The Globe. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1875.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 346, 22 July 1875, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1875.

It would almost appear as if we are about to renew our acquaintance with our old enemy, the “ Dirt and Dark- “ ness Club,” if we may judge from the extremely absurd action of the City Council, as disclosed at their meeting on Monday evening. Our readers will remember that a conference was held, a short time since, between the Chairmen of the Heathcote, the Eiccarton, the Spreydon, and the Avon Road Boards, and a deputation of City Councillors, in reference to the drainage of the city and its suburbs. At the last meeting of this conference a Bill was ordered to be drafted, for the consideration of the General Assembly in order to create a sort of Metropolitan Drainage Board. But the City Councillors have discharged their committee of delegates on the conference from further attendance, because, forsooth, they were outvoted. We may just remind qur readers who these delegates were, viz.,, the Mayor, and Messrs Bishop, Hart, and Ick. Of these the Mayor was the only one who voted with the representatives of the Road Boards. The rest of this patriotic body voted together—not for the adoption of one broad and comprehensive scheme of drainage, but on the selfish principle indicated by one Councillor —drain where you like, have as many schemes as you like, surround the City with drainage works, but dare not to enter within those sacred precincts under our control. The view taken by the immaculate five councillors, for, to the three above named we may now add the names of Messrs Calvert and Raphael—is, that any scheme of general drainage which included the suburbs would of necessity be costly, and the heaviest portion of the expense would fall on the City of

Christchurch. But does not the entire cost of their celebrated Outfall drain fall on the city at present ? However, the people of the City are becoming aware that this drain does not fully discharge the waters of the City at times of flood; and the inhabitants of the low-lying portions of the town know, from sad experience, that these portions are compelled occasionally to receive the waters from the surrounding districts. Now, a Metropolitan Board, having no such selfish ideas as we have alluded to, would possibly utilise the work already done by the City. It is probable that by reconstructing its brick culvert, and by materially enlarging it, the outfall might be found a sufficient relief for most of the districts now suffering from its present incapacity to carry off the storm water. By thus bringing the benefit home to a very much larger portion of the rate-paying community, the cost to the City and the citizens of Christchurch would be most materially reduced. If it is true that the drainage rate is now 6d in the £, and will probably be 9d, then a general rate of, say 2d, or at most 3d in the £ levied by a Metropolitan Drainage Board would be a material gain to the City, New Loans by the City are threatened ; it remains to be seen whether the Ratepayers will tolerate this abominable selfishness of a small section of the City Councillors, three of whom are notably retiring from office during the next six weeks, two of them permanently. There has been but one principle uniformly acted upon by these gentlemen, and that is, delay—delay in giving effect to any real and substantial benefit to the City, over which they profess to rule. If any question can be conceived of more importance than another it is surely the permanent drainage of the City, and with it as a necessary adjunct, the surrounding districts; now is the time, while the Assembly is sitting, for action; but the only action taken is delay. We sincerely hope that the intelligence of the City will at once, and in the most decided manner, protest against such suicidal folly, and that steps will be taken to obtain an expression of public opinion on this important subject.