THE WALTHAM DRAIN.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 240, 17 March 1875, Page 2

THE WALTHAM DRAIN.

A largely-attended meeting of ratepayers was held last evening, at the Waltham Arms Hotel, to consider the drainage question. Mr J. Andrews was voted to the chair.

The Chairman said that he was placed in rather an unfortunate position, as he was one of the deputation that had been appointed to wait upon the Heathcote Road Board and drainage committee with reference to this matter, and he had seen by the advertisement that the meeting had been called to consider the state of the drainage question, It was his opinion they should have met to receive the report of the deputation. He would now call upon Messrs Innes and Brandon, who had also been appointed on the deputation. Mr Innis said they had waited upon the Heathcote Road Board, and wanted to know something of their intention relative to the drain. The Board told them they could do nothing until a satisfactory understanding had been arrived at with Mr Pavitt. They said, however, that they would repair the road, but could do nothing further, and referred them to tue drainage committee. They waited upon those gentlemen, and were again told that until the result of the action with Mr Pavitt was determined they could do nothing. They asked the committee about the sureties for the proper performance of contract, and were told that the security was worthless. [Cries of Oh 1] A promise had been given that everything would be done to get the roads repaired in the district. Mr Brandon reiterated what the previous speaker had said, and added that he had asked the Board how it was that a surveyor had been permitted to waste the ratepayers’ money. They were told to see the drainage committee on Saturday and had done so, with a like unsatisfactory result.' It was well known that the residents in that district had paid a great deal of money in rates, and the present state of their roads was most disgraceful. After they had rain and a few heavy carts had passed over their main road, even that would be impassable. From the manner in which the Board had treated them, he would say that they were not fit to occupy their present position. [Hear, hear.] He intended to canvass the district and upset the members on the Board, and get those in who would do their duty fairly and spend a fair proportion of the money where it was most collected. [Applause.] The books of the Boaid would show where the greater portion of the rates were collected. If they allowed the Board to carry on as at present the ratepayers might sit down and allow them to impose what taxes they thought proper. He would ask every ratepayer to exercise his right, and only elect men on the Board who would give the district its fair share—[Hear, hear] —as though the largest proportion of the rates were collected in that district, he was prepared to say that not one-tenth of the amount collected was spent there. [Applause ] He knew there were many ratepayers present who would bear him out in what he said.

Mr Clephane could endorse all that Mr Brandon had said. Their main road had been in a disgraceful state for the last two years. A lot of money had been spent on it, but it did more harm than good, and the last act had been the worst of all, namely—filling up the large holes with gorse. He hardly knew what that meeting had been called for, as the road, though said to be finished, was still bad, and the drain was worse.

Mr J. Ollivier said that he had been exceedingly glad to hear the Remarks made that evening. He hoped that as a ratepayer it would be thought that he was as equally interested in the drainage of the Waltham district as he had been in that of the Ferry road. [Hear, hear.] Drainage was an allimportant question, and it would be seen from the correspondence that had lately appeared in the papers that each writer had attached the greatest importance to this as affecting the general health, and that being so, it behoved every man to raise his voice on this question. He bad done his best both for himself and those who lived in his neighbourhood to do all in his power to do away with that hotbed of disease, the Ferry road drain—-[applause]—and while he felt it to be his duty to. take the action he had in that direction, he equally felt it to be his duty to do all in his power for the residents in Waltham. [Applause,] Whoever was concerned in this matter (and he didn’t care who it might be), he would say that it was a standing disgrace the way in which the drainage of the district had been left. [Applause.] It was a thorough disgrace to all who had been connected with it. [Applause.] From what he had heard that night of the unsatisfactory replies received from the Board and drainage committee, he must say that it was a sad state of affairs. If disease were to spring up in their midst, he would ask when and where would it cease, and who was to stop it. Their present position was this : From one portion of the district the water flowed to the river, and from the other to the town belt, and their great object for which they had to contend was that this latter must be carried away-he didn’t care how —and the other drained into the river, and it was the duty of the Board to see that this drainage was properly carried out. [Applause.] If a gentleman had been employed who from circumstances)! or otherwise had completely mulled the whole thing, that was nothing to them. It was the duty of the Board to see that the contract bad been

carefully performed, and any errors rectified, and if the Board would not do this, then they would have to elect men who would see that a large and important district like that waa properly drained. [Applause.] They would have read that it was the intention of the City Council to ask the Provincial Council for a large sum of money to be expended in the city for drainage and other works, the necessity for the former being increased by the circumstance that Christchurch stands in a basin. He would say to them one and all—go to your representatives, and tell them distinctly that they must determinedly oppose the grant until they had an emphatic assurance that all their surface water would be permitted to drain through the drain opened to the estuary. If Christchurch was by nature the lower portion, it must naturally receive water flowing towards it, and the City Council had no right to object to take the water from the Gasworks and Waltham. [ Applause.] If this were done the district would be relieved at all events from all water rendering their roads impassable; and when he had heard that in the proposed system of arterial drainage this question had been overlooked, it seemed to him most incomprehensible. He had expected to have seen some of the members of the Road Boad present that evening, and to have heard specific grievances. If he had taken the right view, he would say, agitate, agitate, until they had compelled the City Council to open the outfall drain—[hear, hear] —and means should also be taken which might perhaps compel the Heathcote Road Board to listen to and take measures to remedy their grievances. [Loud applause,] Mr Brandon said, from the laxity shown by the Board, the surveyor could laugh at them. He knew that there was 6ft fall from the railway gates to the river, and all the storm and artesian water could be carried off without even opening another drain. He desired to impress upon them all that in collecting rates for the work of this drain, and leaving it in its present position, the Board had collected money under false pretences, and the sooner they put them out and got better men the sooner would they be well served. [Hear, hear.] Mr Pope considered the ratepayers were more to blame than the Board. The previous speaker had eschewed drainage and only spoken of roads. If they wanted to see good metalled roads they must go to Opawa and the Sandhills, where there was little traffic. [Hear, hear.] If they could only get Mr Ullivier to live in the district they would have their drainage and roads in order in less than "twelve months—[applause]—as that gentleman had managed the Ferry road business very well—[laughter]—and he knew that there was a resolution on the books of the Heathcote Boad Board that the Ferry road drain was not to be closed until the Waltham drain was ready to receive the water from the railway gates.

Mr Henderson did not think the Board was to blame. They had promised to make the road good and had done so. He thought it was the duty of the ratepayers to wait on the Government and see what they would do with reference to the drain. At the Eoad Board election the ratepayers had been too greedy, else they might have had more re* presentatives.

Mr Burbury looked at that meeting as a most important one. The real question was, was the district to be drained or not. [Hear, hear.] Not only was the Board to blame, but also the ratepayers, as they should have selected men who would have carried this matter out. It was now for them to see what could be done in the future, though he held the Board really responsible for the present state of things. From comparison it would be found that the Heathcote Road Board was the most negligent Board in the whole of the province. [Applause.] The Waltham district was a very populous portion of the whole Heathcote district, and the general custom of a Road Board to expend the rates in each part in proportion to their collection, had been altogether ignored by the Board. All they had done was to place some fifty loads of gravel on the road, though a great deal could not be done in this direction until the drain was completed. They were already taxed heavily enough, and he would say to them, don’t put your head into the City Council fire or you will be burnt, and have your taxes increased. If the Board would not work in conjunction with the ratepayers to carry out an efficient system of drainage, then let them turn them out, as they would not be worthy to retain their seats. [Hear, hear.] Mr Lockwood knew that great blame was to be attributed to the engineer for the manner the work had been carried out, as in one portion, for a distance of about two and a half chains, the level was out three and a half feet.

Mr Ollivier desired to make a remark on what Mr Burbury had said relative to paying a tax to the City Council for the privilege of draining into their drain. He would ask them to oppose a grant of any kind being given to the Council unless they would open the outfall drain free of charge to all the districts for the purpose of drainage. He had written two re-olutious, one of which he would move himself at the close of his remarks, and if the first had no elfect, the second probably might. They were perhaps all aware that the Superintendent was in the habit of making certain grants to Road Boards every year, but his Honor had the power of allocating a portion of any such grant to be set aside for a certain purpose, and if they could get no satisfaction from the Heathcote Boad Board, they should then petition the Provincial Council. [Applause.} He would move his resolution, and trusted that as a preliminary measure it would be carried. He would move— *■ That this meeting is of opinion that the Heathcote Road Board should at once proceed to take such immediate steps as may be necessary to complete the drainage of the Waltham district, and that a deputation should be appointed (o wait upon the Board to make such a representation to them, such deputation to consist of Messrs Brandon, Pope, Burbery, and Innes.” Mr Ciephane seconded the motion.

Mr J. Lee, in the course of very lengthened remarks, said that the Government, the Hcathcote Hoad Board, and City Council were leagued together to drain the water into the South town drain. If the resolution was carried, it would only place the district further in the mire.

The Chairman desired to inform the meeting that the sura already spent ou the Wa (ham drain was as follows £2900 expended for materials, and £BOO advanced to the contractors. [Cries of •• Oh 1”] Mr >cott also thought the resolution would have no effect. He would prefer to see another aud a more determined resolutioo

carried. He had been told that the Heathcote Road Board were already paying £3O to the City Council for the use of their drain. Mr Ollivier understood that negotiations to this effect were being made; but he was not aware that they had been determined, [Mr Lee—l know they are paying the Council the money.] Though some present did not think it would be of much avail to wait upon the Heathcote Road Board, still if they received no satisfaction it would strengthen their hands when they were compelled to go to the Provincial Council. The resolution was put and carried with two dissentients. Mr Brandon moved ‘-That a petition should be prepared and presented to the Provincial Council urging upon them to allocate a portion of the funds to be hereafter voted for the Heathcote Road Board, for the especial purpose of completing the Waltham drainage, and that Sir Cracroft Wilson be requested to present and support the same,” Mr Innes seconded the resolution. Mr Brandon said that though the ratepayers bad been blamed for their apathy in connection with the drain, he would tell them that before the contract had proceeded far, competent men had inspected the levels and protested against the manner in which the contract was being carried out, and yet no notice was taken by the Board of their protest. Mr Lee thought it was useless to apply to the Government, and the drain would not be completed until they put their hands into their pockets and did the work themselves. Mr Ollivier referred to the inconsistency of the previous speaker. If they were prepared to nut their hands into their pockets, well of course let them do so; but he would inform them that the Heathcote Road Board had still nine months of office, and the Provincial Council would meet in about a fortnight, and he felt assured that not only would Sir Cracroft Wilson present their petition—which he hoped would be put in hand at once—but would also make application for a special grant for carrying out this very necessary work. [Applause.] Mr Jones did not think the resolution went far enough, as it did not say who was to draw up the petition or who was to lose their time in canvassing the district. Mr Ollivier —I’ll undertake to canvass onehalf of the district myself. [Applause.] Mr Innes —I’ll canvass the remaining half. [Applause.] Mr Brandon also promised to act as canvasser. The resolution was put and carried with only two dissentients. Mr Ollivier consented to draw up the petition and submit it to the chairman, and hoped that no persons would be allowed to put their names to it who were not fairly and honestly concerned. A vote of thanks to Mr Ollivier for his attendance, and to the chairman, terminated the proceedings.