COUNTY COUNCILS.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7356, 8 July 1889, Page 3

COUNTY COUNCILS.

ASHBURTON.

The monthly meeting of the Ashburton County Council was held on Friday. Present —Messrs C. J. Harper, J. Brown, J. Grigg, J. Jackson, and W. McMillan. Mr Harper was voted to the chair. The Chairman, in making the usual statement, said that the amount of rates collected to date for the current year was £4696195, leaving £230 6s outstanding. The sum of £36515s had been paid on account of the water charges now being collected.

The Engineer's report was dealt with. On the motion of Mr Brown, seconded by Mr Grigg, the Engineer was instructed to proceed with the necessary work for restoring the water supply for those settlers along the line of the River road in the Wakanui district.

The Committee appointed to consider the Railway time-table and recommend certain alterations in the present running, brought up a report, the resolutions embodied in which have already been published. A petition was read from the settlers In the Hinds district, recommending that the Hinds Station be made a stopping place for the express trains, as this would serve the convenience of a larger number of settlers than Winslow, which latter station bad been recommended as a stopping place by the Committee. Mir Harper thought that if there was to be a stopping place between Ashburton and Rangltata, Hinds would be the best place that"could be selected. Mr Grigg agreed with Mr Harper as to the suitableness of Hinds if there was to be a stopping place, but he thought as ratepayers they should be prepared to bear a certain amount of inconvenience for the sake of economy in connection with tbe working of the railways. If a concession were granted to Hinds then other localities along the line would agitate for similar concessions. He did not agree with pressure of this kind being brought to bear on the Commissioners. There were some improvements as well as inconveniences in the new time table. For instance, the starting of the express at eleven o'clock'from Christchurch had been found by many to be a great convenience, which more than outweighed tbe inconvenience of driving afew miles farther than formerly to a railway station. The following reply to the Council's recommendations was read from the Railway Commissioners:—"(l) Concerning the firoposed stoppage of the express at Winsow, I am to inform yoa that anon Investigating the passenger traffic to the stations Tinwald to Rangltata, It was found to be excessively small, so much so that if the through trains between the larger centres are made to stop for such light traffic, the running time would have to be very much longer, as there are many places which have equal claims. (2) With respect to the time spent atDrompre by the afternoon train from Christchurch, the Commissioners will give the point careful consideration, and will endeavor to meet the demand, if after a little more experience of tbe present timetable it is found to be still desirable to make the change. <3) The passenger traffic by the through morning train from Timaru to Christchurch was found to be so small that it did not justify the expense of running it daily. It was, therefore, reduced to a tri-weekly service. (D The Commissioners have arranged to accelerate the 8 a.m. train from Christchurch South of Ashburton as requested. (5) In compliance with your request, the arrival of the Mount Somers train fifteen minutes later has been arranged. It is regretted that the necessities of the railway working do not per- j mit it to be made later than this." I

It was decided to send a copy of tho Commissioners' report to the Binds petitioners. The Committee appointed at the Inst meetingto confer with the Borough Conn tat, theHampstead Town Board, and mill owners, respecting the Wakanul creek, reported that the following motion had been adopted :—" That taking into account all the interests at stake in connection with the use of the water from the Wakanul creek, and the money contributions received from the several bodies interested, this Conference la of opinion that the equity of the case will be met by the Council paying the Wakanui Road Board the money now claimed and the one-half hereafter to be expended by them in maintaining the bridges and fords over _ the Wakanui creek, and that such payment be made a charge upon the whole water supply syst cm between the Ashburton and Rakaia rivers." With reference to the Hampstead water supply it was resolved——That the Committee, after inspecting the mill race and tail race, are of opinion that owing to the limited supply of water, the safest method of insuring a supply to Hampstead town district will be to erect a dam in the creek alongside tbe railway, which will receive all the water Hampstead requires without diminishing the supply to the mill." After a lengthy discussion it was decided to defer the adoption of the report till next'meeting. Arrangements were made for holding meetings of ratepayers in the districts affected in connection with the proposal to raise a loan to increase the water supply in the Rakaia irrigation district. The Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill now before Parliament was considered. Correspondence on the subject was read from Mr W. C. Walker, M.H.R,, and the Sydenham Borough Council. Oa the motion of Mr Griog, seconded by Mr McMillan, it was resolved—" That this Council enter its unanimousprotest against the clause in Mr Hislop's Hospital and Charitable Aid Bill, which provides for the Ashburton Borough Council being the controlling body for the proposed Ashburton district, inasmuch as the County Council's contribution for charitable aid is so very much larger than that of tho borough, last year the county contributing £1011 as against the borough's 494 14s, and for Ashburton Hospital the connty contributed £00 per month as against £10 by the Borough Council. Under the provisions of the Bill this Council as the largest contributing body would have no voice iv the disbursing of the funds it provides, and for the' above reasons it urgently requests that the contributing bodies may be represented on the Controlling Council according to the amount of funds provided by each." A letter was read from the Longbeach Road Board, stating that as the Californian thistle was spreading at an alarming rate through that and other districts, the Council should take the matter up with a view to petitioning Parliament to legislate in the direction of empowering local bodies to effectually cope with the nuisance. It was decided to co-operate in this direction, and to communicate with tha members for the district and Mr McKenzle, M.H.R., who has brought forward a Bill dealing with the matter. It was decided to co-operate with the Mount Hutt Road Board in the direction of having local bodies constituted the licensing authorities for their respective districts. A slaughtering license was granted tc E. Hardwicke. Leave of absence was granted to Mr W. C. Walker and Mr Hugo Friedlander. Mr Jackson was appointed a member ol the Plantation Committee. The following tenders were accepted :— Rangitata bridge. No. 1, P. Fawcett. £89 Is; No. 2, R. Bennett, £43185; water race, J. Silcock, £34 19s 4d. On the motion of Mr Jackson, seconded by Mr Grigg, the Council adjourned till Saturday, August 3rd. Mr Brown gave notice of motion as follows:—" That the Engineer be instructed to lay off one or mote'branch water races, to afford as far as possible a supply of water to the village settlers between the Rakaia and Ashburton."