GERALDINE FLAT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2445, 31 December 1892, Page 3

GERALDINE FLAT.

A meeting of ratepayers in the Geraldine Flat Water Supply District was held on Thursday evening in the Geraldine Flat Schoolroom to consider the question of cleaning out water-races. Mr John Allan was voted to the chair, Mr Allan explained why the meeting was called, and asked the ratepayers to give expression to their opinion on the question of the cleaning of the water races. He supposed there was a great grievance, or the meeting would not have been called. The County Council, by their absence from the meeting, appeared, to utterly ignore the ratepayers, for he 1 ’ 1 was sure they must have seen the advertisement asking them to be present. He thought that the Council were exceeding their powers altogether in charging water rates aud at the same time making ratepayers pay for clearing the races. Mr A. Kelman wanted to know if they could not apply to the Government and get a commission to see into the matter. He strongly objected to paying 3£d per acre for maintenance of water-races. He thought it best to try a test case iu the court and see if the council can force them to pay. The chairman said they could not expect the council to hand over the races to a committee of ratepayers without appointing some responsible person to see that the races were properly maintained. They did not x’equire an engineer, but only needed a clerk of works to go over the races four or five times a year. Mr R. Taylor asked if they could not induce all the water-race districts to form themselves into one water-raca district and take over the liabilities from the council in respect to water-races. The chairman did not think that the Government would allow such a thing.

Mr D. Shaw proposed “That this meeting send a deputation to the Geraldine County Council to ask them to appoint a committee of Geraldine Flat ratepayers to take charge of the waterraces, and that the council in future forego striking a maintenance rate.” The motion was seconded and carried, and Messrs John Allan, D, Shaw, and A. Kelman, were appointed a deputation to wait on the Council. On the motion of Mr D. Shaw, it was carried —“That this meeting ask ratepayers in other water-raca districts, and districts interested in water-races, to join with us at the next election in putting in men who will see justice done to the ratepayers iu water-race districts.” Mr R. Taylor asked what steps would be taken provided the council did not grant their request ? The chairman thought the best thing would be to have a test case iu court; the ratepayers to club together aud pay the cost.

A petition to tho council was then drawn up and signed by ratepayers, and the meeting terminated.