THE MOTUEKA RIVER.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 102, 5 August 1902, Page 4

THE MOTUEKA RIVER.

A TTITUDE OF ‘ At the . T?- 7 1 he lloard. i iTT Y P 1 * '~ lyn Creek mnlbs iprettenKehbnufef abdttie ' oyerfjqvyt herefrom froth ton- * , , to consider the matter that the * ' necessary steps’be taken! to ( dear oat the * creek arid prptect: from the Motu- , or Mr las Duncan s, known as ICrapikUo s fcnkttif^r—effect to 'this, * if was uecidect to faisoatnbngst those/ inL « terested, a sum. of^y,, to assoon T nYYithyturthef expenditures 01J/25 ,and! .atmtjergals of 12 months: > -' ,e M r, T ’ ; this work is for the benefit df * the stlbscribers to thfl fjupdibut ais,.if successful* it will prove of great utility, by preventing idamage aV Bosselmans Ford, Addison’s Road, the Brooklyn soad from 1 J|l?'’ a KV n , 8 POirijt above the Brooklyn School and again to wtest- 1 wardof Mr Jas Duncan’s, it w but reasonable; that the Board Should contribute a . , • certain sum pro-rhfd to flfe cost of the wort '* ' .and I vyoiild respectfully submit that 4s to : 5 . 1 fie; .first year the total cost would be al ?dut 4fioo—a much smaller sum would suifiee afterwards.—We purpose apbroachmg the various \‘trustsY!interested, and as the Government in these matters .evinces a willingness to help help themselves jive would rbSpeCtfully ask you to at puce apply for a ; grant on.a £ for £ ■basis-of-which so much can be taken up as is required. If a grant is forthcoming we are avvare that all contributions must be paid into your . Board, as that in any case, any work. attempted pn the creek must first have your sanction., Trustin however that you will contribute to this, .very desirable work and apply forthwith to the G ivemment lpr a grant in aid. I am, etc., . , ; ; fe Horatio Everett'. . Riwakr, 23rd * i-i-j ■ ,3 Some discussion ensued upon the sub ect, Mr Julies urging'/that applidiiti mi sh mid be made ta 'the Gifcei ii - Uient' fin* u £ f« v £ subsidy, as the 't-tt-lets? intere.-t m! were willing fay, help, the Chairmafni, 'whilst; Yecognisirtg the « utility of the \.*ork, said at present they hud not iejuiugh Revenue to keep the roads open for traffic. 1 Mr Fry also supported the application, as also did Mr Fattie who, in jp| ft|&4 Bo rd’s finances, said they would soon have 1 hi* levy a special rate to carry op the bu-iaess of the Board.' V*. Eventually* it’wus : resolved, on the motion of Mr Fry, seconded by Mr James, That the Board' make application for a grant of ,£looon a £ for £ basis, ; to be devoted t to clearing out and protecting the banks of the Brooklyn creek. Another letter was read from Mr Evetett, covering copy of a resolution passed at a meeting .of settlers, early ih July, when the' question of liver endroachmepf,was fully discussed and the following resolution, passed; - That a petition be circulated for signature by ratepayers in the Riwaka Road district, asking-the Government for a grant of j£Boo tp prevent further encroachment of the Mptueka R\Vesr, and consequent isolation of the district by the river breaking, through, and that the Rixygka Road Board and the Waimea County Council be asked to endorse, by resolution the prayer of the petition. , iM ■; >; . ; 'f i . < The members! of the Board discussed the question at some length, and oh the motion of the (Jhairmap, seconded bv Mr ,Fry, the f<*ll6\vjt|g| /1 i earned unanimously, That this Board con sit .errs there is grave danger of the iMotueka River so..altering: its, course, as pointed out ip.the,petition of ratepayers submitted to the, Board ; this Board, therefore, heartily approves of the application being made to the Government for the grant of £BQO named there.n, aspn the event pf the river , making the alteration it mean { rnin to this district’. ‘

The petition forwarded to the Board, and signed by a large number of settlers, is as follows : The petition of the undersigned ratepayers of the Riwaka Road district sheweth, 'That a bridge on the t. unk line of road crosses the Motueka River at a point about me mile from its m uth ; th it this bridge and approaches thereto, constructed at a cost ofj£scoc), and maintained at considerable expense, have been, and are, invaluable to the norther portion of the County. That owing to alterations in the bed of the river the main stream j s now s riking in such a manner on the bank that in the opinion of experts the re is every probability that, nnless prevented, the river will in a short time cut through the western approach and isolate the bridge, rendering necessary the construction of a new one, at a cost of many thousands of pounds. The cost of the propos id protection is estimated by engineers at j£iooo. We would, therefore, respectfully ask that a sum of £BOO might ue placed on the Estimates for the work, the balance to be tound by those few interested persons whose land is threatened by the river.