DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 959, 23 July 1877, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

Monday, July 23. The usual meeting of the Board was held at 10.30 a.m. Present : Messrs Tailored (chairman), Duncan, Hobbs, Ross, and Harman. ENGINE Kit’s REPORT. The (report of the Engineer was read, as follows: — E NO 1N HE It’ 8 RE TOR'!'. I have prepared two lists of the rateable value of property, one for all the districts affected by sewerage, and one fo” rural districts only. The property area included in the former takes in all land which will depend for drainage on works to be built in connection with the drainage scheme, and the drainage from which is now, or will become worked by sewage. The area included in the latter is drained by ditches and creeks to the rivers. I submit along with the above a proposed proportionate separation of of both loan and rates, but I have not yet been able to finish estimates of the cost of improved rural drainage for the districts. In regard to the necessity for shifting the outlet of No. 2 drain to the lower ground east of the present one, as levels for the purpose are not yet finished, I must defer referring to it until next meeting. The owners of sections on the Salisbury street drain having signed an agreement in the terms of that recommended in my report of 31st May. I have allowed the drain to be covered in, but the Board has incurred some expense in taking up the old line of pipes, which was found to be laid with cracked and broken pipes of different sizes and stuffed with willow cuttings and rubbish in such a wanner aa that the pipes had

already become choked up. It is now repaired, re-laid, and the street drainage disconnected from it.

The old bed of the creek from the outfall drain to Cashel street is being deepened and cleared out, and a section is being taken to lay down a line of pipes to drain low ground in Phillipstown as directed by the Board. I request instructions from the Board regarding a drain on land of Mr Ponninghouse at Papanui, who has obstructed the drainage from the properties of several people who have petitioned the Board for relief. I have, &c., C. Napier Bell. The report was considered seriatim. It was resolved that copies of the allocation referred to in paragraph 1 should be made and the subject discussed at next meeting of the Board. Respecting the Salisbury street drain, it was resolved that the action taken by the engineer be approved. The remainder of the report was approved. THE PAPANT7I DRAIN. A letter was read from several of the residents in Papanui, complaining of the stoppage of the drain through Papanui by Mr Ponninghouse having filled up the drain passing through his land. A number of other letters were read making the same complaint of the damage done to the adjoining land by the action taken by Mr Ponninghouse. A letter was read from Mr Ponninghouse, threatening the Board with proceedings if any steps were taken to open the drain through his land. The water should take the course which was its natural (low, viz., through Mr Kruse’s land. He declined to allow the Board to send water through the land owned by him. It was resolved, “That the solicitor be requested to advise the Board as to the action to be taken against Mr Ponninghouse for obstructing the drain, and to take action accordingly.” no. 2 DRAIN. A deputation from the residents in the line of No 2 drain waited on the Board with reference to the water coming down the No 2 drain by a cutting which it was intended to cut. The deputation urged upon the Board that if the cutting was made it would overflow on to the low-lying land, as they believed the cutting would not take off the water through the swamp. They proposed that the cutting should be taken another way, so as not to go through (he swamp at all. If this were done the of flooding the land of the residents in its immediate vicinity would be avoided. The deputation having pointed out on the map the direction they thought it would be best to take the water, and fully explained their news to the Board, It was resolved that the Engineer take means to ascertain whether a new line coidd be obtained, care being taken not to flood the land referred to by the deputation. THE NEW DRAINAGE SCHEME. A telegram was read from Mr Clarke stating that he had replied by mail to the request of the chairman to come to Christchurch, and would bo enabled to visit Canterbery. Mr Hobbs hoped that the chairman would call a special meeting of the Board to consider Mr Clarke’s letter when it arrived. The Chairman said lie would do so. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from the Heathcotc Road Board, calling attention to some stagnant water in the district, and also asking that footpaths should be made from Ollivier’s road to Christchurch Quay, as the Drainage Board had taken the footpaths for the drain. The Board also called attention to a bad piece of road between the Railway and Gras Works, caused by a large ditch. It was resolved to reply, as regarded the footpaths required, that the Board had no power under the Act to make footpaths. The first subject had been attended to. It wa s resolved that the matter of the ditch complained of on the Gras Works road be referred to the Engineer, with power to take action. A letter was read from Mrs Gflanvillo, Crescent road, calling attention to the fact that her neighbours had stopped up the drain recently opened by the Board, which had caused the water to flow on to her land. It was resolved that the same action be taken in this case as that in Mr Penninghouse’s case. A letter was read from Messrs Spooner and Moore, complaining of Mr Dickenson having sent water through their garden, by a ditch which had been made by Dickenson in continuance of Crescent road. The letter was referred to the engineer. A letter was read from Messrs Austin and Kirk, suggesting that, as the Board were using main pipes, they should either ask for tenders or give them a chance of competing with the imported article. It was resolved to reply that the Board did not as yet see their way clear to call for permanent tenders at present as the scheme of drainage was not decided upon. A letter was read from Mr C. Cuff, giving notice to make a fence dividing the reserve of the Board from his section at the Sandhills. The letter was referred to the solicitor tor opinion as to whether the reserve referred to was vested in the Board. It was decided also to reply to Mr Cuff that in case of the reserve being vested in the Board the Board would pay half the share of the fencing on the report of the engineer. A letter was read from the residents on the North road, calling attention to the necessity which existed for a drain in the locality to carry off the storm water. The letter was referred to the engineer, with power to act. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £3lB 10s Gd were passed, and ordered to be paid. THE ENGINEER. An application was made by Mr Bell, under his agreement, for the sanction of the Board to act as consulting engineer to the Corporation of Wellington, to carry out Mr Climie’s drainage scheme. Mr Duncan said it was a matter of which the Board and the ratepayers should be proud, that their engineer should have been selected to fill so important a post as consulting engineer to the Corporation of Wellington. The consent of the Board was then recorded. This terminated the business.