The Papatotara Outfall Difficulty.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 17, 22 August 1905, Page 3

The Papatotara Outfall Difficulty.

At the monthly meeting of the Wallace County Council, on Friday, a letter was read Irom E. W. bmith, Papatotara, stating that when the Engineer was there on 26th July m regard to this trouble, he wished to go with him, to show him where the ditch had been deepened, and also to show him how the surfaceman left the culverts and the dam, but the engineer refused to allow him to go. He, however, allowed Mr McPherson and his wife to go with him, and on his return said he had instructed Mr McPherson to restore the work at the culvert ahd dam to the position it was m when the surfaceman left it. The water was still coming out of the creek, down the ditch, but none through the culvert. He asked that the council should put a pipe m below the culvert, or stop McPherson from turning the creek into the ditch ; or fill the ditch up below the culvert so as to make it as at first constructed by the Government Engineer. Mr John Keith, of Papatotara, also , Bent a complaint to the effect that ; ■ when the Engineer visited the place on the Usth ult, he (Keith) was told that he was not wanted, and theretore had no chance to point out his grievance. He wished to know by whose authority the road ditch had been deepened. H« was the sufferer m this vexed, question, and the council had taken away the remedy the Government gave him. ' The clerk further read a letter from D. McPherson, of Papatotara, asking the council to make Mr Houlter give him. a fall, he having co blocked the water that it flooded the writer's land. If the council did not get Houlter to take up the fall, it would be necessary to stop the culvert till he got it, as he could not plough his land. The Engineer's report upon the matter was as follows : -I again inspected the culvert at Papatotara and found that the outfall had been interfered with, after being cut by the surfaceman. I informed Mr McPherson that it would be necessary for him to immediately remove the dam and leave a four-feet opening as arranged and agreed to by all concerned. This, I believe, has been done. With reference to the complaint re deepening the ditch aloner the road-line, I found that McPherson had carried out my instructions as to cleaning out the ditch, but, as far as I could see, the ditch had not been deepened. In my ooinion the size of the ditches and culverts, as. far as flooding is concerned, is of very little impor- ' tance, as m times of flood the whole country is under water and the only remedy for this is to straighten the creek and bring up &11 the available fall. On the motion of the council, Mr Houlter, being present, was heard on the subject-matter of his letter. He complained that m the summer time he had no water on his section at all. Mr McPherson had deepened the ditch nine inches, and m consequence no water flowed on his (the speaker's) land, except m flood time. He would have to ask the council to allow him to take water across the road. Here Mr McPherson's letter was again read. Cr Power : Are you agreeable to allow Mr McPherson to go on to your property and take an outfall ? Mr Houlter ; I gave him permission before, and he would not do it. Cr King said McPherson could go upon Houlter's land and take out an outfall if he got permission and probably paid damages. It was a matter for themselves, however, and not for the county. Mr Houlter wanted a water-course through his -section, to give him water, but the council could not undertake such a work. After further discussion, Cr King said that he would give notice to move m the matter at the next meeting. Mr Houlter said that Mr Smoothey had been made to clean out his creek, and the next man and Mr McPherson should be made to do likewise. Either Mr Gray or Mr Young was concerned m it also. Cr King said the Engineer told turn the other people had been notified m the matter, but he thought Gray and McPherson should get a peremptory notice to clean out their :part as well as the others,.

After some further remarks, a motion of Cr King's, that the letters be received, was carried, it being understood that a notice of motion would be given for the next meeting, dealing with the matter.