COUNCIL AND ROAD BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 74, 30 March 1901, Page 1

COUNCIL AND ROAD BOARD.

A CULVERT NEEDED. At the meeting of the Whataupoko Boad Board yesterday a communication was received from the County Council containing the engineer’s report on the proposed Hallstreet culvert, which, he stated, in the course of his report, - was not necessary for the drainage of the county roads. Mr Sievwright said it was a remarkable thing that a statement like that should be made, as if they had not all to consider the interests of the people. Mr Joyce; Suppose we were to block up their drains, the water from which runs through the Board’s outlet drains. The Chairman, in reply to a remark, said they knew that all these local bodies should be amalgamated, but that did not help these people who were flooded, out eaoh year. Either this culvert must be'constructed or it be necessary to put in a couple of open 'culverts in Clifford-street. Mr Joyce objected to the Board being put to that expense, seeing that the Council obtained £309 a year in rates for which they only maintained a short distance of road. Mr Sievwright said that to close up the drains might be a double-edged weapon ; his idea was that these institutions should always try and work in harmony. The Chairman: Yes ; but they want everything on their side, and will give nothing. Mr Joyoe : It is very unreasonable. The Chairman said that it had been the same all along ; the County Council took as much as it could out of the road district and

gave back as little as they could. He was sorry to say that the member representing the riding (Mr Cooper) did not help them much. Mr Sievwright: Every year the sum is getting larger, and we are no better off. Mr Banger : Worse off.

Mr Sievwright said it would be wise for a deputation to wait on the Council.

The Chairman suggested that they should at onee go in a body as a deputation to. the Council, which was agreed to. The deputation was not kept waiting long, and Mr Matthews explained the grievance of the Board in reference to the culvert, showing that while the cost to the Council would only be about £ll, the Board would have to bear a cost of from £25 to £3O to complete the drainage. He pointed out that the Board had to maintain about 14J miles of road, besides footpaths, while the Council had only 2i miles of road to maintain. Mr Joyce pointed out that the Board drains were the outlets for a large quantity of water from the county road side, and thus had the banks scoured. If the Engineer had seen the place in its worst state he would no doubt have given a different report. Mr Sievwright expressed the opinion that such bodies should • try and work harmoniously, and do all they could to asssist each other.

Cr King said the desire of the Counoil was to work harmoniously with the Board. Mr Joyce said that when Cr King spoke he could not have had in his mind the last paragraph of the letter, implying that the Council did not want tho work done.

Cr Jex-Blake said the Council would only be too willing to help, were it not for the other calls on their funds.

Cr Tombleson said they did not know the state of the Board’s finances, but they knew how the Counoil stood financially, and he hoped that the Board was not so badly off as that—they had to watch every sixpenoe of expenditure, and were not even able to consider applications individually on their merits. If the Council blocked up drains, as had been done on the Haiti, the water must be let off, but on the Whataupoko the trouble was the low-lying land, and he did not see that the Council could do more than allow the road to be cut through for a culvert.

The Chairman said that if it was not for the county road there would be no difficulty iif draining tho locality; tho trouble was that the road was so much higher. If the land were drained it would soon be built on, and the increased rateable value would soon more than recoup the county for the money spent.

Cr Cooper said that the thing was a disgrace both to the Council and to the Boad Board. It had been going on for years, and for months in the year these unfortunate people were hardly able to get in and out of their houses. They were all ratepayers, and putting the Board aside, they were surely entitled to some ' consideration. There had been a good dealjof shuffling going on over the thing, and the Board simply would not get it done. He would move that, passing the Board over altogether, the work be done. “ As far as I oan see,” he concluded, “ if we leave it to this beautiful Boad Board, these poor unfortunate people will have to wait for the next ten years,” The Chairman said that tho Council would let the Board know their decision later on. At that time of the year they were assailed with applications from all parts of the district for works. Their attention must be given to the roads and not to drains. Mr Matthews himself had admitted that the work asked for would improve the value of the land, but Councillors were not there to enhance the value of anyone’s land. They had to try and give roads. If the road had never been there the place alluded to would still have been swampy.

Mr Matthews said that if the road had not been there the whole place would have been drained. He thanked the. Council and the deputation withdrew.

Later on the matter was referred to in the Council.

The Chairman said they should meet ?he Board in the matter.

Cr Cooper concurred and added, “ They have a rotten Boad Board and we cannot expect much from them.” Cr Jex-Blake said that other parts were urgently in need of attention, and from Cr Tombleson he understood that the riding had had more than its share, and was considerably overdrawn. On the motion of Cr Cooper it was agreed to grant the request.