PUBLIC MEETING AT LITTLE RIVER

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 532, 19 August 1881, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT LITTLE RIVER

A public meeting was held in tho District Schoo'room at Little River on Saturday evening last, the 13th instant, to take into consideration the state of the Peninsula Railway. The meeting was exceedingly well attended. A.D.Allan, Esq., w.is voted to the chair.

The Chairman opened the meeting by saying that those present had been asked to attend that evening to take into consideration the state of the Peninsula Railway. In order that they know something about it, Mr Joblin, Mr Olphert, and himself had gone that morning to Lake Ellesmere, which was then running out, and from observation he should say that, though the damage was serious to the railway line, resulting from the ballast being washed from its position, yet it was very far from being so bad as had been represented ; but the damage to the formation was very great. The present outlets were too small in Big Bay, and there were not enough of them. He might say that no proper estimate of the damage could be formed until the water had gone down, but as the damage had occurred, and might have been prevented, blame attached to some one, and he trusted they might manage to put the saddle on the right horse. It seemed to him that the local body on the spot should be empowered to attend to the letting out of both Lakes when showing signs of encroaching on public works. Mr Joblin would perhaps address them on the subject. Mr G. R. Joblin. after briefly referring to the objects of previous meetings, said that he had visited the railway and found the ballast washed away between Birdling' and the far Kaituna Point; the sleepers were resting on the formation on one side, and in some parts altogether, for a distance of two or three miles. He had counted 175 sleepers, together with the rails, moved off the line to the landward side of the formation, and in various places shifted. Mr Olphert and Mr Allan had visited Kaituna, and found the damage not so great as represented ; but between Kaituna and the Halswell great damage had been done to the formation. The engine would be unable to run until the permanent way had been replaced. For all this some one was responsible, and ho thought the Public Works Department was to blame. Sods had been put up at a time of the year when they could not set. They had met to trace the blame to the right place. Mr Coates might be to blame. The Little River Road Board ought to have made an energetic protest against the Lake being allowed to remain so high. If the line should be washed away he did not think the Government would replace it. The little Lake was let out on the 24th July, and he had been informed that Mr MeCarthay had then offered to let Lake Ellesmere out for £30. It was from the 24th July to the 3rd or 4th August before any attempt had been made to let out Lake Ellesmere. and no damage was done before Sunday,'the 7th instant. All tins time neither tho Road Board, County Council, or Public Works Department had moved in the matter, and jetween two or three stools they had fallen to the ground. The ballast had been washed away, sleepers and rails shifted, and firewood drifted about. '

Mr Wm. Coop said lie had been down to sec the railway an 1 lnkn that afternoon, and had been along the line trout rtirdling's to Price's Point, which he considered was the most likely to sustain damage on account of tho. height of the embankment and exposure to the lake and weather. He found the damage done was nothing like what had been represented, and was pleased to find that there was great credit due to the Public Works Department for the very substantial manner in which the railway work had been carried out, and for having had the courage to carry the railway through the lake from point to point. Instead of trying to make matters worse hy saying it was ruinous to the distiict it would be far better to give credit where due. The ballasting had been washed away for some four miles, and he had been informed that this would take about £70 per mile to replace. He considered this little or nothing, as he looked upon the loss as valuable experience gained, and the engineers would now see exactly what was required to complete the stability of the embankment so well begun. The ballast was not lost, but was still on the side of the embankment, and would tend to giro it greater stability, and where the stone walling had been done on each side of the line he considered it a grand piece of work. They mu-t take into consideration that it might have been impossible to let out the lake earlier on account of the weather and tides. When the Road Board had the letting out of the lake it, had cost from £60 to £100 to do the work. Mr Olphert—Don't you think the Road Board ought to have taken the matter in hand ? Mr Coop—No, since the railway had commenced the Government had taken it out of their hands. Mr Olphert—Don't you think it would have been better for the Road Board to have got permission from the Government to do the work ? Mr Coop—Of course the Road Board might have advised the Government in the matter. There was no doubt but the lake might have been let out before the bad weather set in, and with a view to secure the letting out of the lake, and add stability to the work, he would move the follo*ving resolution, viz.,—"That this meeting is of opinion that Lake Ellesmere could have been let out before the late heavy weather had set in, but although the damage is a loss in the first instance it will be valuable experience gained, as it has proved that the action of the lake will not damage the embankment where walled as it is still intact, and this meeting would recommend that the walling be continued in all places (where the lake is likely to approach the top) in a curved line to the level of the rails, and several additional water ways made under the line on the land hide, and so retain the ballast which is the only part of tho work washed away, and would also recommend that the letting out of Lake Etlosinere be left in the hands of one of our local bodies, either the County Council or Little River Road Board."

This was seconded by Mr J. Olphert

Mr G. R. Joblin expressed surprise and regret at the resolution, which, ho said, was far and wide of the point. Ho therefore felt bound strongly to oppose it. The speaker severely criticised Mr Coop's arguments seriatim. He denied that climatic influences would affect the letting out of Lake Ellesmere any more than Lake Forsyth, and the latter hat! been successfully let out. While admitting that tho Public Works Department possessed men of skill, he could not think tho present state of the railway was a monument of that skill, but rather the reverse. He (the speaker) had seen the damage which had been done, and could not accept Mr Coop's estimate for repairs. He hoped it might not be exceeded, but if so it would be the first liino in Little River that so much work would have been done for such an amount. The assertion that the experience gained would be worth the money he characterised as absurd. Every year they had a bill to pay for experience, and the price of the commodity seemed to be annually rising. The district appeared to get nothing for it except the annoyance of paying tho cost. He hoped he had said enough to induce them to reject the resolution of Mr Coop's, and substitute something more to the purpose. He would move the following amendment:—"That this meeting views with .feelings of indignation tho serious damage done to the Peninsula Railway, which they know could and should have been averted by the timely letting out of the lake, and they respectfully request that the Minister for Public Works will make such inquiries as shall determine which is responsible of the various public bodies, and further take such steps as shall prevent a recurrence of the evil complained of."

Seconded by Mr C. Nelson.

fhe following amendment was moved by Mr J. Reynolds, seconded by Mr G. W. Joblin and carried—" That this meeting respectfully begs to inform the Government that very serious damage has tccurred to the public works on Lake Ellesmere Railway and road through the lake being allowed to attain such a high level, and that in the opinion of this meeting the damage might have been prevented had the local Road Board been authorised to let Lake Ellesmere out at the proper time, when this time is and how to go about it is known to none so well as to the practical men connected with the Little River Road Board, who have dealt with this matter for the last seventeen years. From £50 to £100 would have saved all this loss to the country as there are experienced men on the spot who would have done the work for the money."

It was proposed by Mr G. Smith, seconded by Mr G. Stanbury and carried, Mr Coop dissenting—" That this meeting is further of opinion that the members of the local Road Board are very much to blame for not obtaining the necessary authority from the Government to do the work, their office being on the lake flat, and they should have kept tho Government advised of the approaching danger." It was proposed by Mr F. Gread seconded by Mi J. Radford Jun., and carried, —'' That the Government be requested to appoint a responsible contractor to keep out Lake Ellesmere, being bound under penalties to prevent the bike attaining a level to be specified and determined by the Little River Road Eoard, this course to be pursued until tho permanent drainage of the lake is effected." It was resolved, that the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to the Minister for Public Works. After a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting terminated.