WAIMAKARIRI-ASHLEY WATER SUPPLY.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8780, 28 April 1894, Page 5

WAIMAKARIRI-ASHLEY WATER SUPPLY.

TO THB EDITOK OF THE PRESS. Sir, —In "Farmer's" letter, he states that "tbe farmers of the district are most unanimous in wishing for a system of drinking races only." I bave more coufidsnee in their good sense than to think that after deliberately adopting a complete scheme of irrigation at a competently estimated cost, they should turu round and be satisfied with a meagre drinking system, which, I am convinced, would cost precious little less than the complete thing. It is useless to quote what our neighbours have, because they would be delighted to have a more extensive system. Surely Mr M. Dixon will not be satisfied with drinking races pure and simple. We ought to consider the wonderful strides that irrigation is making in other parts of the world; for instance, ia the Western portion of the United States there are now 4,000,000 of acres under irrigation. Spreading as it does over 20deg. of latitude, ail kinds of crops from wheat, lucerne and sugar beet to oranges and bauanas are grown under it. Returning to our own disputes; certainly more letters have appeared against the Rock Ford scheme than . for it. But again if I got "my sisters, my cousins and my aunts " each to write on the subject, we could make a wondrous show.—Yours, &c., Number Two Farmer

TO THE EDITOR OP THE PRIS9. Snt, —■ — A number of l*ij~faly coloured letrbezrs against; Tifae Bock ford, scheme of tracer a»liiitltjiiiiliiViWPiJi^» time to time in the Press. You have these facts. The Bock Ford scheme has been adopted by ike large majority of the ratepayers and confirmed by them as tbe only system suitable for io wiioio area of tbe district ; thac. the cost* is to be borne. by heavy and light lands in das proportion; and that the opposition of the principal opponent of the water supply has not stood the test in any Court in which be has elected to try it. Persona like "Farmer, ,5 who contributed to your columns on Thursday, come to us as wolves in sheep's clothing when they say the present scheme is not what we want, and that we can have irrigation in a cheaper form. As one farming to a large extent in the centre of the district, I fail to see how, and moreover I am not willing to submit to be cat off from water because the manuka country holders say we insist on having every drop, and assert that we already have enough, when three years ago it was a perfect water famine with us. "Farmer" treata his subject most unfairly in saying the cost of the supply will be from 8d to Is per acre. He might as well as said 8s to £1. Such wilful and deliberate misrepresentation cannot be too severely j censured, and condemns entirely the paltry | tricks of opposition, it having been repeated ! in official reports and sworn to in public Courts that the Board's estimate ia four- j pence. "Farmer" takes too much on him-! self when he says the public wants merely drinking races. Experience in other districts has shown what drinking races are in dry weather, and this district ought to iiave what has been wisely and conclusively agreed upon. —Yours, 4a, Permaxest Supplt.

TO 7HX EDITOR OF THE FBXSI. Sib, — "Farmer" in your Thursday's impression, in effect saya—"l cannot reply to the statement of the Chairman, but the rate must be from 8d to Is and the coat of the scheme, in my opinion, is unknown, from £40,000 to £100,000. Mr Sharp estimates driuking races at £12,000 and liberal irrigation canhe pot cheaper without extra expense.' : Well, Sir, the Chairman* statement, backed by the best engineering adviser, gives the rate at 4d, and he even believes it may be leae, and the cost of the scheme has been approved by the ratepayers at £51.000 in the same way that Mr bharp's estimate for a trickling drinking race is estimated at £12,000. Both have been exhaustively discussed and decided upon, the latter to be set aside, and the former to be carried out-. I am quite ignorant of "liberal irrigation," but I do knew something of Liberal Government and <

a few otlier liberal things and, *' Farmer's " reasoning notwithstanding, these are not obtainable without ♦' extra expense." I trust that all farmers who have the welfare of this district in view will not allow themselves to become the tools of the few in opposition to a good sound practical beneficial work, or of those who may be suffering irritation because their particular echemes have gone amiss. —Yours, &c, Cockatoo.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sib, —According to the "manifesto" of the Waimakariri-Ashley "triumvirate" (Messrs Hey wood, O'Halloran aud Wolff), if elected, they promise to supply water to the whole district at a cheap rate compared with the ! so-called present extravagant system. i Before the Board decided to adopt the ; present scheme, they were unanimously of ; opinion that the whole of the district as ! laid out should be served with water, and j intakes from the following streams were I under consideration, viz., Cooper's creek, I Foster's and Coal oreek, Ashley Gorge, Waimakariri at Brown's Rocks. In addition to these, the published reports on the Rook Ford and Gorge bridge schemes were • circulated in the district. I The estimated cost of supplying water I from the four tirst. w?itten sources amounted i to tha sum of £36,000, made up as follows : I — Headworks £21,000, distribution £15,000. To this estimate must be added a sum of money that would be required tor the purchase of ■water-rights and to compensate owners cf land on Cooper's Creek and the River Ashley, aud also a sum of money for the purchase of the necessary land required for the work. As to maintenance, four intakes would necessarily cost more per acre per annum than oue, nlso that the sources of supply in three of the cases were limited and in ono case uncertain. The interest on the loan required for the construction of the four intakes would amonnt to £275 more per annum than that of the Rock Ford. The Board, with the exception of a short time, when Mr Dixon was a member, have been unanimous in their desire to do the best for the district, and throughout have acted according to the wishes of the majority of the ratepayers, as expressed at the loan poll and at the meetings that have been held. At the last meeting of the Board the members were all of the opinion that the Rock Ford scheme was the best for the country to be served, that the money was immediately available, and if re-elected they wouSd use their best endeavour to push on the work.—Yours, &c, John Dobsox, Chairmau of the Board. Rangiora, 27th April, 1894.