SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 17 September 1926, Page 3

SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING

The above meeting was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening. Present: The Mayor (Mr E, Butt) and Ore. Gurran, Thwaites, Dowries. Richardson and Spencer. CORRESPONDENCE. Cr G. E. Hook wrote asking for three months' leave of absence from Council meetings as he will be absent from Shanoii during that time.—lt was decided to hold the application over for three Council meetings. SHANNON BRIDGE. A letter was received from Mr J. Linklater, M.P., in reference to the position of the Shannon Bridge. From enquiries made as to the progress of this work, he stated he had ascertained that it had been found that a' wooden structure was 'more costly than a steel one wooid be and that the bridge is now being redesigned. He had urged the authorities to use the utmost speed in their work. A letter was also received from the Shannon Chamber of Commerce in respect to this matter, asking the Council to co-operate with them in an endeavour to get a temporary span on the old bridge. It was pointed out that the amount paid in wages, maintenance, and construction of the punt has already exceeded the cost'ef a new span. If the new span was constructed they would then .he able to have a contrhuoxis service across the river. With the punt this ie impossible. The Council were unanimously in favour of the new span and resolved to do all in their power to assist the Chamber in their effort. CROSSING AT SHEEHIAN STREET. Tlie Minister of /Public . Works wrote re the crossing at Sheehan Street. He stated that he has had this matter carefully investigated and can see no justification-for the erection of a bridge over this stream. A weir will be erected iimnediaely below the road from bank to bank, and this will improve the ford very considerably. Cr. Curran stated that bridges had beep erected over other parts of the stream to give access to farms, and he asked why this particular- bridge: should be refused, as it gave a number of ratepayers access to their property. He moved, and Cr. Downes seconded that a letter bet sent to the Public Works Department pointing out that the Council are not satisfled with the erection of a weir and that the oiilv solution, is the •erection -of a bridge to give the bOrohgh ratepayers access to their properties.— The motion was carriedRUBBISH TIP SITE. . From Inspector of Health with reference to the complaint from Mr E. E. Burling regarding the* site of the proposed rubbish tip. In confirming his verbal opinion, he stated the Mayor had sho,wn him ovier the proposed site, which is on a closed road line and in a natural-"water course. It had been pointed out to the writer that the water from this watercourse had been diverted, and h& had been assured that no water now! flowed in this now dead watercourse. He suggested to the Mayor that the watercourse be inspected in wot weather to make positively certain tiuat it was quite dead, as it led. past, two cottages and soakagc from tbo rubbasi might cause a nuisance. He naa therefore expressed the opinion that the proposed site on this Closed road would be siritaMe as a rubbish tip, expressly on the following condiThat the walt.eTcou.ree was auite dead, even in wet weather; W That the rubbish he covered with earth at each time of deposit. It was resolved that the Road Committee take the first opportunity after heavy rain of viewing the site. * A COMPLAINT. The Inspector of Police. wrote stating that enquiries have been made by, the Shannon police in respect to me complaint made M the that youths were in the habit of loitering and making 'themselves a. nuisance an Sundays.in the vicinity of the Post Office. The letter stated that no evidence could. obtamea by them to justify action being taken against the persons concerned, rbe Shannon police will keep this mafto in view and endeavour to keep lort erers clear of the vicinity of the 1 ost Office. r ~, j GENERAL. Cr. Spenwr reported that .uuc j bridge over Stansell's dram wtib be- , fnffyxt in order by Mr Hejnmingen and that a Start has heeii made p£» uf dJSp rather ff B£j£ should he i'wely used anU* wage would then be m good aider for summer months. ln / e^ d io U Z working 'of the grader lie thotiyu iTmSn Should be able to work instead of two as at present.-Jt Wdb CSed to see II it was pos«W» loi one man ."-to work the S^er The Town, Clerk reported that no tenders had been -received foi Kettd tog and forming the footpatte.-nfc-solved thrat Mr Hemmmgsen be> .interviewed} in reference to the vvoruv.y THE DOMAIN. The Town Clerk, on behalf of M\e Attoeftc 'Ctob, the Club wjere forming a running track on the Do main anid they would like the Council, if they could see their way oleSar ; to supply abdut 40 yards of sand so Sat i£/ holes could be filled m The Mayor, in favouring the request, .said the Council should help the Clulb as nuich as possible, as they had dione a lot to improve tne )report , ed tliat suitable stoppings could be obtained from the Horowhenua County s pit at a cost of 3s pen- yard. The request was granted and tne Mavor and Crs. Curran and Richard son together with Mc Jas .Curran, were appointed to inject the stnppings the pit. A sum o! £6 to £8 to he spent" in carting same to the - P ° m WATERWORKS" REPORT. Tlie Engineer (Mr R, Edwards) re- , ported on the wa.teT./works as follows:

On the 26th August, in company with, the foreman, of work he visited shannon and made an inspection of the reservoir and the headworks of the water supply. He found much evidence of exceptionally heavy flooding in Mangaore stream which occurred on the 25th and 26th Jully, 11P6 and undoubtedly the greatest flood on record in this stream. Ihe whole bed of the stream has been radically changed in many places; rocks of large dimensions have been turned over and moved down stream that owing to their weight have not j been disturbed far possibly 100 years years previously. Three of these { rocks opposite the influent chambei , will have to be reduced in size to allow a fall waterway on that side of the stream. This work is not un- j gent, He was pleased to state that, no actual damage- has .been done to any part of the works. Fortunately , some of the work advised m his ie- j port on the 26th April last had been, carried but just before the date of the flood, otherwise there possibly may have been damage to report owing to scouring just below the water galleries to the 8-mcti steel pipe The removal of rocks and timber ■recommended in the April report has resulted in a great improvement to the stream bed in the vicinity of the galleries. The result is that the Stream can now be definitely controlled with comparatively little expense. This is in his opinion a D : reat achievement as the Mangaore is one of the most difficult streams in the Dominion to keep in its channel owing to its great fall and. wide watershed extending over very high, ranges. The only damage that has taken place at the influent chamber site is the loss of the wood covering o,f the concrete valve pits immediately below Dhei cfliamtosr. phis should be replaced. There is a 10,, with large, roots firmly embedded in the shingle and silt at the point im- . mediately up stream above the upper end of the galleries. I Ins should be removed so as to allow the waiei to plav on the upper end ot the filtei chamber/ He had intended to .recommend the extension of galleaes but owing to the great alteration that ha b taken place subsequent to the removal of the obstructing rocks and logs it may now not be necessary, it the present he would recommend ttL'removal of the log referred to arid the clearing of the s t lrom « the .boxes at the upper end, and with a little careful attention vve may have well balanced flow into the falleries He considered he pdiould bo furnished with reports from, the _paison who reports as pointed out m his recommendations of April 26th •iwfi This is 'obviously necessary that he should be acquainted with what is going on in Raid that it Was only by a casual conversation with Cr. Spencer 'that he found out the recent work had been carried out by the men. If this were done a lot of the nonsense that, now finds its way the newspa pers would not be published to the detriment of the , town. .Tn conclusion he found the whole scheme in a satisfactory state, but would again suggest a regular inspection, more especially immediately after floods • Tie would, however, .recommend that certain- valves on the six-inch supply main be locked, and that only 'the best quality of torase lock 6 »c used. He thought it too risky to leave the supply at the mercy of f e ( ! fll °: some people. As soon as the level of the water in the stream lowers, he would again make an inspection ot the headworks. In receiving the report the Mayoi stated that the Council's arrangement with Mr Edwards was that he was to make an inspection and report every two months and oftener if occasions warranted it. It was decided to have the log; removed as recommended.