LAWRENCE NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3706, 24 March 1925, Page 7

LAWRENCE NOTES.

(From Odr Own Correspondent.) Boisterous weather has been experienced here during the last week, heavy rain showers being the rule, with colder conditions prevailing. This culminated on Saturday and Sunday in quite a wintry touefi in the weather. The Blue Mountains have their first coating of snow for this season. Fall mustering i 3 in full swing on the runs, and agents are active in this district. Feed is plentiful and sales are frequent and satisfactory financially. A lino of 1700 lambs left the Waipori district last week for Waimahaka. Some big drafts were brought into this district at the beginning of the Beason at forward delivery prices. The annual meeting of the Young Men’s Club was held last week, when satisfaction was expressed at a successful year’s activities. All the social evenings had been well attended and any special night function drew a large attendance, not only from the town but also from all parts of the district. Mr H. Blair was elected president and Mr >•. Thomson secretary and treasurer. A programme has been mapped out for the coming season, included in which will be special nights for fancy-dress and hard-up balls. At last meeting of the council a demand was made for a further contribution of £IOO towards the reconstruction of the Manuka Gorge section of the main highway, and members decided not to comply with the request unless it was absolutely compulsory. To decide this point the opinion of Mr T. F. Martin, counsel for the iNew Zealand Counties’ Association, was sought, and this came to hand this week. It road as follows:—“In my opinion the Tuapeka County can be compelled to pay the further £IOO. The co3t of constructing, reconstructing, or maintaining main highways and bridges thereon falls on the local authorities within a highway district ‘in such proportion as may be fixed by the board on the recommendation of the District Council.’ See Main Highways Act, 1922, e.s. 2 (bridge forms part of Main Highway 11 (2), (B) (1) 18s (1) and 19 (1). The fact that the Tuapeka County recently voluntarily paid £IOO towards another w-ork in the Bruce County and in the same highway district is not, in my opinion, a legal bar to its liability to contribute to the present work. As regards the boroughs, probably they made their contributions under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920, s. 173.’’ —Received. At the monthly meeting of the Tuapeka Hospital Board the committee, in reviewing the recent visit of the inspectors of the Dunedin Hospital Committee, expressed its high appreciation of tha manner in which the Dunedin Board always studied the interests of the local institutions. Any request made that would make for the better working of the hospital had always been granted. The members of the Dunedin Board were favourably imp reseed with the efficiency and the management of the two hospitals, and consented to alterations being made that would make for the comfort of the staff. The secretary was instructed to have embodied in the minutes the committee’s high appreciation of the generous manner in which the Dunedin Board had treated them. __ The Bowling Club has had an exceptionally successful year. The local competitions, the matches between sister clubs, and the daily practices and games on the green have been uninterrupted owing to very fine summer weather. On the local cricket field on March 13 Lawrence and Beaumont tried conclusions in a return match, which ended in a draw. Beaumont in the first innings made 119, the chief run-getters being Hislop 44, Nash 22 Inglis 22. Lawrence, in the first innings, made 64 runs for six wicltels (Prisk 23, “Sutherland 10). The bowling averages were: Forbes four for 57, M'Sorily three for 21, Lloyd four for 20. At the special meeting of the Borough Council in the Council Chambers to discuss tlie report of Messrs -air Mason Lee, and Brown (electrical engineers) on the electric power scheme. Mr C. Brown was present at the meeting, and reviewed the leport and explained in detail the various aspects of tho report. The following is a summary of the report, the figures quoted being slightly modified from the original estimates:—Tho borough Ims acquired a valuable asset in the Phoenix dam and the water-rights connected therewith. The yield of these water-rights in a dry season such as the present is a good deal short of the amount expected, but it is sufficient to supply the probable requirements of the borough both for water supply and power for many years to come, provided that the development is wisely .carried out. Protfsion can be made for an expanding demand for power much in excess of the immediate needs of Lawrence and district. Two schemes are submitted, tho chief one being the liigh-head proposal. This would be developed from tho Phoenix dam, the estimated coat being set down at £10,490. This includes tho main iterao of pipe lines £IB2O, power-house and equip nent £'2ooo, transmission and transformers £3OOO, house connections, meters, anil street lighting £1730. The estimated receipts on the flat rate system of charging would be £1512 from lighting, heating, and power consumption. The osti-

mated annual expenditure is assessed at £llßs. The low-head scheme is baaed upon the power being generated from the borough reservoir, and the estimated cost is £9BBO. Although for a few years the low-head scheme would supply the power required, the limitations of this proposal would soon be felt, and expansion could only be arranged by the acquisition of further waterrights. Supposing these to become available, the cost of duplicating the low-head scheme would be much greater than that of doubling tho high-head scheme, hence for 150 kv.a. the high-head scheme would be the cheaper of the two. From every point of view, other than a difference of £llOO in the cost the high-head scheme is preferable. We have therefore ro hesitation in recommending the high-head scheme, and believe that it will prove a very satisfactory development, comparing favourably with these of many other towns of similar Hue, and permitting the development of local industries. The report further states that the reticulation of Evan's Flat and Tuapeka Flat district, which are adjacent to the borough, would be a payable proposition. A further development well worth investigating is the supply of Waitahuna, and it is estimated that the co3t of taking line and power would be approximately £4OOO. Beaumont is less . certain owing to its distance, but might be looked into. For Beaumont and Waitahuna it would be necessary to increase the pressure to 11,000 volts, which presents no difficulty, but the nearer settlement could be supplied at 3300 volts. The possibilities of the water-rights seem to be capable of any emergency that may arise for a lon** period, and for any extra demands that may arise in the future development of tho district. The area of the dam is 19 acres and when full it holds 10,400,000 cubic feet and this car. be doubled by raising the face of the dam 10ft. The council are enthusiastic over the project, and the data disclosed in the report as to the value of their property has exceeded their most sanguine expectations. It was unanimously decided to adopt the high-head scheme and recommend tho same to the ratepayers. It was also decided lo call a public meenng of the ratepayers to discuss the scheme and make arrangements to take a poll at an early date “to empower the council to float a loan for tho electric scheme.