ARATANGATA DRAIN.

Shannon News, 15 March 1929, Page 3

ARATANGATA DRAIN.

QUESTION OF LIABILITY FOR UPKEEP.

OdUNTY COUNCIL OBJECTS TO BEARING- THE WHOLE BURDEN.

TENDERS TO BE CALLED FOR WORK OE CLEARING.

" After a debate an which .some plain sentiments were "'expressed 'concerning a liability-placed on ihfr Wirokino Riding, it was decided, at the meeting of Horowhenua County Council on Saturday, that tenders be called for the cleaning of the Aratangata drain. In the first place Cr. Catley moved that tenders be called for the cleaning of the Aratangata drain according to the levels to betaken by thle Engineer; such tenders to be. called as soon as the levels are completed. The mover stated that the Council did a lot of good work on.the drain last year; this had done more good even than was anticipated. Although they had only cleared away the growth ou top of the drain, this action liad allowed any extra water to get away; such as was due to, a fall of rain, oi to increased/pressure. This had Caused somewhat of a scour, but that was not satisfactory. He felt that, te make the Com.-cil's position satisfactory, they should go a little, further and put the drain in decent repair. If they could not get contributions by persuasion, they could —if they chose" to exercise their powers —do ir by, force. 1 They should have the drain put in decent repair, and they could please themselves whether they went any further or not. The drain had been gradually filling up for years >nd years. He did not know that any decent lepairshad been effected since the drain was made. It was only a matter of years it would-silt right up to the level through floods. He wished it could be consigned somewhere. (Laughter). However, they could not get rid of it, so they had to grin and bear it. In this case he had had to help to pay for a thing ten or twelve miles away from his property. The Council had to, keep it in decern repair, and the only way was to take levels to show what was wanted. They need not accept \ a tender if they tljoujght the amounjt was. too much. The Engineer had promised to have the levels by the .end of March. The matter must be tackled seriously, in order 1 to make goo v d what the Council had already done. Cr. Ryder seconded the motion. Cr. Kilsby: There is just the poiiu . about it that we are resuming the liability of cleaning that drain to a certain extent. I think that the ■ settlers on either side should come to light with some assistance, as they: have done in "the" past. As to taking levels and calling tenders for it immediately, the one should go* with the other; but. the position is that there has been a considerable scour in the drain; and if, wlien the Engineer is taking the levels, he thinks work should be done there, it should be left to him to say, when he has taken the levels. Tnat is the time to call for tenders;, not to take the levels and call for. tenders before we whether anything needs to be done. I am given to understand that the drain is quite in good repair at present. Quite a lot' has scoured out, and it is lower than it has been for a number of years. If the Engineer thinks that we should have tenders called immediately on the completion of the survey, all right; but I think that otherwise we should leave it well alone. i

Cr. Catley: It is not the Engineer's business at all, but is by the authority of th« Council.

SPECIAL KATING AREA SUG GESTETX / - * •.

The Chairman: I feel that, in these cases of drainage—and I speak feelingly, because I have a little of it ir. the southern end of the county—they benefit the lands through which they go, and not the object for which we were charged with them, which is the road. In this particular case we had certain representatives of the residents in that area who benefit, and they assured us, when w r e were opposing their, exclusion from the Buckley /Drainage Board district, in which they were then included, that they would do as Cr. Catley is asking to-day—-s form a special rating area to assume the responsibilities for keeping that drain clean. They got the exclusion from the Buckley Drainage Board, and the next thing is, they come'and ask us to keep the drain clean. .Some of those gentlemen have put their hands

in their pdfekets and contributed; but jif we have to go cap in hand every time and ask them to contribute, would it not be 'better if we took sonic; stand and forced the formation of an area that would accept the responsibility of kepiug this drain clean, which serves certain low-lying lands in that vicinity. Should we not take some definite stand somewhere? Or. Catley: That is what 1 ask:

The Chairman: We can do certain things by by-law, but does it not appear That if these people will benefit they should not have to be forced, but should come to us and say, "We arc prepared to do so and so. We have a road going through low-lying country, and if that can be kept dry it is a* benefit to us, iuid we are contributing accordingly." What I don't like is this everlasting uncer..tainty. I voice this with the hope that there will be some unitv among those who are benefiting by the diain -in that particular area,, and that.they ' will come and-Bay,'"Form our properties into a special area so that we can our responsibilities in keeping it in .decent order." We should express appreciation of those, settlers ' who have contributed to an object ..from which they are getting some benc- - •■/fit.,, .That form of contribution is. not ;;:-y?.hat we want, however; but an area

over which we could strike a rate. THIRTY YEARS' ACQUAINTANCE. Cr. Gimblett: I am glad £ou have spoken as you have. I have known the Aratangata drain for 30 and there has never been a great deal done to it. I agree that the people who are going to benefit are the people who should pay for it. You are quite right in saying that the Council are willing to assume their share of the responsibilities in that it will keep our road dry. I object to some people being treated like the willing horse and having to keep the drain open for others. I am sorry I cannot support Cr. Catley's motion, because it will only patch it up, and we will want something that will last. I have, with other memboifs for this riding, met the ratepayers, and I told them I did not think it fair for the rest of the riding to have to contribute to any great extent to benefit the people in that locality. Cr. Catley: How did Cr. Gimblett suggest anything more practical than what I have suggested? Cr. Gimblett: I only wanted to put it in order first. I am not against cleaning it out, but I want to know where the money is coming from. Or., Catley: Same as last year. Cr. Gimblett: Go and ask for £3O, cap in hand? Cr. Catley: Let us get it in proper repair first. We have got no time to lose; winter will be on us directly. If nothing is done now, I am going to wash my hands of it. - •. " Cr. Gimblett: Can you put forward a practical way of their forming an area, or, failing that, cf the Council forming an area. Cr. Catley: Xou cannot do it.

A DIFFICULT POSITION. The Chairman stated that the opportunity for this had gone by. The people concerned had been included iv. a special drainage area, that of the Buckley Board; it was by the award of a Commission that it had been decided that they should be included in that area. However, they "raised Cain," and strenuous efforts were made for their exclusion, with the result that they were promised exclusion. They could have taken another attitude and still have been' included in the Buckley area, but in a separate subdivision; but it was stated that at that time they were partly, afraid of ! their banking scheme and that was why they wanted exclusion; if the Council were not going to oppose the exclusion, it was understood that those interested would ,make an effort to form a special rating area to keep the drain clean. That had not been carried out, but certain ratepayers had ! met the Council in another way by making a contribution. He thought there was ,a proviso in that connection that they were not to be called on to make any further contribution. A stage had now been "reached where the "work had to be done by the riding as a whole. To frame a by-law to give the Council any power would be a very difficult matter. Now that the • people concerned had exclusion from the Drainage Board district, the best course would be a mutual arrangement, but that would be very hard to get. The Council had accepted the responsibility, and now it appeared that it was only' by a mutual arrangement that they could get a contribution from the property-holders interested. Cr. Jensen: Could you not dispose of the road? (Laughter).

The Chairman: Drain and all? That is. a happy thought. Cr. Gimblett humorously suggested that the road be recommended as a subsidiary highway. The Chairman: I think it would be strenuously opposed (as (long as the Aratangata drain is on it. Cr. Kilsby: One man suggested filling the drain up. (Laughter). The Chairman: This has been handed down from another local body. I do not propose to oppose Cr. Catley's motion ffo-day, though, if I had my way, I would not do a tap in it; but I have been defeated on that a good many times, and I do not now propose to oppose it any further. DECISION TO CALL FOR TENDERS On the motion being put to the meeting, the voting was equal, as follows:—

Ayes—The Chaiiman and Crs. Cat ley, Jensen and Bryant. Noes—Crs. Gimblett, Kilsby, Ryder and Whyte. The Chairman said he would give his easting vote in favour of the existing conditions. ■Cr. Kilsby: The Engineer has been instructed t'o take levels on that drain before. Is this going to over-rule that?

The Chairman: No

Cr. Kilsby: I want to see the levels taken; but the position was that the levels were not to be taken until such time as the banks of the drain were sufficiently solid to do that. At present I think they arc. If work was necessary, it was to be carried out. If there is no necessity to have any work done, why go any further than taking the levels? Cr. Catley: There was no provision beyond taking the levels. The Engineer was to use his own judgment as to »when it was fit to take the levels. My object in having tenders called was that, if we thought fit to accept a reasonable price, if a committee were set up to deal with them, we should go to work at once. Last year six weeks were lost after the tender, and the men had to'go on in the winter. I am going to wash my hands of-it. I have nothing personally to gain by it. It }s our,.liability, and we should carry it out; If you think we should take some steps to compel those to contribute who should, all right; if not, the funeral is ours.

Cr. Kilsby: I take it that the Engineer will.have his levels made before the end of the month, or before the. next meeting of the Works Committee. He can give his opinion at that meeting, and if the Committee think that tenders should be called on hig recommendation, we can dp so. The Chairman: I don't think that any voting we may take to-day will

alter the position. Arc you all quite clear as to how you voted' 1 cannot take any suggestion now,. Cr. Gimblett: Your casting vote is against that resolution? "The Chairman: No. The existing conditions are that we are gleaning the drain.

Or. Gimblett:' Cr. Catley's resolution is carried, then? The Chairman: It is carried; but you have not accepted a tender. Cr. Catley: Could tenders be. called to be in for the next meeting of the Works Committee? , The Chairman: It has to come to the Council. I am going to vote against your accepting a tender. I am consistent to-day, and I won't be inconsistent then. There are only eight councillors here at present, of course. (Cr. Barber was'absent).