ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.
• The ordinary meeting was held this morning. Present — Messrs E.G. Wright, 0. J. Harper, 11. Fried' ander, j, Holmas, Jas Brown, and E. S. Coster. Mr Wright was voted to the chair. chairman's statement. The Chairman said : — The Local Option polls have been held in tbe Ashburton, Uppr Ashburton, and Mount Soraers licensing districts, with the result that licenses are not to be increased in those districts. The Local Option poll for the Mount Hutt licensing district takes place to-day. The Selwyn County Council forwards a clrcnlaTßtating. it has been suggested to the Government that the Licensing Act be amended so. that Licensing Committees be e'ected on the same day as tbe Local Option poll is taken, and if this is approved of by this Council, it ia asked to co operate with that Council in this matter. — The lessee of the Mount Somers tramway has arranged for sureties., and the Committee appointed to consider this subject has not therefore been called .together. — A circular from the Town Clerk, Obristchurch, covering a petition praying for the abolition of tbe totalisator, will be placed before the Council to day; also one from the Wairarapa North Counoil, with reference to the payment of subsidy for Charitable Aid purposes, — | Mr Chapman writes to ask the Council to I reconsider its decision not to fence off | the concrete channel at Pudding Hill. — The Tinwald Town Board and Domain Board inform the Council that they have no objection to Messrs Jephson aad Co. erecting their fhx mill in the Reserve as applied for. The Tinwald Town Board also requests that the Reserve in qiestion may bo vested in it so that if any nuisance should arise from this mill, it could deal with tho matter. — The aooounts of this Council have been audited by the Government Auditor and found oorrect, and have been transmitted to Wellington. — The amount of rates paid to data is £2324 Is lid, leaving £2603 3j 5d out standing. — The sum of £14 15s has been | received on aocount of water charges.— As there is not a great demand for dog collars now, I should recommend the Council to aßk the po ice to summon per sons having unregistered dogs in their possession. — A special meetiog will be held after the ordinary meeting to confirm the bye-laws for the Ashburton traffic bridge.— The Upper Ashburton Road Board applies for a road to be laid off through Reserve 1737. The land referred to, however, is not a Eeserve vested in tbe County Council, but a part of the fownßhip of Dromore, and Government land. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer reported as follows : — Ash. burton Rangitata Water Supply : The raoes throughout this Bystem have had a continuous supply during the month of May. The Ashburton Hinds seotion is now closed for a few days for overhaul, and next week the HindsRangitata seotion will be shut off. The oulverts for main at Anama and oatohwater drain tbers have been completed. I have marked off the race at Coldstream authorized by the Counoil some time ago, and the contractor will start there next week. Plains Water Supply : The head raoes are now being overhauled, and the settlers are busy olearing out and making necessary repairs in the distributing raoes through their respective holdings. Most of them are doing the work very satisfactorily, but there are still a few defaulters. lam getting out a list of them whioh I will present to the Counoil, and will arrange to put on men at the expense of the occupiers if work is not started forthwith. The small protective work authorized by the Counoil afi the inlet of auxiliary channel has been oompleted. The improvement of the oreek at Methven has also been finished satisfactorily. The settlers in Wakanui Flat have cleared out their raoes very well indeed on the present occasion. The condition of the river at the inlet of the River road race is so variable that the supply of that race is neoessarily very intermittent, and the expense of keeping it up, as I reported at the outset will be very considerable taking into acoount the few miles of raoe which are supplied from it. It would be well if the negotiations for opening up a connection near the old line of raoe were oompleted as soon as possible, and the member for Wakanui Riding will be able to supply information as to how that matter now stands. With reference to Mr Brown's resolution as to the utilizing of greater part of Wakanui oreek for irrigation experiments by the settlers themselves, lam of opinion that tbe best method of attaining that objeot would be the enlarging of the present main and the three firßt raoes connecting with it, eaob to a point distant about thraa miles from the intake at oreek, This might be done to a greater or less extent as the Council might determine, but I oaloulate that an expenditure oi about £120 would convey half the normal supply of the creek to the parts indicated. The control of the supply so far as rotation was ooncerned would require to be in the hands of the Counoil. The location of the line of mains should be determined in a great measure by the unanimity of the Bottlers in any portion of the distriot to make use of the water for irrigation purposes. Up return of water.raoes asked for, I now beg to annex this, whioh shows the mileage in the different districts, constructed wholly out of County funds, those made partly at owners and partly at Council's cast, and those oonstrqqted entirely at owners oost. No revenue has as yec been derived from the latter. Plantation ; Tenders will be placed before you to-day for the ploughing and fenoing of 180 aores, forming parts of Reserves 1769 and 1772 in Ohertsey District. All the plantation fences have now boen put into a fair state of repair, but the gorse outting on three of them is still incomplete. North Ashburton Bridge, Pudding Hill : Some repairs have been exeouted on this bridge reoently, and a small stook of decking timber will require to be provided for this and other bridges in .the upper distriot. I Flood Drainage : Accompanied by Mr John . Holmes, one of the members for the Mount I Hutt Riding, I made a prelimary investigation of the proposed scheme for that distriot, with a view more especially of judging of the best location for the line of obannel, as that line would, in a general way, determine the upper boundary of the distriot, and the fixing of the boundaries, is among the first things to be done. Until, however, the projeot is advanced a stage T presume it is unnecessary to report on the matter in detail, fie the proposed Lagmhor?Watertdn Boheme, after oareful consideration of all the circumstances, I have prepared a map showing the boundaries of the distriot whioh, in my opinion, should be constituted the drain, age distriot for that seotion of the county, but these boundaries may have to be modified to suoh extent as the Drainage Committee, after meeting the ratepayers, may deoide. Re petition from Mr John Bell, of Ashton, part of the flood ohannel in gully is filled up with shingle, the expense of removing whioh would be about £4, and this extent of clearance should be done. RACE AT lIVER ROAD. Mr Brown spoke of the present unsatisfactory supply obtained from the rivor, and reoommended that Mr 8. Brown be oomraunloated with and his permission asked for the raoe to be taken through his property. - ' " It wad resolved that the Engineer should oommunloate with Mr Brown in reference to this matter. EXPERIMENTAL IRRIGATION. Mr Brown said that the Engineer hid {one lato the matter of providing supply )f water from the Wakanui Oreek for trlgation by the farmers themsolves, in a nore elaborate manner than his motion loutamplatad. H* thought It might jbo lone for less than '£12Q. ' - ' The Ohalrrn™ 'susgeatedj that the natter be postponed. Mr Holi^a thought the Ooqnoll could , iot In fairness allow oue section of farmers o benefit in this way and debar otherß, Mt? Brown said that a large quantity of rater was going down the Wakanui Creek nuMliacd, while land In the vicinity was f ■'» - 1 up. He thought If this water >< ■' .i utilised inexpensively It ghould •1 '..'oil , ] It was suggested that the farmers \ HereatedJ.mlght be»c the expense them. 1
splvra, and it was ultimately resolvtA thit the matter be postponed, Mr Brnvru t > take steps In the meantime to ascertain the vieffa of the farmers. WAT R RAOES. The return compiled by the Engineer ahowed that out of a total mileage of 862. there were 296 miles of raoe c mstrnoted who'ly at owners' cost, and 73 miles oonstruoted at owners' and Couooil'a joint coat. The Chairman said this wa« a question it behoved tin Council to take into consideration. There was more than onethird of the roes whioh contributed nothing to the maintenance of the system — water rangers 1 salaries and oosfc of maintaining headvorka. Thus ■ those people who had races constructed by the Council were now bearing the whole ooat, and he thought It advisable to oonalder whether it was feasible to bring oat those owners who made their raoes, and thus have all to contribute alike* The matter was discussed at some length, and it was deoided that a special meeting should be held on the 22nd iost, to consider the question, BELIEF. Mr Wilson waited on the Council, and asked for relief from storm water, whioh was backed up by a bank on a plantation reserve It waa resolved to put m a swing-gate to afford the lolief asked for. FLOOD CHANNEL AT ASHTOH. It was resolve! to remove shingle. ASHBURTON BRIDGE. Mr Coster, pursuant to notice, moved "That the maintenance of the Aehburton traffic bridge be charged to the Ri lings, whose ratepayers are benefitted by it." He thought that tha districts whioh were specially b nefitted by the briuge should pay for thit advantage, m the way that other districts had 1o pay for wa'.er races and other works. Mr Brown thought the motion was out of order, as there was a resolution on the minutes that all bridgeß should be a charge on tbe County funds. The Chairman said the motion was m order. At the suggestion of Mr Friedlander, as several mombers were absent, Mr Coster asked and obtained leave to post* pone the consideration of his motion. . ißaiamoN rARit, Mt Harper brought up the report of the Irrigation Committee whioh had been postponed from last meeting m order th»t a legal opinion as to tbe legality of expau. dituce on the farm had been aaoeruiued Mr Pucnell wrote, stating his opinion that the Oounoil could not lawfully appropriate any portion of the ouun y fund till due provision had been made foe the three ohargea specified m olause 145 of the Act. He quo.cd the oaie lately deoided againat the Late County Council, and although, the paymaut o»lled to. question was outside the soops of that Council's fuGctions, the priaoipia affirmed was of general application. Mr Harpac asited that further consideration cf the report might be pj»t« poned till after lunob. This was agreed to. PAYMENTS. Aooounte were pustd for payment. TRAJTIO BRIDGE, Mr FrledUnder stated that any small repairs on the traffio bridge ooeld bo undertaken by the Bjrongh Oouaoil'a labor gang, waioh arrangement he thought would be more aatiafaocory than that m force *t present, It was resolved that the offer of (he Bjrough Ojunoil be accepted. ; THE IOTALISAXOR. The Chriatchuroh Oity Oounoil asked tbe OouooU's co-operat on In endeavoring to aeoare tbe abolition of the totalisator* Letter received, but no action taken. CHABITABI/K AID. A letter waa lead from the Wairarapa i County Oounoil m referenoe to the i charitable aid contributions by country districts. The Oounoil deoided to again urge upon the members for the distriot to follow up their action m the previous session, and endeavor to obtain separation from the Ohristonuroh Charitable Aid distrlot, BOAD. A letter was read from the Upper Aahburton Road Board, asking the Oouu- ; oil to lay off a road through Reserve 1773. Dromore. The reserve is not under the control of tho Ooanoil, and It was deoided to inform the Board accordingly. DIVIIION OF THE OOUHTT. The Upper Asbbnrton Road Board wrote stating that the members of the Board preaent at the meeting expressed the opinion that the division ef the oounty would be a change for the bettor, and with s view to getting the ratepayers to give thelc opinion a public meeting would be held at Tinwald on July 3rd. 1 It was understood that as many of the Councillors aa could attend the meeting ; would do so. BOXVJBRTS, A resolution moved by Mr Brown, (n , the direotion of giving the Wakanui Road Board the same authority as possessed by other Boards to repslr oertaln oulverts, was carried. FLAX. Mr Jephson desired to establish a flax mill on a gravel reserve near Tinwald. The Tinwald Town Board had no objaotion to the mill belns; ereoted provided no nolsanoe was allowed to exist, and the buildings were removed when tho land was required. The Board also asked that the reserve ba vested m it, so that If any nuisance were caused it would have power to deal with It; It waa deoided that Jephson and 00. should have power to occupy the reserve at a rental of Is &> month, and subject to three months' notice, the Oounoil to have power to enter the land for the purpose of taking gravel at any time. TTATER RAOE, Mr W. Cochrane complained of overt flow from water raoa through his property The Engineer was instructed to attend to the matter. laOEKSINO OOUMITTBES. Mr Friedlander moved—" That this Counoil approves of Major Steward's Licensing Committees Election Bill, which provides that elections should be triennial and simultaneous with the Looal Option poll." The motion was carried, and it wa« decided that copies should be forwarded to the members for the district. RAEAIA GORGE BRIDGE. A letter from the Selwyn County Council was read, proposing that the balance of the special grant be equally divided between the two Councils, to meet any claim that may be made m conneotlon with the bridge or approaches. The «ug. gestion was made because of the Government having determined to retain the control of the bridge, and equally charge the two Councils with the maintenance. . (Lett sitting.)
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1856, 1 June 1888, Page 2
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2,431ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1856, 1 June 1888, Page 2
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