ASHBURTON COUNTY CODNCILI

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2241, 1 October 1889, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COD NCIL I

The ordinary rueoung of i:ie Ashbortoa Omnty O^ur.o'l wns htjld to-day. Pru- | Kt-ut : M.ißßra W. 0. Walker (chairman), 1 C. J. Harper. E. G. Wright, W. MoMm_n, J_e. B-.jwn, E. S. Coster, and JulUu J tokaou. An apu'ogy wear, coived for the absence of Mr Grli^. CHAlkma.n'B statement, The Cn.l.tndn e»:d : - A let er fr. m the Railway Oom~_leaioueta will ba read agreeing to a propoaal rnide by me when at WelHugtoa with reference to the payment of tbe balance of the aooount due for rail. '• supplied for the Mount Suinora Tramway. Tho o.imoßlM'oners state that if tho Oouooil will pay to them the balanco of the Moont Somers Tramway aoooant £31316s 91 the subsidies now impounded will be released aud tbe payment of the ta!aco9 of the acoount for r*lia oan stand over to the end of tho fiuanoial year, A oopy of my letter to the Citon-la-loners whl also bo ro^d. Plun of the water : raoe system prepared by the Eaginear act applied for by tne Government has been supplied as requested. The Rakaia Gorge Bridge having been damaged by the lato galo, tho G ivernmeut have been ! informed of the rams. Tba Aaalntant Engineer Pobuc Work. Department av Ohrifltchu'oa haa vl«it'd tie locality and will report to tbe G.)vorrm.nt the resnlt of hia inspection, Two casas of trespass in plantation near .Aahim-ton Cemetery Reserve came before t,na R, IM. Oiart, Asbburton on tho 23 d S«p ember, resulting In a fine being Inflicted and a caatlou bsing given that a heavy penalty would be imposed for a similar offanoe. The balnnoj olieat for the six months endlog 30th Seutsmbur hot ia placed on the table. The 0 1000113 attention Is drawn to tbe large Dr. balances of the three wator supply d^tictt and atopn should ba taken to overtake these balauoes by Increased wator charges The amount expended la the mat' -r of the proposed loan, South Rakaia Irrigation distrlot la £97 7* 71. Tho Committee appointed to oousider the question oF closing certain roads, Moont Hutt Road Dlstrlot will moot to-day nnd report at th's meeting. The Wakanul Road Board aska permission to take op any dofeo.lvu ealverta and substltote open orossiogs. The Board also writes again about Houlten'o account for grabbing gorse io plantation, This aooount was not sanctioned to be paid at the last meeting of the Council. engineer's refjbt. Tbe Engineer's report wis read as follow* : — Ashburton-Rangitata Water Supply: Thiß servioe has been well maintained during the last month. The severe gale of 9th September blocked the races considerably, but to a less extent than on the other stations of tbe plains, where there is a larger area of cultivated ground, and where consequently more soil was blown into tbe races. Some repairs have been exeouted at Hinds Gorge where soour was taking plaoe, and at some otber points. The willow planting /has been finished at tbe Headworks South Ashburton, but it would require about 30 chains of fenoing to seoare them properly* If the Council authorize this the work could be done at onoe. The new raoe in Shepherd's Bush distriot progresses satisfactorily. Mount Somers Water Supply: The head raceß bave been overhauled, and further improvement made in tbe distributing raoes whiob are now for tbe most part in fair order. The race for tbe settlers in Springburn bush is still in progress. Plains Water Supply: Tbe protection of auxiliary channel near - Methven haß been satisfactorily completed, and tbe material for repair of Chapman's creak is, for the most part, on tbe ground. Tbe gales of la.t month had tbe effect of stopping tbe supplies more or leBS for about a week. Tha bead raoes were promptly cleared, and tbe settlers with very few exceptions rose to the oooasion in a oom. mendable manner, and had their respective raoes oleared with the least possiblo delay. The water has sinoe been running fairly well, bat as mightjhave been expected a good deal of Bediment is atill retained in the raoes, and aB this will form a Beed bed for growth of weeds, the half-yearly overhaul of races should be commenced earlier thia season than last. I should recommend a start being made a fortnight henoe. ° Proposed Auxiliary Supply from Rakaia River at Aoton ; I have carefully considered this soheme which I now beg to lay before the Counoil as follows : — Tbe dotted blue line on map shows approximately the route over wbioh tbe accompanying longitudionl aeotion has been taken, and subjoined is an estimate of tbe work wbioh would be neoessary. £. 8. d. Earthwork, 4750 oubio yda at 4d 79 3 4 Headwork and Sluice .. .. 32 0 0 Timber, fall .. __ .. 3 0 0 Ford _ .. 5 0 0 Enlarging portion of ElO raoe . . 15 16 8 Connection between El and E2 10 0 0 Total £145 0 0 Tbe head raoe would be about 100 ohains in length and 4ft wide at bottom, ElO raoe would require to be enlarged from tbe junction downward for two mile., and in my opinion a new oonneotion would be required between El and E2 raoea. The races whioh would be benefited by this servioe would be those situated between the dotted red line and the sea, the aggregate milage of whioh is 30 miles, E2, E7 and El being benefited by dlreot oonneotion, and E3 and E by the small additional quantity of water whioh would be sel free, but this would not amount to muob seeing the dotted red line represents the line about wbioh the existing supply generally begins to fail during dry seasons. Tbe area to whioh the additional supply would extend would be about 20,000 aores. Aa the distriot referred to it almost entirely dependent on Pudding Hill stream (which frequently gets very low), and is also farther removed from that source of supply than any other distriot, the projected service would go a great way to ensure a constant supply for that particular distriot, instead of the present somewhat preoariouß servioe. It is apparent that this auxiliary Bsrvioe would benefit aololy the distriot referred to, and if tne Council should entertain the proposal I think the settlers interested Bhould defray at least balf tbe oost of construction . Tbe proprietors of Acton are prepared to give the Und for the head raoe free of coot, and wonld also give a substantial contribution to the scheme. Besides thiß they are prepared to waive all questions for land wbioh might be removed by river enoroaobment. Tb nro wonld, therefore, be no queßtfon of land compensation involved, but it oannot be overlook'' d that the Bite of the inlet works (though the beßt in the vioinity) is a somewhat prooarious one. The I banks are of a Bandy naturo and the river is gradually making for tbe main terraoe, whioh is only about seven feet above tbe river bed. The question of maintenance therefore, in the : unprotected condition of the river, would beoomeone of Bome importance, as mora or leBB work would be required at the inlet after eaoh flood, I understand the supply in that branoh of the river has been pretty steady for the last few years, and with a little oooasional soooping would always be suffioient for requirement. An irrigation supply from this point is not likely to become necessary aa the district wbioh il would serve (that below the dotted red line) is, for the moßt part very undulating, and is perhaps less fitted than any other portion of the plains for the distribution of an irrigation supply. It is clear, then that tbe benefits of this service would be oonfined to tbe district wbioh I have d»soribed, and thiß being tbe oase, the question of granting new raoes on otber portionß of the Ash* burton-Rakßia plains, Bhould, for aome time at least, be held in abeyanoe. Raoes Granted .Conditionally.— A3 requested I beg to append list of these raoes. County Bridgeß.— Be?feral minor repairs have been exeouted during September, and a further Bupply of timber has oome to hand. Plantations.— The planting with laroh trees &t Anama has been completed. Tbe annual trimming and grubbing of gorse fenoes Bhould now be undertaken, PEOTBOT.ON. The fencing and planting of wlllowb at water raoe beadworka, Soutib Aahbnrtou river, as recommended by the Engineer, were agreed to. OVERHAUL OP B-OER The auggestlon of tho Engineer tbat tbe oleaniog of Whter racs i»h .o'd take plsc. ln Ootober was agreed to. raoyoßßD aojciliabt supply.

posm to tafjo aw fnjtllicry water supply | hem tbe Rakw'a river, at a les* oo st than , the scheme which wis lost on a poll a short time Bgo, was corrldered at bobio ength. ! Mr Coster reed a letter from Mt W. L* AlUo, of the Aoton estate, a* atlng that ; the netllrrs in the dlstrlot affeoted' wore extremely anxious that the work should be undort*krn, and ha had ao doubt that half !he cost of construction could easily | bo collected. It' tho Council deolded to I go on with tho work, a meeting of tho ratepayers wonld be oallod, and the money ooUeced. A list of Bottlers w'io wore wi'hout. a wator supply waß appet d.d. Mr Wrlgh 1 ; moved that the recou-mm-datloo of the Engiueor be adopted, Ti.e oost of the work would be moderate,, and half the amoant was evidently to bo col- ' laaled. The losahty affected was a por tion of the oounty which from tbo Inauguration of the water rac» Brs'em had baftn almoot entirely out off from the benefits of that aopply, and m.ny of the settlers had no water whatever. The i expenditure of this small sum of money wonld go a lofc£ way to remove a gr'evanoo the settlers bad snffared for a long time past, and he moved — " That the work reoommended by the > nglneer be undertaken on the understanding that tbe -atepayers interested oontribute one-half tho oost." Mr Coster seconded the motion. Mr Brown asked whether there was any danger of ovetfhw t» be npprohendod from tapping the river, and whether the txpense of keeping tbe Intake open was likely to be heavy. The Engineer aald that he had drawn attention to this matter fn his report. A greater or less amount of sooopicg would be required to keep the intake open, in proportion to the severity of floods In the river, but this was an item inseparable from tbe othor head works, aod tho expenae wonld be moderate In oompariaon to tho advantage to be derived from the supply. Mr Wright said that tho (ntako would be ao near the mouth of the river that there would be no risk of any aerloui overflow. As tothe expense of clearing out the Intake the Engineer had shown that it would not be heavy, and he trusted that the Council w»uld not allow it to itand in tho way of granting the relief asked for by the aettlers. Mr Harpsr suggested that a proviso should be attaohed to the resolution tbat an Indemnity for any damage oaused by ovoiliw ohooid be given. This was agreed to, and tho motion was oarried as follows :—'« That the rooom meudatlon of the Engineer be adopted ou the understanding that the rateonyers Immediately Intoreated oontnbu'e one half tbo cost, and the owners of Aoton property indemnify the Council for contingent loss of land by e_oror.ohment cf river, and qlva the land required for the raoe free of oost." BEPOBTB Reports of the Planting and Water Supply Oommft'eefl wero Adopted. plantations. It was re»oived tbat the bodges should be trimmed and gorao grubbed in oounty plantations. GENERAL BATS. Puraual to notice Mr Wright movod : "That the Canno'l at Its meeting on November 27, 1889, strike a general rate In tho ridings in the Ashburton County, of tho following amounts :— Wakanui Riding Ji In the £ ; Ranrltata fl In the £ i Upper Aahburton Jl in the £; Anhburton |iln the £ ; Mount Hatt £i In the £ ; South Rakaia one fif.h ot a penny In the £ ; Mount Somers one fil.o. of a penny In the £, auoh rata to be for the period commencing April 1. 1889 and ending Maroh 31, 1890, payable in one auia on Tbur.d.y January, 2nd, IH9O " He said that . the total amount which wonld be produaed by the rate woold bo £3116 7s 2.1. civHed »o follows : -W-kv-. nol Hiding £ i to meet expenditure of £ICB 8j 2i mid iio proportionate .bare o.' tho general couuty charges ; RanKM-.ni 'tiding Jl to meet expenditure of £27 9a 7d ana proportion of cmnty oiiargeß ; Upper Aehbarton Jildiog £1 to moot cxpi ndituro £20 8 1 aud propoctlon of coonty charges; Aahburton Riding Jl' to mne> expenditure of £125 13 4i _ui proportion of oounty oh»rgea ; Mount Hutt * Riding Jd to meet ospenUtiirj of £152 < and proportion of oouti'y ch.r«os ; touih ( Rakaia and Mount Somers Biding one- J fifth eaob, no looal expenditure. < Mt Brown seconded the motion which was oarried. < NOTIOB OP MOTIOIf. Mr Wright gave notice of motion for next meeting as follows :— That at tbe Oounoil meeting In November next, the Council rescind tbat portion of tbe resolution of Maroh 7ti 1884, fixing tbe water \ oharges at 10s and 5s for 20 chain-, or part thereof, and that j;_e following oharges be substltu'ad In" lieu thereof, viz., £1 for 20 ohalns or part thereof for all races comprised in sohedole B, i.e. raoes constructed entirely oot of the oounty funds, and 10a for 20 ohalns or part thereof, for all raoes comprised in soheduio 0 snd D, I.e. raoes eonstr noted, one half l' out of county foods, and ona half at owners' expense, eaoh increased oharges to commenoe oo May 1, 1890. THB BAKAIA IBBIOATION SOHBKE. Mr Brown brought up the aubjeot of tbe remarks made by the Engineer In hia report of last month on the loan of the proposal to take an auxiliary water supply from tbe Rakaia, and consideration of which was deferred by tbe Oounoil. The Engineer suggested that the Oounoil should move for an ameodment in the Aot, as he -onsldsred thatlt was too muob 1 to aisume that all non-votera were hostile to tbe proposal: Mr Brown moved that this portion of tbe Engineer's report be expanged. He did not conaldor any amendment of the Aot— the Looal Bodies Loans Act—was required, as tie Oounoil bad the option of taking the poll nnder the Oounties Act, by which a three-fifths m»jorlty of the voteß oast was deemed ouflioient to oarry a proposal, Tbe mistake was made In tbe Oounoil not proceeding ander tbe Oounties Aot instead of the Looal B idles Loans Aot: Mr Ooster thought an amendment of the Aot was required. At present an absentee was precluded from voting by power-of-attornoy, t\nd he thought some amendment in this direction was desirable. After a lengthy and desultory discussion tho matter dropped. PAYMENTS. lAooounts were passed for payments. [Left sitting. J