BOARD OF WORKS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20497, 16 March 1932, Page 10

BOARD OF WORKS.

DRAINAGE BOARD DISCUSSION. VARIOUS OPINIONS. "When it was proposed at last night's meeting of the Christchurch Drainage Board that the chairman (Mr S. C. Bingham) and Messrs 11. J. Otley, and H. G. Livingstone should represent the Board at the conference to discuss the United Burgesses' Association's proposal for the establishment of a Metropolitan Board of Works, Mr Livingstone suggested that members should give an indication of their views on the subject, so that the Board's delegates could represent those views.

Control by Officials. The whole idea, Mr Livingstone added, appeared to have emanated from the brain of a man who would like to see everything centralised. He thought that would result in control being in the hands of tho officials, just as in national affairs some considered tha<; control was in the hands of the Civil servants.

Mr J. W. Bcanland said that ho agreed with Mr Livingstone, and remarked that while some wanted centralisation, a fresh body to deal with unemployment had been set up on Monday. With others round the tablo, he had been a member of local bodies for some time, and he could say that members of existing committees could r.ot sparo any more time for additional committee ivorlt. If the Tramway Board and the Drainage Board were absorbed by the City Council there would have to be special committees to deal with drainage and tramway matters, and he did not know where the men f such committees were to come li. iii in a Council of sixteen. People who suggested that the Board proposed should be on the lines of the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works were not aware, apparently, that the Melbourne Board controlled water and drainage only. It might be a good thing to hand over to tho Drainage Board the control of the water supply, even though the question of fire protection arose. If the City Council took over all the services it would be a huga failure from start to finish. ' The proposal emanated from a body with no standing in the community as far as cloction went —it was a body of selfelected people, and it talked of matters that its members did not thoroughly understand.

Public Utilities Committee. Mr J. S. Barnett said that possibly it was wrong to assume that •what waa aimed at was the absorption of several bodies into one. He tliougnt it more likely that the idea was to create an advisory committee, somewhat on the lines of the Public Utilities Committee, plus some legislative power. Tho genoral impression was that Christchurch, to a certain extent, had overdone things in the number of local bodies.

Two' Difficulties. Mr E. H. S. Hamilton said, that there wore two difficulties in the way of the City Council absorbing other local bodies. The first was that the City's area was smaller than that of either tho Tramway Board or the Drainage Board. The other objection was that already mentioned —the likelihood of the matters to be dealt with by the body being so numerous that it would mean control by officials.

Impracticable Proposals. Mr W. 0. Large said that the fact that no City Councillors resided in. certain areas had led to the formation of Burgesses' Associations. At their meetings one or two uneasy members brought before the other members something more or less impracticable, and pushed it at a meeting at which there was very little business, with the result that it got prominence that it did not deserve. Some of the matters brought up. were ridiculous, and everyone knew that for one subject reported there were many subjects that were not not. He did not think that a body that was going to absorb all other bodies would be a success. The appointment of the Board's delegates was agreed to.

Afternoon Meetings. Referring to the time—2 p.m., on April 11th —at which the conference was to bo held, Mr Livingstone said that it was most inconvenient, especially when men were going their hardest to keep their business going. It might suit retirod men who had nothing more serious than bowling to engage their attention. Ho suggested that in forwarding the names of the Board's delegates tfhc opinion should bo expressed that arrangements should be made to hold such meetings in the evening. Tho chairman (Mr S. C. Bingham): I think we should make a protest. It is a very inconvenient time for most of us. Mr Beanland said that there was no reason why such a conference could , Tl ot be held in the evening. It was decided to express the opinion that the conference should bo held in the evening, if possible.