The Globe. SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 312, 12 June 1875, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1875.

The meeting which took place on Thursday last between a Committee appointed by the City Council and the Chairmen of various district Road Boads, though it will probably not have any immediate effect, was interesting, as showing that the necessity of united action in the matter of drainage is recognised as imperative by many persona. The Chairmen of the various Road Boards present, and the Mayor of the city were agreed on this point, but Councillors lek and Bishop would prefer the City Council should follow their own sweet will, and were up in arms against any proposition which would take the control of the necessary works, in so far as they were requisite in the town itself, out of the hands of that sapient body. Cr Bishop stated that “ he was opposed to any commls- “ sion being placed over the works of “ the City as the Council were quite “ competent to manage these works,” and Cr Ick “ cordially endorsed what “ had fallen from Cr Bishop.” Opinions differ, and we fancy a majority of citizens would not agree with the remarks that fell from the two Councillors. The present City Council have not given evidence of much ability, or even common sense, in many of the works that have been inaugurated and carried out under their regime. The Lichfield street water supply is a beautiful example of this. The Mayor,

however, who was the third member of the City Council present at the conference, made some very sensible remarks during the meeting, and though, as from his position he was in duty bound to do, he agreed with his brother Councillors as to the competency of the Council to carry out their own works, yet he was willing to take a broad common sense view of the matter, and to sink all minor differences, if only the end that the meeting was supposed to have in view, viz, the successful drainage of Christchurch and the suburbs, would in any way be forwarded. In consequence of these very creditable sentiments on the part of the Mayor, he threw in his lot with the Chairmen of the Hoad Boards and formed one of the majority that voted for Mr Tancred’s motion, “ That in the opinion of “ this meeting his Honour the Super- “ intendent should be requested to “ promote legislation for the pur- “ pose of creating an elective body of “ Commissioners, to be charged with “ the drainage of Christchurch and the “ surrounding country, and for defining “ the area to be placed under their “jurisdiction.” Is it too much to hope that the request may be productive of some good results, and that the important question of the drainage required in the whole watershed, of which Christchurch may be styled the centre, will be brought under the control of a competent body of men, who shall have the power of carrying out whatever system of Avorks may be finally decided on, notwithstanding some of the City Councillors being obstructive?