SCHOONER CREEK.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXIX, Issue 182, 25 July 1893, Page 3

SCHOONER CREEK.

TO IHB EDITOB. Sib,— Seeing a letter m your Saturday's issue re Schooner Creek, which has my name dragged m four times m a third of a eoluran of print, I think I ought to Bay something about it. I was expecting to see the letter, rumor having told us that the anti-Schooner Creek party had had a letter written for them m Blenheim and that a meeting, to which on]y a select few were invited, had been he'd m Tna Marina on Tuesday night to revise and correct it ; and to chooEe someone to send m bis name to yon sir, as the writer, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee af good faith ; and he signed himself "Ratepayer," though rather a slow one. The " pet engineering scheme" and "foolish experiments" referred to consist merely m clearing out the natural outlet from what was the Pukaka swamp ; and people should remember when | they~ buy private property, with a water I coarse miming through it, if only " a ohain j of stagnant pools" m summer, that they acquire no right to plough it m and stop it ap with straw stacks to keep the water out when there happens to be any, Mr Blackett certainly did recommend the route by Hunter's Road as the shortest, but he did Dot anticipate that a quicksand would be met with, and a loan was being raised to pay for the work. The distance that way is not "only 17 chains," as stated by "Ratepayer," bat about thirty with sixteen and a half chains of it timbered.- Tbe Revising Committee should certainly Lave detected this error on the part cf their Secretary. On the 10th and 11th March, 1892, the Board met near Mr Hunter's to inspect and consider about the culvert 121 yards which had been reported to be m bad condition. My advice was to try and patch it up, and make it last a bit longer, as tbe funds were set equal to renewing it at an estimated cost of £200. Mr Smith met the difficulty by offering to give £50 towards the work, And lend the Board £150 at % per cent, to fee repaid at the rate of £38 a year. The Soar 4 accepted the offer, thinking the money coald be spared m this way out of the ordinary rates, Tfc c timber was ordered , and the contract let, bat the work could not be finished on account of tbe wet weather. Of tbe £25 paid to tbe contractor, £10 was paid on the certificate of Mr Smith, that work to that value had been done m preparing tbe timber, and tbe £15 afterWards under pressure from the contractor's jegej. adviser. While tbe work was susp&aded the Government Auditor came ?roun<s, And I showed him the minutes referring io this transaction, which would eo&e into the following year's accounts. He thought it would be right, but would make inquiries and Jet me know. Soon afterwards he wrote advising me that a similar trsoe&ction had been disallowed as not complying with the requirements of the Local Bodies Loans Act. The Board then took stepß to raise a loan for works under the Government Loans to Local bodies Act, and made arrangements for an overdraft to repay Mr Smith, etc. By this time it was found that the 242 yards of open timber .flume would require to be renewed shortly, and it was decided to raise one loan to cover the lot, and also to widen the big ditch. "When this was put to th 9 ratepayers we found there waa a strong opposition to this work through the sandhill, whioh there is co denying has been a nuisance to Mr Hunter for a long time past. IS was then decided to take a poll of the ratepayers on tbe question of raising £550 for -widening the big ditch, £675 for work via Hunter's road, and £375 for work via the Creek line. The ratepayers who wted were, Big Ditch ; for 12, against 11 ; Hm:ter 1 B road: for nil, against 21; Schooner Creek : for 11, against 11. The proposed loans were rejected, and tbe Board left to its ordibary resources. The question of renewing the flume was settled, it became financially impossible and the Board decided to sell most of the timber. So far from selling ii- at half price I was authorised to sell the planks at 163 per hundred, the price it cost landed m Blenheim, and 10 shillings per hundred for the scantling which bad been cut up and made into frames. A considerable quantity has been sold. As it is being sacrificed I should be .glad to see the ratepayers buy some. With regard to the overdraft, and tbe financial rom I am bringing on tbe Board, tbe balance sheet ehowa that on 31st March last the Board owed the bank £73 3a 4<3, and ihe outstanding rates were £93 14 8d and all the timber on hand. We don't expeot 4o squander much m law expenses. It was better to take time and obtain the drainage powers conferred by the Counties Act than to spand money m testing our powers under the Biver Boards Act, and 20 out of the 29 ratepayers on the roll signed a petition to the Road Board to delegate these powers. This has been done. I hope tbe men of •economical habits will bow drop further cjpi*osiiion and law, and join ihe Board m its earnest endeavor to* keep all water within the banks of the drains and promote the improvement of the district. I must Apologise to you for having written at such length, hut I could not state the case much shorter to mate the position clear to those tsnose curiosity may have been stirred by the legal £ feedings taken some time ago and tbe recent letter ! Q J° ur paper,— l am etc., J. C. CiT^iOß. Marshlands, July 23, 1893.