WATER SUPPLY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17123, 19 April 1921, Page 4

WATER SUPPLY.

WAIMAKABIKI-ASHLEY BOARD. At the annual meeting; of thq ratepayers of the " Waaniafcuiri-Ashley W«a,tCr • Supply Board there were present Messrs Camper, Waylaud, Waller, and Brown, and no other ratepayers. The chairman, in his report, 6tuted that the total receipts for .the year had amounted to £2581 17s lid, 'and,' the expenditure to £3OOI ifis sd, leaving- a- debit balance' of £ll6 18s Gd. The unpaid rates amounted to £GS, owing principally by threo parties; i The speaker said ithat tho debit balance, could easily bo accounted for. Tire increase of wages to the rangjers, caretaker, and teamster was £IOO over the figures of the previous year. Ordinary wages amounted ito £6S extra, and the taking over from the secretary of the motor car and its maintenance came to £157. The Board had unuuinioiuly agreed that it was unjust that the secretary should maintain a motor car for tho Board's «md ratepayers' business, which he had <lone for the previous four years. The interest on overdraft was £4O, the highest on record. The amounts reached £370, and the extra cost of materials would easily cover the rest. There was also another debit balance of £509, which sum had been epsnt on the protection of the headworks and head race. This had been adanced out of the .Brown's Hook Maintenance Account, and would be refunded when the Board received the loan of £ISOO, which w«s~ being obtained frJ|u tho Public Trustee. Not a pound had been e.peut without the utmost consideration, and the frill .accord of the Board, Thq''inner concrete wall in the . "irina chains" at Brown's Bock haadworks had been most satisfactorily completed last Ootobcr, and two days" after tjjo work was completed a heavy ''slip" from the high terrace had occurred; which, but for the wall, would have washed out the hoad-race. The old timber groyne at Brown's Rock tunnel, instead of being repaired with timber, had been supported by a bouldor boater 120 ft long, Bft high, and iit wide lashed ito the old piles, and anchored back to solid ground by steel ropes, a piece of work which would prove infinitely more lasting and effective than timbeT work. A late inspection of the headwords by the Board had satisfied them that everything was Very -satisfactory, and leflected credit upon Mr McCormack and. the other responEiblo officers who were keeping active watch on Uie headworka in the interest of the ratepayers. The only other works of importance, except two emall .con-" net a bridges in tho Oxford district,.' had been earned out in Die Kangiora • and' Fomeido district, namely, «, concrete syphon carrying the main racp near Fomsjde, a large concrete culver.t on Smith's load, Fcrnside, and tho covering with, a concrete culvert of tho race across Ashley street, ltangiora. There were two or three more large oulvarts to be put in carrying the main raoo over joads, and if cement bocame procurable at a reasonable price, these works would be put in hand during the coming year, .. " . Toucliing on the matter of the water supply, tho chairman said that, from a personal inspection of various parts of .the district, he was eatisfied that the neglected state of tho water-races by ratepayers was nearly thq sole cause of shortage, of water to the ends, Such carelessness, indifference, and negleot -would have to cease, and the Board intended to exorcise in future every authority and power under the by-las' •to have tho entire syjstoai •in goo 3 order. During the past six months, tha Board and w, officers had had a very tiying" time in sustaining the water supply, owing" to the lownees of the river; and only for the extraordinary efforts of tho men keeping a supply of water on the gates by artificial means, and rough and dangerous work, thu chances of a supply would have bean very small. Ratepayers, as a rule, ecoiii to appreciate what waa <3ono for them, and fadly neglected the many opportunities offered them of inspecting the headworks, and tiying to understand for themselves the. difficu.ty experience in providing the valuable stream of water which continually and evenly flowed through their lands if tho races were clean, and wliioh added a vastly increased value to their properties. The I 1 Board was going to spare ro expense to carry out its obligations; it would insiM, even ' by means of the law, if necessary, upon all ratepayers doing their duty. During the past few mouths difficulty had again been met with in 'rying to keep a full supply of water to the lowest ends of the district. Tha principal cause had been the uncleaned, overgrown ,and neglected races throughout the middle and lower ends of the district. There Ivad never been a larger flow of water from iho headwords; tho Jieadworks and the head-raco had never bosn iu better order,, and, inspite oi the river being low, and water lytviug to bo held up to tho gatea !o give a full supplyj Ihq 6uppiy tq tho ends was not yet periect. In conclusion, the chairman made an appeal to the ratepayers to attend immediately to the.ir races, and so prevent ail .tho unpleasantness o. legal proceedings. The- report and balance-sheet were adopted. A vote of tlianks was passed to the staff for their good services throughout thj past year, with special mention of tho*" manner in which Mr McCormack, the secretary, had carried out his many duties.