DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 948, 9 July 1877, Page 2

DRAINAGE BOARD.

Monday, July The usual fortnightly meeting of the Board was held at 10.30 a.m. Present: Messrs H. J. Tancred (chairman), A. Duncan, R. J. S. Harman, T. D, Jones, P. Hobbs. engineer’s report. The report of the Engineer was read as follows: — I beg to submit a statement of expenditure on works only, up to the end of June, being a period of four months. In the expenditure for clearing creeks and rivers, it will be observed that the Riccarton district has incurred the highest amount ; this, however, includes the cost of several new drains which have been cut, with culverts and bridges for them, and a considerable amount of money has been spent in getting the different rivers in good condition. In the Avon district little or no new work has been done, and the expenditure has nearly all been for keeping the creeks and drains clear of weeds and obstructions : this kind of expenditure is one which has a tendency to increase in cost, as the requirements of the people ai’e stimulated rather than satisfied by keeping the drains in order. In the Heathcote and Spreydon districts the expenditure includes a partial clearing out of the River Heathcote and portions of Jackson’s Creek, both of which cost much money from the amount of obstruction to be removed, also the construction of one or two culverts. The amount for miscellaneous and city drains, includes several new culverts, timbering drains, laying down lines of pipes, and other work, besides clearing and maintaining. There has not been sufficient time to make up plans and estimates for works of drainage that may be required in the rural district submit, however, one for the swamp land north of the Horseshoe Lake, This provides for deepening the principal drains and giving them a regular fall, and for protecting their outfall into the lake. The land, however, will not be made dry by these works, unless the owners intersect the fields by cross drains leading into these main outfalls.

The separation of the rateable value of property in the rural and suburban districts is being made, and will be submitted at the next meeting, and at the same time I hope to be able to make a rough estimate of the cost of necessary works of drainage for the rural portions only, as directed to be done at the last meeting. It must be observed that it is difficult to assign a definite plan as that which will be required for the rural districts, because many works of drainage will be done only as the necessity arises. I do not propose to make any large new works, but rather to improve the existing principal drains which have already been laid out on the most advantageous lines of country. I have, in company with Mr Blakiston, examined the land of which, as a trustee of the Church property, he complains of the drainage. The whole of the land from the North belt to the Edge ware road belongs to thejChurch; it is surrounded and intersected by drains kept in order by this Board, and I think it would be unfair to others if this Board did anything more for the improvement of this property than keep the main drains in order, and intimate to the Church Property Trustees that they are at liberty to trench and cross drain their land into those outlets provided for the purpose by the Board. Having taken levels in the ponds of water in Philipstown, I found that to lay them dry drains would require to be cut along the roadside of Ift deep, which would be inconvenient and dangerous, and considering that the ponds are full of water only in winter, and that no sewage or

dirt gets into them, I submit that there is no necessity of incurring the expense and inconvenience of such deep drains ; there are several other such ponds in the city which lie too low for surface drainage to empty. I have, &c., C. N. Bell. Statement op Expenditure on Works and Engineering only, up to 30th June, 1877. £ s. d. Purchase of land and outfall sewer 18,327 0 0 Do cement, bricks, sheds, stacking, &c. ... ... ... ... 1944 0 2 Ferry road drain 1678 7 2 Avon District — Clearing creeks and drains ... 345 13 6 Heathcote do 131 11 10 Eiccarton do 504 13 6 Spreydon do 132 12 11 City drains, outfall, park, &c. ... 180 0 7 Avon river clearing ... _ ... 155 17 4 Extending timber outfall into Estuary 96 3 9 Eepairs to brick outfall sewer ... 144 14 11 Sinking trial pits 37 8 9 Mixing concrete sewer blocks and moulds 23 6 7 | {Engineering— Salaries, including payment to Mr Carruthers 2487 16 8 Wages 441 9 3 Material ... ... ... ... 18 12 11 Expenses 133 14 6 Miscellaneous material 15 5 1 Tools 9 11 9 Stable erecting 16 13 3 Fence, Antigua street 34 3 4 Total ... <£26,853 6 4 The report was considered seriativi, and adopted as a whole. The Board then considered the plan proposed by the Engineer for the drainage of the rural districts. THE CONSULTING ENGINEER. The following letter was read from Mr Carruthers as to his resignation of the post of consulting engineer to the Board : Wellington, sth July. Sir, —I regret that having been laid up with illness I was unable to reply to your last letter in time for the meeting of the Board, which took place last Monday. I intended my resignation to apply to the whole work, and not only to the work of draining the rural parts of the district. I have now finished plans for the sewage and drainage of the town and suburbs, and feel that I am not in a position to be of much further service to the Board, unless, indeed, the actual construction of the works were at once gone on with, which does not appear likely. It does not appear to me to be at all necessary for the Board to have any consulting engineer at present, until they have decided what plan they intend to adopt for their works, and as I do not care to hold a purely honorary position, I should prefer, if convenient to the Board, to be relieved of the position I have the honor to hold. At the same time I shall be at all times ready and willing to give your engineer any information regarding the 'plans which he may require to supplement any deficiencies which may show themselves therein. I have the honor, &c., John Carruthers. The Chairman of the District Drainage Board. Mr Hobbs moved —“ That the resignation be accepted, and that the thanks of the Board be given to Mr Carruthers for his meeting the difficulty by sending in his resignation.” The Board had met with great opposition from the ratepayers, and he thought that Mr Carruthers’s resignation would now relieve the Board from difficulty in the matter. The motion was then agreed to with the withdrawal of the latter portion of the resolution. CANAL RESERVE DRAIN. Two ratepayers waited on the Board onbehalf of the residents near No. 2 drain, to ask the Board to deepen or clear out the Canal Reserve drain, as the water was overflowing their land. After hearing the views of the deputation, the Board resolved that they would clear out and deepen the drains, the residents to bring their drains into it. A letter was also read from Mr Frame, complaining of the bad state of Rhode’s Swamp, which was similarly dealt with to the request of the deputation. PHILLIPSTOWN. On the motion of Mr Harman, it was resolved that the difficulty as to emptying the ponds at Phillipstown be met by carrying a a line of pipes along Nursery road to the Ferry road drain. It was agreed that the resolution should bo communicated to the East Cchristchurch school committee. The plans of the engineer for the drainage of the part of the rural districts indicated were accepted, leaving a further portion beyond the Horseshoe Lake to be reported on at a future date. THE NEW DRAINAGE SCHEME. The Chairman said that he had written to Melbourne to Mr Clarke, but had not received any answer as yet. HAREWOOD ROAD. A letter was read from Mr H. Matson calling attention to the fact that there was a ■ quantity of stagnant water collected on the I Harewood road, which was very prejudical to | health. \ The matter was referred to the engineer. PENDALLTOWN. A letter was read from Mr Chick, calling attention to the dangerous state of the bridge erected by the Board at Fendalltown. The letter was referred to the engineer. MERIVALE. A letter was read from Mr R. Wilkin, calling attention to an open drain at the western end of Merivale lane. The matter was referred to the engineer. SALISBURY STREET DRAIN. An opinion was read from Messrs Garrick and Cowlishaw with regard to the Salisbury street drain, stating that their opinion was that the drain was not a public one, but that the Board, under the powers conferred upon them by the Act, had a right to go on private property to cut drains on payment of compensation. It was resolved that a further opinion be sought as to whether the public had any right in the drain without bringing into effect the clauses of the Act giving the Board power to go in upon private property and make or improve drains. ST. ALBANS. A request from a resident in Crescent road, and also one from residents in Avon road as to drainage, were referred to the engineer. PAPANUI. A letter was read from Mr Poddington, complaining of the drain which had been cut through his land by the Board, and stating that a fall could be got for the water in another direction. He also required compensation for the damage done to his land. It was resolved that the letter be acknowledged, and the writer informed that the Board took the water through his land in the interests of the ratepayers, and that it was merely an old watercourse opened up. HEATHCOTE DISTRICT. A letter was read from Mr F. 11. Brittan,

calling attention to the bad drainage on Buckley’s road leading to the slaughter-house reserve, by which the residents in the neighborhood were flooded. The engineer was requested to put himself in communication with Mr Brittan, MERIVALE. A letter was read from Mr Studholme, calling the attention of the Board to the stoppage of the creek running across Merivale lane, by which his property was seriously damaged. The matter was referred to the engineer to report upon. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £320 14s 9d were passed and ordered to be paid. OFFICIAL PAPER. On the motion of Mr Dnncan, the Press was appointed the official paper for the next six months. jackson’s creek. The surveyor was directed to have Jackson’s Creek deepened, so as to allow of the Heathcote drainage going into it. ALLOCATION OF RATE. Mr Duncan moved—“ That the clerk prepare a statement of the rates payable by that portion of the drainage district which will be benefltted by Mr Carruthers scheme. Also, of the “rates payable by the outlying portions of the district which will be drained by open drains, for the purpose of enabling the Board to allocate the amount of the loan which should be expended in the portions of the district as above defined.” Mr Harman seconded the motion, which was agreed to. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Two months’ leave of absence was granted to Mr Hall. The Board then adjourned.