MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT SPRING CREEK, RE DIVERSION OF OMAKA.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 118, 7 May 1880, Page 3

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS AT SPRING CREEK, RE DIVERSION OF OMAKA.

In our last issue we gave a summarised account of the meeting, which was held on Monday last, at the Public Hall, Marlborough Town, re the proposed diversion of the Omaha into the Opawa, and, according to promise, we now publish a more lengthy account of the proceedings. The attendance of a large number of rate papers from all parts of the district including persons from Blenheim and the old Renwick Road, showed that considerable interest was taken in the matter, and punctually at half-past seven o’clock, Mr Robert Phillips was voted to the chair. Tne Chairman said he could not do better than read the advertisement convening the meeting, which would be sufficient explanation of the object for which they had met. lie trusted the meeting would be an orderly one, and that each speaker would be listened to fairly, and impartially, so that, the river question would be properly ventilated. The Chairman then read the advertisement calling the meeting, and expressed a wish thatthc ratepayers present would not he backward in expressing their opinions. Mr Pritchard said, as one of the conveners of the meeting, it would, be as well if lie tx plained why some of them had thought it desirable to call the them together. At a special meeting of the Board held lost Wednesday, a resolution was passed protesting against the diversion of the Omaha into the Opawa, aud threatening tho Lower Wailau Rivers Board with an injunction if P'cy attempted to do bo, Siuco then a few

of them thought it would be better to get the opinion of the ratepayers on the matter, and the result was the present meeting. He hoped the ratepayers would support the Board in the matter of obtaining any injunction, for if the scheme of diversion w i carried out, the whole of their protective works, freni Paul’s downwards, would be placed in jeopardy. Last Saturday Mr o‘Dwyer and himself had met some of the Lower Wairau ratepayers, who expressed themselves most strongly against the scheme and had then and there subscribed the sum of £27 10s, to assist the Spring Creek Board to obtain an injunction. Mr Geo. Dodson hoped that the ratepayers present would express their opinions freely on the matter. He observed that there were some of the other district present. He would like to hear their views re lative to the diversion. Mr Robert Allan said he disapproved entirely of the action of the other Board in attempting to divert a river from its natural bed. Such a course would cause disaster to both districts, however much they might say about both rivers not being up at the same time. At the request of Mr Pritchard he had attended a meeting in Blenheim last Saturday, when a number of the ratepayers on the Renwiek Road had given promissory notes for various amounts, in order to assist the Spring Creek Board in obtaining an injunction to restrain the Lower A' airau Rivers Board from proceeding with the diversion. He did not think it was ho o - able on the part of the Board to attempt any works that were calculated to do the settlers serious injury. Mr Bowler believed the settlers of the Spring Creek District would stand by the Boanf to a man. In fact it was their duty to back up the Board in a matter of such grave importance to the district, They had quite enough water to contend with, and should resist any attempt to force more on them. He had spoken to a number of people, who were quite prepared to support the Board in any action they chose to take, and if the rates were not suflk'entto cover legal expenses of an injunction, they were willing to put their hands in their pockets and subscribe more. Mr Matthews at one time was a believer in amalgamation, but lately his views bad changed considerably, especially since the other Board had been attempting to deluge the district with water. It was very unfair for any Board to attempt to divert a stream from its natural bed, to the injury of another district. He bad a resolution to propose which he trusted would meet with the support of all present. Mr Matthews then moved the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr Cheescman, and carried unanimously : “That this meeting approves of the action of the Spring Creek Rivers Board, in protesting against the proposed scheme of the Lower Wairau River Conservators, for turning the water of the Omaka river into that of the Opawa, and pledges itself to give the Board its entire support in any action they may think necessary to take for the prevention of the said diversion.” Mr Cheesemau condemned the action of the Lower Wairau Rivers Board as being unjust to both Blenheim and themselves. They were contemplating what they had no right to do. His stake in the district was small, but he would stand by the Board even if he had to sell his shirt to help him in paying his subscription. Mr James Jellyman said although a ratepayer in the Lower Wairau River district, he did not agree with the proposed scheme of diverting the Omaka into the Opawa. By resisting the proceedings of the other Board they were not only protecting their own district but they were protecting the town of Blenheim. He had frequently seen botli rivers up at the same time, and if the embankments on the Opawa were to give way the whole town would be flooded. He was quite prepared to give his mite towards assisting the Board. Mr J. H. Redwood was very much averse to the action of the Lower Wairau Rivers Board. All through the piece they had treated the Spring Creek Board with contempt, forgetting that the Board had jurisdiction over half the stream as well as themselves. The Judge had ruled that Boards had no power to attempt wholesale diversion, and he believed there would be no difficulty in getting an injunction to restrain the other Board from any further attempt. Mr Fa'irhall said he had heavy interests in both districts. If this scheme was carried out lie would be washed away completely. The Opawa was unable to carry any more water in flood time and lie would like to know where the water would go to if they turned another river into it. if the initiators of the scheme could put two buckets of water into one without any overflow it was a great deal more than he could do. He was ready with his subscription whenever required. Mr George Dodson, as a member of the Spring Creek Rivers Board, could not let the meeting close without saying a word or two on the question before the meeting. As one of the oldest settlers in the Valley he claimed to know as much about the rivers as most of them. When be first settled here the country was covered with growth and the hanks of the rivers were piled up with logs and other debris which helped to confine the water in the bed of the river, but as population increased and the country became settled, the growth disappeared, the river hanks were despoiled of the logs and other timber which Nature had deposited there, and floods became more numerous, the beds of the rivers became silted up, and they had been compelled to erect extensive protective works against the overflows. Members cf the other Board had told him that all they wanted to do with the wire dam was to divide the water of the two ri'-ers, but he had replied that the water was divided and what more did they want ? They all knew that the Opawa river had as much water as it could carry, and if the Omaka was turned into it the protective works on the Spring Creek side, which had cost the Board and the settlers some £ISOO, would be endangered. It behoved them to see that no undue advantage was taken of them by the other Board, who, to say the least, had treated them with great contempt and whose conduct lie could only characterise as a piece of the most reckless audacity. He was glad to find that the ratepayers were so unanimous in their opinions with regard to the diversion of the Omaka, and as a member of the Board lie thanked them for their offers of support. Mr Bowler then moved the following resolution which was seconded by Mr March, anc carried amidst applause:— “That the ratepayers present are of opinion that the Board should expend the whole of rates in endeavoring to restrain the Lower Wairau Rivers Board from diverting the Omaka river into the Opawa, and if the the rates are not sufficient the ratepayers present are willsng to subscribe more."

Mr Bowler tlien moved tliafc a subscription list towards defraying the cost of the injunction be at once opened, and after heading the list with £lO it was passed to the Chairman, who requested all persons desirous of contributing to place their names on the list, and in a short timo the turn of £B7 10s was subscribed, and the announcement of the fact by tho Chairman was received with loud cheers.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded one of the most enthusiastic meet- t ingo ever held in Marlborough Town.