The ordinary meeting of this Board was held- on Thursday ; -present--' Messrs* John ' O'Halloran (chairman), McDovrell, , Horrell * and ' Dibkinson. Letters were ! read from the Union Bank of Australia and the Oxford! Road Board, The Engineer's report was read and adopted. The tender of Mr H. Nelson for Subdivision 5 of No 4 contract, Cooper's Creek, was

accepted. It was unanimously re solved that the Minister of Land* should he invited to visit the works m progress. The meeting then ter- J minated. At the previous 1 meeting of the Board, tha Engineer was asked if there was any foundation for the re port circulated that the River Wai makariri had left "Brown's Rock, oy if it had any appearance of leaving. The Engineer stated that 'the -river was running to -the north of the island and the main stream against the rock at the intake, that the stream '^^^^f^^e^^S^^i^^ and^* that the river showed ,no indications of ■ tearing v ijhe intake ; also that no 'materM^alrln^tiftr^^ 'since ■> Mr "Gordon recommended it ; that itik position was, if anything, better than at that time. : f Th> W a supply of water "to" the -MoeraH Downs was ,readr-.and/-"adopted:. i^ft stated that the proportionate quantity of wajfcer to be provided 'to the Downs would amount' to 3,100,000 gallons per day. This would be carried m an open channel three feet- wide m -the bottom and eighteen inches deep. With fre ference to the cost of- the • service, he estimated thatj faking the propor tionate share of the interest on the cost and •'• maintenance f "of r ttie "h'eacj/ works and head race from the Wai makariri, j£2o for interest; and _|38 for maintenance should he chargeable to the Downs. :.Th v e> cost of ."the. dis tribution within : the sub-division would approximately -amount ; to £2,100, "not including any sums that might have to be paid for compen sation for land, required, to be taken for the works. Assuming this amount to require' an 'additional' ssoo, the cost of the service "to the lands should not exceed 6d. p»r acre. "The rate* required to be pledged for ttielMa,/ would amount to fve-eights of a penny m the £ on the rateable value of the property'in the subdivision.
