SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9115, 21 December 1907, Page 5

SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL

A meeting of the Selwyn County Council was held this morning; present — Messrs W. Dunlop (chairman), G. Witty, M.P.. G. Bedford, D. Maettillan, 'R. H. 'Rhod&s, K. Wileon, J. Wdfe, W. Macmillan and G. Scott. The Finance Committee reported that there was an overdraft of £433 Is 2d. The fixed deposits amounted to £4000. The amounts payable by the various lload Boards or due from rates collectable by them for hospital and charitable aid purposes for the year ending March 31, 1908, was £3382 12s 6d, Of that amount only £430 had been re'eeived, and* the committee had instructed the secretary to request payment of the outstanding contributions before January 14. The report was adopted. The committee set up to consider the advisability of re-arranging and subdividing the Hororata water-race district recommended tnat the present system of subdivision should be retained for the present, and that a by-law should be framed fixing ths same charges as were now being made, and reinstating a clause in the earlier bylaws enabling the Council to determine the area of the amount benefiting by the supply. The report was adopted.The Puccarton Road Board wrote that in consequence of the cornplain'ts of the bad state of the West Belt along the Park boundary, between the Riccarton Hotel and the South Belt, it proposed to form a path and sningle the roadway. The road being a boundary road, it asked this Board to sanction the expenditure. The desired leave was granted. The director of the Technical College wrote asking if th© Council could see it 9 way to renew the .grant it made during 1906, and which it was anable o make in 1907 in view of its contribution to the Seddon Memorial Hall. The Board of Govornors had regretted much the loss of the Council's representative. The director pointed out that the Collego was undertaking training in agricultural pursuits and purposed engaging a special instructor.

Consideration of the Tequest was deferred till next meeting.

The engineer reported that the Kowvi stream in t)u> Malvern waterrace district was failing, but as the Waimakariri porge auxiliary had assisted, the district bad not suffered. Tlie Waimakariri River -was still carrying away portions of the spoil bank. If rain did not fall on the hills shortly, the system of alternating would have to he resumed next month. In the Waimakariri district, the water supply hiad been irregular and short owing to several freshes. The i\^rk ©f making the new channel and placing a sluicegate below the embankment- had been finished, costing £109 7s. Many applications for water had been made in most of the districts. It was not advisable as a rule to grant fresh races in the summer owing to interference with the regulation. In the Malvern district the (supply was overtaxed and requests had had to be refused. In the Greendale, Waireka and Coalgate the supply in the Selwyn was falling off, but had.~ not yet affected the racos ; it was possible a tempora-ry race would have to be made to assist the supply. The Hororata district was 'Buffering similarly. Most of the races in the Hall subdivision of the district were cleaned. In the Ellesmere district the supply was sufficient. Several flumes needed repairing.

The report was adopted. The Council decided to sot up a cemetery Board to control the cemetery recently acquired from the Boag ©state at Papanui._ It was decided to hold a special meeting on January 15 to consider th© «?n---gineer*s report on the Waimakoriri water-powor scheme.