ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1874, 22 June 1888, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Aahbnrton Oouuty Council was held this tnorniog, Messrs E. G. Wright (Chairman), H Friedlander, J. Grigg, E. S. Coiter, J Brown, 0. J. Harper. The Chairman said the meeting was called to consider the expediency of paying tboee landholders m the County, who bad constructed water-races at their own cost. To do this it would bo necessary to borrow £3000 or £4000, and those who were thci recouped their outlay, would henceforth be subject to the same charges as those ratepayers who had had their races constructed by the Council. The transaction wonjd be a financial ■sving to the County. 3he cost of enrupenwtion would be about £3000. which could be borrowed for about 6 per cent, or an annual charge of £180. Then thoße proprietors who had made their owe races would come m as contributors to the extent of about one third of the cost of nuinteoance. The present charge for maintenance wai about £1000 per annum. The additional cost for maintenance, should these races be taken over, would not exceed £200, as there would be no •xtra charge for head works and rangers. Thus the whole cost would be about £1209, and as the present non-paying owners of races would have to bear tbeir fair share, those who now paid all would onlj bare to provide about £800, instead of £1000 as at present, thus making a saving of 20 per cent. Thoße who paid nothing now would be called upon to contribute pro rata with the others, the benefit to them being that they would receive oash value for the work they had done. Perhaps it would be eipedient for the Council to consider the question m com - mittee. On the motion of Mr Grigg, seconded by Mr lETarper, the Council resolved itself into committee and had not resumed at a late hour this Afternoon.