GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1969, 14 November 1889, Page 3

GERALDINE COUNTY COUNCIL.

The monthly meeting of the Geraldine County Council was held yesterday. Present —Messrs W. Balfour (chairman), E. Mackay, Wm. Moore, B. A. Barker, and M. Quinn. The Colonial Secretary wrote, suggesting that the annual meeting should be postponed till December 12th, to allow the chairman of the council to attend the opening of the exhibition, and the same was agreed to. The chairman stated the result of the meeting of ratepayers at Eangitata re extra cost of races in that district. The meeting had asked for a statement of the expenditure on the races, and he promised to send one. Ee intended to get the statement printed and circulated, but the clerk bad not been able to get it dene yet. He also referred to the case of who occupiers of land in that district hava bought Crown lands since the races were made; they were now liable to pay rates, though they had no water, and the council had no funds to give them water. There were other cases where occupiers did require water, and had not been given it, who were willing to pay the rate for interest, but objected to pay the maintenance rate. Their case muat he specially considered. He; had interviewed the manager of the fellmongery at Wasbdyke, who had taken water flowing away|from the race there, and he hap sent in a cheque for £5 ss, and agreed to pay that sum yearly. A long discussion took place on the Rangitata races, members being of opinion that the ratepayers cannot be forced to make good the deficiency. It was decided, however, that nothing could be done until the ratepayers had seen the statement of accounts. The engineers reported as follows: — “ Orari-Waibi water supply—Contract 1 of these works is cempleted j and the water ran through all the races on the 25th ult. The work has been carried out satisfactorily. On the No. 2 contract but little remains to bo done, and tbs contract should be finished in about a week from date. General—During the month we hayo visited the Seadown and Woodbury races, and found everything in a satisfactory state. We have laid out and let to Mr Middlemiss the race diversion through his land and Mr Macdonald’s reserve. We have sent in a report on the out-fall of the Geraldine Flat system.” A special report on the Geraldine Flat outfall (the original deoign for whiah was objected to) showed that by altering the lines 0 f races somewhat, three-fourths of the water

tukon from iho Hae-hae-te-moana would ba returned to that river, and negotiations wera in hand for the disposal of the balance through Mr Deßenzy’s farm race. If Mr Deßenzy would not give permission that pvlion would be turned into the Waihi. The former objectors might not object to this, as the return of three-fourlhs of the water to the Hae-hae-te-mouna would take with it a good deal of surface ater which now flows into the Waihi. Mes«3r« Shaw, Mackenzie and Burke waited on the Council to urge that these races should be pushed on at onoe. Even now crops would be damaged by the progress of the work.—lt was resolved to call for the races at once. Mr Poitletli vaite wrote objecting to the water from the Orari- Waihi races being turned into Dobie’s creek, instead of the Waihi river as at first designed.—The original plan had been reverted to. Several applications for water supplies in the Rangitata district were received. It was settled that the applicants must make the races themselves (under the direction of the engineer). Mr 1. Griffith, Otari, wrote objecting to pay the water rates as ha had no water, and Mr W. Ashby was willing to pay the interest rate, but not maintenance rate.—Mr Moore said he had been spoken to about this, and it seem’.d to him that the objaction was against the name of the rate only. Sections 283 and 281 of the Act gave power to collect a rate for keeping up the races. A discussion took place on the fairness or unfairness of the maintenance rate, in the case of persons who have not been supplied with water, or who have made branches at their own expense. Mr Howell suggested at the last meeting that iu the latter case the maintenance rate should be remitted, for a time at least. Nothing, however, had been done, and members thought it would bo dangerous to begin, as there would be no knowing where to draw the line. Messrs Meason and Marchant, the engineers, submitted a lengthy report on the Tengawai bridge, near Pleasant Point. They found that the whole of the piles, struts, braces, and girders were sound. About two-thirds of the planking was decayed. If the bridge is to be kept open for traffic they, suggested the following course for its economical repair That the width of the bridge should be reduced to 11 feet between railings, the same width as the Opihi bridge near Bainoliff. That one-third of the planking might be re-used by reversing them { the balance would have to be new timber.” The report concluded: Steps recommended: If a permanent crossing is to be maintained over the Tengawai river at this point, we recommend that the repairs should bo effected in the manner suggested, that the flood channel should be shut off and the south bank of the Tengawai river protected by protective fence formed of iron piles, wires and willows, extending about 60 chains from the south end of the present bridge, upstream. Experience of this method of training those shingle riverbeds, when combined with proper willow planting under its protection, proves its great utility, and if the council decides to make a permanent crossing for wheeled traffic over the river at this point we have no objection in recommending the erection of such a fence, at a cost of £4OO to £SOO, in preference to bridging the flood channel and protecting the bridge approach at its south end, at a cost of about £2OOO. While on this subject of river-training and defence of river banks, we desire to express our opinion that before many years this question will force itself on those who are interested in property on the Plains, and that combined action will have to be taken to train the rivers in their proper channels, Our ez< perienoe of these rivers has convinced us that their beds are being raised after every flood, owing to the channels being gorged with shingle, and that sooner or later they must leave their proper beds for the lower lying grounds alongside. Already the flood waters of the Tengawai river threaten to fl sod part of the Point township, while a large part of the rich district of Seadown will, we believe, be much damaged one of these days by the flood waters of the Opihi river. Conclusion: If the council purpose maintaining a permanent traffic crossing at this point, we think that a certain expenditure of say £BOO must be incurred for repairs to bridge and construction of protective works. We do not think that any mere repair of the bridge only should be attempted. O wing to the great width of the original and new flood channel, some 1500 ft, evsn a stock bridge madr out of the timbers of the existing bridge would cost a very considerable sum, perhaps more than the repairs of the exist ng bridge and it* protection in the manner described.”— It was decided to take no steps at present, beyond notifying that the bridge is unsafe for heavy traffic. The engineer reported on the Winchester bridge restoration —“ Beyend the approaches and the fencing, nothing has been done on this contract this month; the contract having been delayed by the non arrival of the timber. The decking has now come ti hand, however, and as the ironbark timber is expected daily, the work should proceed without delay.” Letters were read respecting the assignment of the contract for the restoration of the Winchester bridge, from D. Mackay to R. Q-rigg. Mr Hay, as solicitor for Mackay, gave notice of the assignment, and Mr White objected to the assignment on behalf of a timber merchant. It was agreed that the council had nothing to do with the object : on, and the assignment was agreed to. The contractor was allowed a month’s extension of time.