RAKAIA AND ASHBURTON PLAINS WATER SUPPLY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1657, 12 June 1879, Page 3

RAKAIA AND ASHBURTON PLAINS WATER SUPPLY.

Tho adjourned meeting to consider this scheme and its modification?, waefheld Wednesday afternoon. There was a large attendance, and Mr W. C. Walker, chairman of the County Council, occupied the chair.

The Chairman said the County Council hoped now tho matter had been fully considered the objections made to tho scheme had nearly disappeared. Prom the reports of the meetings it appeared that the general body of the ratepayers approved of the scheme. At the former meetings people seemed to think the scheme must be adopted as a whole, but now he hoped they understood that they did not wish to make people take water who did not want it. From the report of the private meeting held at Rakaia last week, he came to tho conclusion that the ratepayers had come to a rational conclusion on the matter. Tho proposed Bill had to be sanctioned by Parliament. It would give powers to the Council to borrow a certain sum of money on the security of a rate of 6d per acre. He hoped ratepayers would understand that if they did not want water they need not have it. Ho need not go into details. The members of tho County Council were present, and were willing to give any explanation to those gentlemen who might require it. [Cheers.] The Chairman said he thought no detailed account of the scheme was necessary at that meeting. Mr Mcllraith said with regard to tho details ho had a word to say regarding tho service pipes, which he understood from a letter in the “Ashburton Mail,” had to bo brought from the tanks instead of the main pipes. Was this a necessity ? Because as the tanks were two miles apart this would necessitate very long service pipes in some cases. The Chairman replied that he believed the service pipes could bo taken off the mains as well as from the tanks. He had not thought that the remarks in the letter spoken of were worthy of special attention. There was, however, one statement to tho effect that the Council were not engineers, which he might challenge. All of them were practical men, and certainly could see if a proposed scheme were feasible or not. Mr E. G. Wright said it might bo as well to speak further regarding tho details, and he was glad to see tho general interest taken, as evidenced by the large attendance. The plans had been much modified. The length of the pipe was reduced from 182 to 131 miles. Instead of costing £78,000, it would cost £65,000, the area had been reduced from 210.000 to 175,000 acres. These were tho main alterations, but tho cost to ratepayers receiving the water would remain tho same, and from the reports published they would see that cost would be 6J per acre. This would give? per cent.on tho money borrowed for interest and sinking fund on £60,000, and by adding the £IO,OOO granted by the Council, thus made £70,000, which allowed of £SOOO for contingencies. Many of them had been speaking of an irrigation scheme. Now Messrs Thornton and Bull’s supply was not really an irrigation scheme, but was a supply of water in an open channel. The pipes as now proposed were so much closer together than tho open channel could be that he thought it would be of much greater value to the community. An irrigation scheme would be an immense expense, as he would prove by reading them a few extracts from a work of Lieutenant Monteith (who was the recognised authority on irrigation.) From this work it appeared that an irrigation scheme would cost so much as to bo’ perfectly beyond their means. At least hundred times as much water would be required, and the cost of the works in Europe about Marseilles had been £lO 2s per acre. Now, tho total sum they proposed to spend was 8? per acre. Of course Messrs. Thornton and Bull’s scheme was a modified one and was at a lower cost, but it was not a scheme that provided for irrigation. By this scheme the water being in open channels, would be injurious through receiving vegetable and other matter, and no doubt the land through which the channel came would have to bo bought at a great expense. The open channel would also h* liable in high winds to be choked with dust, &c. What they were asked for was to simply support the Council in favor generally of a water supply scheme for the plains, and get the necessary Parliamentary forms gone through to authorise the borrow ing of the money required. Now what was 6i per acre for water ? Why a gentleman who was putting in a crop on tho plains told him it had cost him 4s per acre to get water to put his crop in, and ot harvest it would at least cost him 3s per acre more, or 7s per acre in all, and for that he had only just what was barely necessary. [Applause.] Mr Mcllraith asked how far from tho pipes tho land was to be taxed. He saw from newspaper reports certain properties, viz., Messrs Gould and Cameron’s and other properties, were not to bo taxed. As others were allowed to be excused, ho asked that he also might bo. What was fair for one was fair for tho other. [Cheers.] The Chairman said that tho land taxed was all within a mile of tho pipes. Messrs Gould and Cameron and others had been excused because they had a private water supply of their own. It was asking too much to say that any ratepayer who wished would be exempted. [Hear.] However, if any one could show as good a case as Messrs Gould and Cameron he believed they would be exempted, but, of course, ho, on behalf of tho Council, could not pledge himself in every case. Mr Mcllraith said he asked to have his land exemplei as ho had river frontage. Mr W'lliara White objected to earthenware pipes, as ho saw great difficulty in the equal distribution of the water by them. Earthenware Lad the advantage of cheapness, and might be used where the water ran slowly, as say from tho Styx to Papanui, the pipes being large and only half full, but when there was a considerable fall and various sized pipes, ho did not think they would be a success. Again they would bo useless to raise the water into their house, as they could not put pressure on pipes of this kind. Again, tho soil of the plains was not suitable for earthenware pipes If it were clay they could puddlo round the pipes and lay them securely, but this could not bo done in loose shingle. Tho scheme was too expensive. Only 60,000 acres were, ho thought, really without water. Ho proposed to lay iron pipes instead of the 10 inch for the first seven miles, and of course gradually reduce. The whole would weigh 827 tons, costing £7 per ton, say £lO delivered on tho plains. This would be £8270. He would allow £2300 for laying those pipes. In round figures it would cost £IO,OOO for tho seven miles of main. Instead of the Oin. and 4in. earthenware pipes he would lay 4in., 3in., and 2in, pipes of iron ; adding tho three sizes together they would cost on an average £290 per mile ; the laying would coat £llO per mil’, or £4OO por mile in all. There would be twenty-three miles, which would cost £9200, or in round numbers £IO,OOO. There were 60,000 acres, and by this scheme they could bo easily watered for £20,000. Suppose their houses wore 20ft. above tho water in the pipes, tho pressure that could be used in these iron pipes could raise the water easily to that level, or higher. Nearly one million and three-quarter gallons of water per day could pass through these lOin. pipes, amply sufficient for all the wants of tho 60.000 acres. Now, if tho County Council would give the £IO,OOO to tho scheme it would only leave £IO,OOO for the users to be taxed, which would be only 3d por aero for interest insle id of 6d. Tho water could also bo utilised for other things and for tho railway, as the pipes would stand pressure, and this might reduce tho cost to 2d peracre. It vi as hard to ask the people below the lino, who had a good supply, to bo taxed for the others, particularly as those below tho line would be likely to go short of water, whilst those above would have the first chance. A 4in. earthenware pipe would, ho thought, hardly carry them what was wanted, and those near the beach might go very short. Again, it was a very wasteful way, as much water would ruu away, whereas it could be kept back in iron pipes. [Cheers.] Mr Mcllraith asked if all were to be rated alike ? those who had wells and concrete tanks as well as those who had purchased large tracts of land and loft them in their native slate. Tho Chairman said all would be rated at 6d por acre. Mr Mann said there were many present who were not ratepayers, and he should not like to see them vote. Mr D. G. Holmes asked what was meant by tho phrase “ rateable value of property,” used in the Bill. The Chairman replied that there would he one half of the tax paid in proportion to acreage, and the other half in to rateable value of tho property. Supposing £SOOO was required, they proposed to raise

£2500 by an acreage rate and £2500 from a tax on the rateable value of property. Mr E. G. Wright said he must apeak with regard to what Mr White had said. He had said that by his scheme 60,000 acres could bo supplied at a cost of 3d per acre, and that, if tfeSd for a larger area, 2d per acre .vould suffice, if, as probable, 'it could bo used for the railway also. As to its being a wasteful scheme to use earthenware instead of iron pipes—as in iron pipes it could be bottled up —that was ridiculous, as what good would it do to bottle up the water in the Pudding Hill stream. As to cylinders, that was an impracticable scheme altogether. Ho thought it right to explain these errors, as Mr White’s arguments were utterly ’fallacious. Would not as much water run down a lOin. Jearthenware pipe as a lOin. cast iron pipe. He would support a high-pressure scheme if a competent Board of Engineers would decide that it could bo carried out at tho same or even a larger cost. [Applause.] Mr White said that as to the earthenware pipes carrying as much as iron pipes tho same size, there was this difference, that tho iron pipes would stand pressure, whereas if the earthenware pipes wore stopped they would burst. [Applause.] As to the scheme he thought it must have been devised by a manufacturer of earthenware pipes. [Laughter.] Mr White then recapitulated his figures regarding tho iron pipe scheme, and said they were exact. Mr Passmore said he thought tho Council deserved the thanks of the community for coming forward and endeavouring to supply water to the plains. Tho Council would, no doubt, be glad to accept any cheaper scheme than that proposed. What they were asked to support was a scheme for water supply, not any particular scheme. The tank supply was not to bo depended on, as ho knew from experience. Ho agreed with Mr Holmes that it was unfair they should bo taxed for improvements. When they spent their lives and money on a plain like that, it was hard they should have to pay for it. Some of his neighbours had worked hard on their land and were taxed much, whereas others who simply bought on speculation and let the land lie, had their own land improved by their neighbours’ exertions, and now were benefiting, and yet the rateable value of their land was not greater ; though, if the water came down, ho believed much of tho tussock land now bringing £3 would fetch £5 par acre. [Applause.] Ho did not believe in having his own and his neighbours’ energy taxed. [Applause.] The men who spent their lives in turning a wilderness into a garden were worthy of consideration. [Hear, hoar.] Ho would move—" That this meeting pledges itself to support tho County Council in the work of introducing an efficient supply of water to the plains between the Rakaia and Ashburton, and is willing to pay a special rate for that purpose, tho rate not to exceed 6d per acre, and the supply to bo at least eight gallons per acre por diem.” Mr Wilkinson seconded Mr Passmore’s resolution, and spoke strongly against a tax on improvements. Mr Allen stated that he believed every one below the line was against being taxed for water supply. They had an ample supply from their wells. Mr E. GK Wright said they could take a poll of the ratepayers in certain portions of the district, and if the majority objected tho pipes for that portion could be cut off. Mr Coster spoke at length of the want of water at certain parts of the land below the line. Mr Brown, of Chertsey, said the remarks of Mr Allen were very general. He know there were many people below tho line who wanted the water as much as those above the line did. Mr White said the scheme should be confined to those who really wanted water. It could be done for £20,000, and he had no objection to the Council’s giving £IO,OOO out of it, as he sympathised with those who were short of water. ' ,Mr Mangham said there was not a well on tho plain that could supply a threshing machine during the summer months. [Groans and hisses.] He was better supplied than many of his neighbours, but ho wanted the water. Several other ratepayers objected to be taxed, saying that they had an ample supply. Mr Passmore, in reply, explained that the meeting, in passing tho resolution, did not pledge itself to any scheme in particular. What the Council wanted was authority to bring a Bill before Parliament to authorise money being borrowed for a water supply. What was their neighbours’ benefit was their own. [Cheers.] The Chairman read a letter approving of tho Council’s scheme from Mr T. M. Hassal, stating that ho was sorry he was unable to attend, but warmly sympathised in the Council’s efforts to jprocure a full supply for the plains. An amendment was moved by Mr Allan, and seconded by Mr White: —“That the Council do not extend the water scheme below the railway line, from the Rakaia to Chertsey, as tho residents in tho Acton district have already a plentiful supply of water for all requirements.” Ou tho Chairman proceeding to put tho amendment, Mr E. G. Wright sa ; d he protested against its being put, as it was not an amendment, but a separate resolution. Tho Chairman therefore put Mr Passmore’s resolution, which was lost; fourteen voting for, and twenty-three against it. There was loud cheering when the result was announced, and the meeting broke up noisily. It was stated that the bulk of the objectors wore residents in that part of tho district which it is not proposed to carry the pipes through. The probable result of tho meeting will be that the pipes marked in tho plan as nearest to the Rakaia will not bo laid.