WAITOHI FLAT WATER SUPPLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1926, 6 August 1889, Page 3

WAITOHI FLAT WATER SUPPLY.

A public meeting of the ratepayers in the Waitohi Water Supply District took place on Friday evening at the schoolroom, Waitohi Flat. Mr W. Balfour, Chairman of the County Council, presided. Mr F. W. Stubbs, Clerk to the County Council, was in attendance, and read the advertisement convening the meeting, and produced for inspection the plans of the district and the engineers' report. The Chairman stated that the necessary preliminary steps had been taken by the Council for the borrowing of the sum of £2500 for irrigation purposes, and it remained for the meeting to use their discretion in the matter, and arrange for a day upon which a vote upon the subject could be taken. The quaatien of the proposed irrigation was originally gone into about | five years ago, but remained in abeyance until April 3rd, when, at the request of the ratepayers embodied in a resolution moved by Mr J. Talbot, and seconded by Mr Seaton, the Council was asked to re-open the question. He wished to explain that of the £2500 which it was proposed to borrow a, considerable sum would be required for the purchase of about 17 acres of land through which the head race would proceed. The interest would be 5 per cent, but might be raised to 6 per cent. The interest would amount to about £165 per annum, and there would also have|to be raised about as much more to provide for maintenance and the services of a ranger. The area included in the water-supply district was 8234 acres, the total valuation of which was £79,687. The rate, roughly speaking, would be about 9d per acre. It was possible that the whole amount would not be required, in which case only the interest on the amount expended would require to be raised. With regard to maintenance, it was possible that some economical plan could be arranged, as the races would not require so much attention as in other .districts. At Woodbury the ranger

only gave a portion of bis time for £25 a year. On the Seadown the Council claimed the ranger's whole time for £75 a year. Mr Orr asked if provision was made to limit the rate to any fixed amount ?

The Chairman said there was no such provision. He wished to point out that the Council were only interested in the matter as carrying out the wishes of the ratepayers. They did not want to force the work upon them. Mr Palmer asked if only a small portion of a section received benefit from the race would the whole area be rated ? Mr Andrews asked why some of the settlers near the bead race were not included in the district f The Chairman replying said that any land included in the water-race district must be rated, although it might not all receive the like benefit. The district was defined on 18tb June, 1884, and gazetted on the 20th June of the same year. Replying to Mr W. Wright, Mr fetubbs said that the settlers whose land would be required for the head race wanted £l2 and £ls per acre respectively for their land. The Chairman, in reply to questions, said the Council could take the land under the " Roads aad Bridges Construction Act," but preferred to arrange for it otherwise if possible. Mr W. Wright asked if the dams already constructed would be interfered with ? The Chairman could not say. He thought the matter would be attended, to by the engineers. After some further questions had been replied to, Mr W. Wright moved, snd Mr Seaton seconded —" That the Council be respectfully requested to take a poll of the ratepayers in the Waitohi Flat Water-Supply District in regard to the borrowing of the sum of £2500 for irrigation purposes, such poll to be taken on or before the 20th August." The motion was put, and the voting on it was equal. The Chairman stated that a resolution was not necessary. Under any circumstances a poll would have to be taken, and he therefore fixed Monday, the 12th August, for the day, and the schoolroom, Waitohi Flat, the place for such poll. The hours of polling would be from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m.

Eeplying to questions, the Chairman stated that the qualification would be the same as under a Road Board' election. Two-thirds of the voters, and two-thirds of the votes would be required in favor of the proposal before it could be carried.

The meetiag then terminated with a vote of thanks to the chair.