold bo far, producing terenue to the amount of £361 1658i.~The Government has notified that the general election for Councillors will take place on 16th November m lieu of the 9tb. — The Ashburton Borough Oounoil has written describing the cheapest and best method of supplying the Hampstead Town Board with water.— The Wakanul Road Board asks If tbe Council intends to oontinue Its grant for the destruction ef mall birds. rDTAKOIAL. The Chairman further said that he desired to draw the attention of the Council to the state of the banking account. The present overdraft was £2848. The rates had been all practically collected there being only £119 outstanding. Accounts would come up that day to tbe amount of £382 and there was a subsidy due to tbe Hospital and Charitable Aid Board of £550. By the time the accounts and the Hospital and Charitable Aid subsidy had been paid the overdraft would be £3780. The next meeting would be the last of tbe present Council and it was a question whether they should leave this liability over for the rew Council to deal with or whether they ' should take what was m his opinion the ] more manly course and themselves deal with It, by striking a rate, this rate to be either \ on the whole county, a water rate, or a diminished county rate. It would no doubt be more pleasant to leave the * matter over for the new Oooncil to deal [ with, but as the present Council had inenrr«d the liabilities he thought it was ■ bat right that they should devise the , means of meeting them. As he had been roted to the chair he had deemed it his c duty to brbg this matter under the r notice of Councillors. a bkgineeb's beport. * The Engineer reported as follows : — . Aahburton-Rangitata Water Supply : There l( has been a marked improvement m tbe maintenance and clearing out of the races m thia district during the last month. The f< races are now m fair order to tbe extent of •bout two-thirds of the entire length, and the p work of olearanoe is still going on where £ necessary. — I have prepared plans and specification for small auxiliary supply from creek at Montalto, and tenders for the work Will be placed before you to-day, — The mainß a which were ie the process of being over- *' hauled at the date of last meeting are now m B good order. p Plains Water Supply : The service on tbe h Jtahburton-Bakaia plains has been fairly satis- a factory during tha month. The E 10 race h next Bakaia river has been running more 0 constantly than hitherto, but there iB still considerable waste about the Bakaia township, chiefly through the condition of fords and race formed by tbe Road Board, which are not yet effioient. The head races are at a present blocked with snow, which has been lying to a depth of about 18 inches m the e vicinity of Fndding Hall. From this ccuse r S>n overflow has taken place at the ooncrete t channel and at some of the fords, but very s little damage has been done. j Irrigation Farm : The cultivation of about 50 acres (three-fourths of the entire area) has 8 been completed, and sown down m accordance with the directions of the Committee, and the caretaker appointed by them is now m charge f ef the farm. The process of getting m the 8 remainder of the seeds will be completed as l soon as the state of the ground will permit of E ft* Wheatstoae Main Drain: The work of C clearing out this drain haß been completed during last month, and m a satisfactory manner. ( Taylor's Stream Bridge : The repairs to ( tht groins adjacent to this bridge have recently been finished. Bridge over North Ashburton Biver, Pud- J ding Hill : Ths willow planting between Puddipg Hill stream and the North approach to v bridge has been finished. In connection with ' that work it was ntcessarr to level down part ef the bank over a length of 25 chains. i North-West Approach, North Ashburton i Biver Bridge, at Digby's : The contractors for 1 approach have prepared a considerable quantity of willows and gorse for fascine , work, and have commenced the pile driving for groini. The contractor for bridge extension has got moEt of his plant on the ground, and will at once start the driving of piles for * the two piers. ' Plantations: I have marked Off reserve 1673, Westerfield. Tho contractor for plough- i ing is now engaged at the work, and the j fencing contractor has got a good deal of the ' material on the ground. The planting of 25 i acres of reserve 2592, and 56 acres of reserve 2591, have been completed during last month, as was also the filling up of several plantations planted last year. Repairs have recently been executed on several of the the plantation fences, and the gorse cutting contracts are still m progress. A few pines have lately been placed m the plantation of gums and pices near Benny's whioh was turned down last year, but, m my opinion, a good deal more requires to be dpne to restore that plantation to something like a satisfactory condition. Nothing has been done to replace the burnt guma which will never get beyond £he stage of saplings. Mount Somers Tramway : Had it not been for the recent snow storm inlhat district the rail laying would have been almost complete by this lime. As it is there is about half a mile of tram still to be laid and the track adjusted more or less over the entire length. A fortnight of favorable weather should, however, complete the whole. Streams between Ashbuoton and Rangitata : X have completed the record of these gaugings pp to date and have also commenced a list snowing the discharges pf North and South Ashbnrton rivers, as that could not fail to be of service m the elaboration of any irrigation schemes throughout the country. • DEFECTIVE FORDS. It was decided to send a copy of the Engineer's report to the South Bakaia Jtoad Board with a request that the Board woald attend to the matters referred to. PLANTATION NEAB JENNY'S. It was resolved tbat a copy of the Engineer's report be Bent to Mr Eawdon with a request that he satisfactorily complete the work according to his promise. dioby's bridge. The Committee authorised to accept tenders for Digby's bridge repairs reported that the following had been accepted : W. Slock', addition to bridge, £148 • Griffio and Co, earthwork, £138 13) The Committee also reported that the Clerk bad been authorised to obtain the services of a Clerk of Works. TREASURER. Mr E. G. Wright was appointed Treasurer daring the absence at Parliament ojMrW.O, Wsjkar, M.&.R.

WATER SUPPLY COMMITTED, The Water Supply Committee ia mltted a report which was adopted. PAYMENTS. Aooounts were passed for payment. A MISUNDERSTANDING Mr Hoatten waited on the OouDcil at made a complaint with regard to the r pr.rt made by the Engineer on his obje tion to the enlargement of water race i Irrigation farm passing through h property. Ibe Engineer had stated th; hs had refnaed to allow the race to g through unless he were allowed to ue the water for irrigation pnrpnseß. Tht was not bo, although he would greatly ci teem it if the Council would allow him t use the water when they did not reqair it. His main objection waß to the cor tractors comlDg through hie proper* and putting everything there into con fusion, fie was perfectly willing to mak the race himself to any width (he Couaci required. The enlargement of the rac had now been taken past bis place and th race ho had formerly en joyed had not been cut off. He wished to have i restored. After the Engineer and Mr Hoatter bad recited their views of the matte the Chairman said that it was a pity M Hoatteti had not reduced hia firot oommunicfttlon to writing, because it was avident that there had been a misunderBtanding as to what Mr Hoatten hat really required. It was decided that a portion of th( water Bhould be restored to Me Hoatten'i race. WATER RACE. Meeßrß P. Stewart and T Walah waitec on the Council m regard to attention ol water race. — The Council consented to the work prodded those interested bore the jost. WAKANUI STORM WATER. A petition was read from seven ratepayers m the Wakanui district asking the Council to enforce its resolutions that all natural water courses Bhould be kept jpen. The petitioners stated that only >ne of the landowners notified to remove jbstructlona from natural water courses ronniog throngb their property had iompited with the Council's demand. Mr T. Clephane wrote requesting the Uounoll to reconsider Its resolution that i flood-gate should be erected m almost evel dry places, because such gates were neffioient m keeping stock from trespass - ng. He thought that the settlers should )e allowed a post and rails or wire fence rith gorse planted on the natural level, ill cob wbllb being removed In order t> et fl jod water freely through, Mr Clephane further wrote, drawing at ention to a cob wall which threw storm vater on to the school road. He, m conation with others, suggested that applies ion Bhould be made to Government to urvey a river-bed, and to re-purchase the equisite land where it had been sold. A. ioard of Biver Conservators should be onetituted to prevent river encroachment rom Digby's to Wakanui, Mr David Wilson and eight others raited on the Council to urge the matters eferred to m the petition that had been aid before the Coucc 1 The Council decided to adhere to the etermination arrived at »t last meeting ; bat all obetructione m natural waterourses should be removed. It was also ssoJved that the Wakanui Road Board bould be notified that the crown of a road aferred to by the deputation must be cut own so aa to allow storm water to follow * original course. WATER EDPPLY, VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS Th© Engineer submitted a report as >llows : — The areas of small eet'lementa as recently laid out would appear to be bout 5000 acres. To serve these Ecicntly, the races and junctions would jquire to be very numerous, and would mount m the aggregate to abont 100 miles l length. It is apparent tbat a service uch as this cannot be supplied from the resent pyatem of races m which there is ardly any margin for increase of mileage, nd the supply for such a number of small old Ings would require to be dealt with n a special basis. The races required for these sections ronld be fully equal to what would be equired for the irrigation of an equal rea of the ordinary holdings on the plains. Provision, would have to be made for nlarging of head works and matns and sees all the way down to the sites of hese settlements. The cost of all neoes «ry works might be set down at about 12000. With regard to those which would be upplied frcm the North Ashburton Kiver, n equivalent service would have to be rovidtd from Rakala River, as the nxiliary supply formerly proposed from hat source would theu be necessary to a a uch larger extent; It was decided to forward a copy to the )rowu Lands Department. STOBM "WATER. Meesra T. Taylor, Bishop, Small, G. Sllmour and Prebble waited on the Council with regard to storm water which ccumulates on the west ride of the railray line and flows towards tho sea cauansr, m times of flood, much damage, fhich increases m intensity as it goes o wards the sea. The deputation laid tbelr views before he Council and advocated the division of mmc of the flood water above the railway Ice. The deputation said that the ImproveDent effected by the Coutcil to Taylor's :reek had been productive of much relief, but the damage they referred to was uaured by the oveiflow of Btorm water it Tinwald. After a discursion of a ccnversat?anvl nature between the Counoll and the de« pntatlon it was resolved tbat the Engineer be instructed to report on the best method < of dealing with the accumulation of storm water complained of. A PROTEST. Mr Crisp, for Mr Digby wrote protesting Against tne "ao called protective works " the Council were constructing at Digby'e bridge and which he said would have «he effeot cf diverting the river to the olient'a side of the river with the result that Mr Dlgby's property would be either washed away piece meal by the action of the water or carried away en masse by a flood. Bis client would hold the Council responsible for any damage. The letcer was ordered to lie on the table. rATIIONAOB. The Fire Brigade requested the Council's patronage to an entertainment to be held on October 12 m order to raise funds to send a team to the Fire Brigade demonstration. The Council decided to give Us oordial support to the movement, A CLAIM. Mr J. Allan wrote requesting a refund of 12s Impounding fees paid by him for a horse which got out of Mr Lancaster's paddock owing to the fence having been broken down by workmen enlarging a water rac. Resolved that Mr Allan be referred to the man who brok-j down the fence. Left sitting. A great petroleum fire near Baku, Russia, consumed ten thousand tons of oil, I Some sharp work, observes tht "Naw Zealand Times," was dona on board the hulk | Jubilee on Saturday, when 5733 frozen sheep were transferred from the chambers qj the hulk to the lonio m nine hours. ' Remember that a little Hop Bitters saves big Dootor's bills, and cures when al elsa ails. Don't take unless Am. Co.'s make, cad Wxllb' Hair Balsam.— lf grey restores to original color An elegant dreßeing, softens and beautifies. Mo oil or grease. A Tonic Restorative. Stops hair comJDg out ; Btrengtbenp, cleanses, heal? poalp. %