THE DRAINAGE QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3377, 16 December 1873, Page 2

THE DRAINAGE QUESTION.

The meeting convened by the Mayor, to take into consideration the general drainage of the City, was held in the Headquarters Drill-shed last evening, anil was largely .attended. His Worship piesided, and all the Councillors were present.

The Mayor explained that the City Council, as far as it had yet considered the matter, was of opinion that it would be bettor to improve the streets and surface drainage, so that ultimately there would be less necessity for underground drainage. The Council bad voted 1.10,000 for drainage purposes, and had it not been for the prosperous state of the labor market and the high price of material, a good system of drainage would have been commenced. Hut up to the present the Council had not thought fit to pursue the question. _ Whatever resolution was arrived at, tiie Councillors would do their very utmost to please the citizens. Cr. Wai.tru remarked that it had been stated outside that there was a combination in South Ward to do away with underground drainage. That was not a fact. Those who called the meeting at the Council the other evening believed that it would be inflicting a very groat hardship upon those who were building at the present time, owing to the high rate of wages, if the City Council did not wait for some time before carrying out their pioposed system of drainage. They did not ask the (’mined to discontinue the drainage scheme in any shape or way, but to have it delayed, and to have the surface drainage proceeded with. In order to show that the sewerage of the City might stand over fora while, lie might state that M r Milams had proved to him that thecstinia f .es given in for bricks were 125 per cent, beyond his estimate ; so that if the work were proceeded with at the present time, it would be a tax of 2ii per cent, upon the ratepayers. That was (,nc of the roa-ons why they asked that the drainage should stand over for a while. It was well known that’a largo amount of reclamation would lie proceeded with very shortly, and if this scheme of drainage remained over for a little time it might be arranged more satisfactorily, in order that the sewerage might be earned out to the extreme cud of the reclaimed ground. It was well known that he had advocated surface drainage, and he would say now that surface drainage would be quite sufficient for Dunedin for many years. Whether popular or unpopular, that had been his opinion for a considerable time, and he did not sec the slightest reason to change it now. Lot them get their surface drains, their footpaths, channels, and kerbs completed, .and then it would be tiiqe enough to proceed wjth their underground sewers. Cr. Frosskr explajued that he was in Christchurch when the drainage question was under discussion in the City Coqncjl. On his returq he moved that it should be referred back to the committee to give him an opportunity to inquire into it, as he did not believe the Council had arrived at a satisfactory conclusion; but his proposition was negatived, ami since that time he had not thought it his duty to take active steps to prevent the system laid down by the (Council from being carried out. He believed, ii| reference to tit. Andrew and Frederick streets, that drains would be very desirable there, for the'purpose of carrying off tlif* surface .and stjiguapt water which'remained on j,he allotments in those localities; _ but it would be a positive nuisance tq the ijcighborhood if the Council were to allow the sewerage from bouses to go into thqsc' drapis. If |dfi>t were done it would be npicli iqore detrimental to the residents than the present system of open drainage, with all its defects. With regard to those two streets he had spoken of, it might be very desirable to go on with those drains fqr the purpose of carrying off the surface and stagnant water there. But with regard tq the drains in the other Ward, they should be alli/\yed to stand qvey for a considerable tjine ; at. all eveips luitil they got a satisfactory report sufficient to enable them tq decide finally as to the'system tlf«y f ’b ( pdd adopt.- (A Voice: We are already in' possession qt five reports.)—ln the reports they had at present there was a great difference of opinion. He would not of course oppose the system decided upon by the Council, unless he saw sufficient reason tp do sq either from an expression of opinion givei| at the present meeting or on some other occasion. But if their expression of opinion was sufficient to justify him in doing so, he might take steps in the Council to induce the members to get a further report on this subject if considered desirable. Mr tiHEKWiN haviqg suggested tlpat Or. Prosser should iqove a resolution.

Mr B, Isaac; sahj. be thought it wquld be out of place for any Cqimcillor to porno forward with a reflation opposed to what ft majority of the Council wat) pledged to. Ho was decidedly opposed to any underground drainage at the present tjnic, because scientific principles showed that surface drainage was the host. A great deal of the material thrown off by surface drainage was capable of being utilised by chemical experiments. (Loud laughter.) (rontlemen who had never read certain works upon drainage might laugh, but he thought they would find that the material thrown away in underground drainage had been utilised, and turned to most useful purposes. They ought to get scientific men to give them the advantage of their abilities in order to get the best drainage. In the present condition of the town, with good water ami good washing down channels, he believed that surface drainage would be quite good enough for a number of years. I/c moved “ .1 hat tb f ‘ City • onnc.il be requested to Uku'no further action with ye

yard to underground drainage until the best scientific opinion on the. subject has been obtained.” — (Applause.) Mr E. P. (■ARfiir.L had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. Many people took it for granted, that by constructing underground drainage the whole difficulty of getting rid of offensive matter was at once overcome ; but it had been clearly shown of late years that as much danger in fact, much greater danger—--■might arise from imperfect uudergiouud drains as from any other drains. And unless underground drains are well constructed upon proper principles, they are liable to do more mischief to the community than any surface .drains. There wore two questions in volved in this matter. The first war- the question of outfall ; where the drains wore to load to ? This was very important, and before pro. cecding to discharge drains, with all the refuse they might carry, mto the harbor in front of the City, they ought to he assured by the best scientific opinion’that it would not be detrimental to the health of the community.— (Hoar, hear.) That was one point which had not yet been satisfactorily cleared up. The next point whs this: that apart altogether from the question of outfall, ill-constructed drains are very’ apt to take the shape of mere vent' for seeding up foul gases, and poisoning the neighborhoods in which they are constructed. This had been found to he the case to a most remarkable extent in some large cities at Home. A third question connected with this the Corporation might well consider, namely, whether solid matter should bo put down the drains at all--(hear)—or whether means should not bn adopted for removing solid matter in some other way, simply ming the drains for carrying off liquid'water. He was sorry that the matter of earth closets apnea-: cd to ho postponed for a time. He would like to suggest to the Councillors that, instead of attempting to make the use of earth closets imperative, they should endeavor to offer the citizens facilities for using the earth closets. Of course people living in small houses on the side of the street could not obtain dry earth, hut if the City Council could make arrangements for supplying dry earth and taking it away when used, they would find that the citizens would largely avail themsi lyes of tho advantages offered. (Hear.) The citizens would he doing right if they expressed to the Council their grave concern in < this question, and that whatever the Council did should be done with the aid of the very best, talent, the very best advice that could he got, and with the aid of the very best lights of science on this subject.

Cr. BatlNns disagreed with some of the previous speakers, and especially with Air Isaac. Ho would like them to taKc steps to stop all the night-soil refuse from High street, Stafford street, and Hat tray street sewer before they declared underground drainage to be out of the question. The Rattray street drain was cm ugh to poison the whole City. The present system of drainage was not intended for water-closets; but all the sewerage from the big hotels and fine stoics went into those drains. He had always advocated underground drainage for certain parts of the town. Drains were very much wanted for Stuart, Bt. Andrew, and Frederick streets. In High and South Wards they had three or four drains already, and it was time sonic action should be taken in the other Wards. They could net better the plan laid down for those four drains. They might alter it, but it would not be for the better. They would never be able to take out the sewerage to the Ocean Beach. He had at home levels taken by Air Swyro, which showed that the water at the Ocean Beach rose eighteen inches higher than the surface of St. Andrew street close to the railway. How would they take the sewerage out to the Ocean Beach?—(A Vojca: Alachinery.) To do that with machinery would cost about L 4,000 a year, and were they able to pay that ? Mr Shkp.WlS moved as an amendment—- “ That the drains be carried out in accordance with the resolutions of the City Council.” He did so for two reasons ; first, because they wore essentially necessary in Bell and Leith Wards. It was not right that South and High Wards alone should have the advantage of underground drainage. There was another point. Ho hoped tire working men would notice the remarks m ule hy .Messrs Walter and Prosser, Their reason for not going on with the drainage was the high price of materia] and the high rate of wages. The working men had as much right to enjoy wealth as the capitalists, who were now making fortunes. Notwithstanding Mr Cargill’s great knowledge and experience, he could tell him something about drainage. If they put down glass pipes there would be no effluvia from the underground drains, and if they were flushed with water all noxious matter woul I bo removed.

Mr Walter explained that his argument was that the high price of labor and material, coupled with the rushing through of the drainage works, would indict a great expense upon the ratepayers generally. Or. Barnes explained how the twenty per cent, higher cost of the drains came about. Instead of their being built at the bottom with 3 x 2 bricks, the engineers had prepared spccilications for a much thicker base. I his caused the brickmakers to pause in this matter. Some of the tenders the Council had received were as low as 1/2 15s, and yet several speakers were talking about the labor being too high.— (Applause.) Or. Ramr\t said he had always advocated the system of removing night-soil, &c., by means of public contract,, and also a ptoper system of surface drainage. He believed the underground s.ystcm, when completed, would cost fully 000,000. If the Council expended the Tjlo,ooo voted for the four drains, they would not rest satisfied till they had a general scheme completed. He would suggest that the streets should be properly formed, and streams of water occasionally used to wash them thoroughly. If the Council were in possession of the Waterworks, they could easily do without any underground drainngc.

After some remarks by Messrs Corel an n, Isaac, and fvrm r, Or. Woodland said that on seeking the suffrages of the Bell Ward electors, the first question asked him was--“Arc you in favor of drainage '!■' He had consistently supported f lip system of underground drainage—(Cheers.) (TBariics proposed the system at that time, ans had it Uot lieen for Mr Neale, the resolution would have been passed. There was no do.uht the lower parts of the City should have underground drainage! Bourn thought the work would cqst too much, but the material was shown to hp remarkably cheap. In this matter ho had fulfilled his promise to his constituents, and He tyq.sfcetl the proposed sowers would he carried out.

(V. Buck \w very much surprised to sec the South Ward ratepayers calling a meeting on tfi'o drainage miestjon, and he looked upon it as an insult to tpc Chairman. He was glad that so much hail been argued in favor of underground drainage. Tfie Council was now carrying out these wqrks according lu the opinions of scientific men since l.Slja. With regard to the ]pice qf bricks, he thought the Council should have called fqr tenders for the wfiole work. He would support underground drainage till he was called upon to resign his position as Councillor.

Mr J r G, S, Gip\NT thought the City could fie properly drained for L 70,000, and moved as a fluther ’amendment—“ That a sprvoy of the whole Gity lie made and the opinion of scientific iipm on the drainage question obtained." The Council should be authorised to. borrow LKIO,QOO if that amount were foqml necessary to cleanse the Gjty. Gr PiiosflEß explained that when addressing the Hop th \\ r ard electors, he stated that he was in favor of a regular system of underground diainage. Tfic pncipal question was wherp to deposit the sewage. If they went along Andersqn’s Bay, they wopli] spo that, though the sewage Was nqt thrown in the hay, the value of property was deteriorated on aopount of the effluvia. Another irregular discussion was cut short by Mr 11. Gillies, who referred to the action of the commtttee appointed to consider the question of deepening the harbor. The conclusion they arrived at would affect the question of drainage, aud therefore ho suggested that the proposed works should be delayed. The citizens should be thankful to Councillors for delaying the proposed works. He agreed with Gr. Barnes that the Ocean Beach would never bo used for sewage deposits. If they succeeded in getting earth closets brought into general' use, this meeting would cause no regret. Mr isTOLT proposed the following further .unepdmept“ Xliat iu the opinion of tbip

meeting, before any great expense is incurred for the drainage of the City, competent professional advice should lie obtained by the City Council, but in the meantime some temporary provision should be made for the drainage of 801 l and Leith Wards.” Tho Council should have a general scheme for the drainage of the City. Dunedin should not go on the principle pursued in the Home Country—commencing a few drains, and afterwards having to alter them to a general system. The meeting then became very noisy, and ultimately the question and amendment were put. The Mayor decided that Mr Sherwin's amendment was carried, on which Mr Stout called for a division, which was not granted. The meeting then separated.