PROPOSED DIVISION OF ASHLEY COUNTY.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7528, 18 April 1890, Page 3

PROPOSED DIVISION OF ASHLEY COUNTY.

MEETING OF DELEGATES. AT RANGIORA. ' .

A meeting of representatives of,th« local bodies of the Ashley County, sum moned by Mr M. Macfarlane, Chairman Mandeville Road Board, was held at noon yesterday, at the Road Board office JRaogiora. The convenor presided. The* were present—Mr J. Miles Vet._ll, M-ELR*. Captain Parsons (Mandevlll*. Road Board), Mr E. R. Good (Mayor o. Rangiora), MrR. J. Dickinson (Oust Road Board), Messrs W. Ryde and A. Wrigji. (Oxford Road Board), and Mr G. Wallace, the only representative of the County Council. 7';' :

The Chairman said the meeting**_*** called to consider the questions of the introduction of the Counties Act and the division of the county, with a view to prosecute some more satisfactory corapj'e* heusive systems of irrigation on the dryafcdrainage of tbe wet lands. The West Eyreton Road Board had written that II possible Mr Addlnell, Chairman, would attend, but in any case that Board was strongly opposed to alterations of the boundaries of the county or the introduction of the Counties Act. No reply "had come from the Eyreton Board. "This meeting had arisen out of the discussion on the Ashley bridge question, when tha urgency for water races was pointed out, and the members ot Parliament present at that meeting advised tbem that these races could not be made except under the powers of the Counties Act." As tiie north o: the couuty was stated to have separate interests from the south, Mr Lance, M.H.R., had suggested a division should take place, to meet those who desired'to have irrigation plans carried out, and the Hon. EL Richardson, as member for this district, promised to have the question looked into on his return to Wellington. A letter had been received, which he would read. It was to the effect that Mr Richardson had seen the Under-Secretary, and gone carefully into the question of a new couuty. All that was to be done was to get an Act passed similar to that for the Pahlatua County, which could be introduced by their member, with consent of the Government, as a "public Aefc." The steps which were proposed to be taken were the proper ones, and If tha meeting of local bodies within the proposed district was favorable to the creation of a new county, there would be no difficulty lv getting the consent of the Government. If they wished to take tbe matter in hand he should be glad to have an early intimation of their decision. It would be u-cessa.*. to give the new county anew name, w__£a Mr Richardson suggested should be called the Eyre. Upon receipt of that letter the Chairman said he called this meeting. Other counties which had adopted the powers of the Act appeared to have vastly benefited by the water-race system, ol which so far there was only a small portion in the Ashley district, namely, the races near Oxford, but which were a great boon to that locality. In this* connection he- said Mr J. Dobson, late surveyor of the Oxford Road Board, had given him a memorandum relative to taking irrigation water from the Ashley. Mr Dobson therein stated that in 1887-_e took levels to eight miles sixty-six chains from that river to the Rangiora and Oxford road. There was no engineering difficulty met with, and- the district'from Ashley Gorge and east of Starvation Hill could be watered, including *_ha greaterpart of North Moeraki Downs antEllis' Flat The supply was ample ft. any time of the year. Three years before that Mr Fox, Government Engineer, reported on this supply, when levels were taken, and the cost estimated to tha Carleton Railway Station at £9000. Mr Fox, it was understood, intended to flume two ' miles ol the Ashley Valley and dam the river, but Mr Dobson held that no fluming was needed, and percolation la loose soli could be stopped by using cr**.. Mr Dobson's plan consisted of a concrete channel about eighteen chains, leading down the side of the river from some rocky point to protect the intake, and at the end of the channel a bywash, with sluices, to return the water into the river, so as to keep the channel open In flood time and clear of shingle. From-the channel at the bywash a culvert,' *wtth sluices, would lead Into the solid, and the race would follow an old natural hollow on the lower terrace of the river, and thence along the bank and terraces for two otilea to Ellis' Flat, keeping a westerly dlreet-on across the swamp and the head waters of the Cust, and thence along Starvation Hill to the main road. For the supply, ____$J. Dobson said he had no hesitation ia asserting this was one- of the cheapes. systems of water races that he had seen* Attatched to this he gave an estimate lose the race (£1500), and branches a simliasum. His (the Chairman's) impression was that possibly the best system for the County would be two races on the west side from the Waimakariri. and this plant o. Mr Dobson's from the Ashley for the western side. Beyond the importance* ol this question, it seemed to be a growing opinion that the advantages of the Counties Act should be applied to the management of other public works of general usefulness, and for these reasons he hoped tho meeting would carefully weigh the matter. th_t had brought them together. I. might be as well to state that tbe Intention now was to secure an expression of opinion with a view to future action. :1 Mr Ryde pointed out that in an irrigation scheme the Waiomklriri would supply all the demands of the district, the supply being inexhaustible at seasonwhen the Ashley might be low, and the high level of the supply would enable It to be distributed at a higher level than the supply from the Ashley river bed. - : Messrs Wright and Verrall spoke'ato the same effect. ,-

Mr Dickinson pointed out that. In t_M plan Mr Dobson recommended to irrigate Ellis'Fiat and the Cast district a flume would have to be made; the same.p__n and fluming might enable the Wafmakariri water to bemused instead of .he Ashley. Mr Wallace pointed out that the powers which the Counties 4ct conferred upon County Councils could be exercised by Road Boards, especially on the questions of irrigation and drainage, and Boards could also make by-laws to control these works. The West Eyreton Road Board, not represented here, might be a. anxious as any local body for irrigation, but possibly objected to lose its power of local control, and the Bast Eyreton Road Board might entertain objections to surplus water from the irrigation system being sent to increase its drainage, hence there seemed to be good reason to retain tbe power to the Road Boards which som« were anxious the Council should assume.

Mr Verbali, observed that while th. Boards had the powers, for lack of united feeling the desire seemed to be growing In some quarters that a County CouncU could manage these matters referred to, The late Mr Peanon was evidently of this opinion when he drafted a Bill for the extension of races in the Ashley district, bat which Bill had been delayed by tha. gentleman's lamented decease. Mr Ryde believed that the Oxford district would agree to the Counties Act) if the district was irrigated from the Waimakariri. '•■»>*

Captain Parsons remarked that tb« sister county of Selwyn had received' ia dependent grants from the Government of £23,0J0, whilst the only grant to this distr-cttwaa a post-office at Rangiora, and Slj_*_-9tYJ.tes to the Ashley Road Board to to the back country. ' . Mr Good said he might suggest that the question of the adoption of the Counties Act should be looked at from the several points, instead of the single question of irrigation. He thought the discussion should be on the whole operation of the Act. For his part he saw nothing more strange in it than was contained in other local Acts in force. It was well known that as regarded rating, local bodies were empowered to raise larger rates than they actually did. and as under the present Road Boards Act the full amount of rate was seldom levied, the Council was not compelled to levy any rate.

Captain Pabsons moved —■ "That tha meeting now stand adjourned till 'called again by the Chairman on some suitable date.? . . . .j ■ : ■■. ~~

Mr Waixaob seconded the motion. In reply to Mr Ryde, the MAYoa o* Rastqioba said the borough would not escape Jts contribution to the Ashler* bridge if Act was in opera. tion, but would be nnder the same iia&ilitv to contribute as at present. Mr 7D.oKm«>K advised that the Chairman, should desire the Road Boards to obtain at their annual meetings, now being held, an expression of opinion from the ratepayer.. This suggestion the meeting accepted. '■*?£.[motion was carried, and with a vote of thanks to the Chairman theproceedJngterminated.