DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1596, 1 April 1879, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

Monday, March 31. The Christchurch District Drainage Board met yesterday afternoon at half-past 2 o’clock. Present —Messrs Harman (in the chair), Ross, Duncan, Blakiston, and J. E. Brown. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, The Chairman stated that by the advice of the manager of the Bank of New Zealand touching the question of exchange that came before the Board at a previous meeting, Mr Clark had had been authorised to include exchange to his next draft. CORRESPONDENCE, A letter was read from the clerk of the Heathcote Road Board, requesting that the footpath should bo raised on either side the Perry road. The application was agreed to on the understanding that the Board would then take over the road. The Manager of the Bank of New Zealand wrote to the effect that the London office had been advised of the Council’s desire to increase the credit of Mr Clark to the amount of £4400. An application was received from Mr H. Washbourn, of Riccarton, in reference to the flooding of a drain running through section 330 in that district. Mr Bell, the engineer, explained that this drain had been taken up by the Board for upwards of a mile, and that in this case they wore totally irresponsible, inasmuch as the part complained of ran through private property. It was resolved that the application could not be entertained, on the ground that the drain in question was not one of the drains taken over by the Drainage Board by agreement with the Riccarton Road Board. A letter was received from Mr Chick, a resident in Fendaltown, complaining that an old watercourse above his premises had became stopped up, and that his ground was in consequence flooded, to the damage of his garden and crops. It was resolved that the old wutercour-c should bo re-oponed so as to cause as little nuisance as possible to the surrounding properties. ADJUSTMENT OP RATES. Mr Brown brought this question before the Board, saying that the finance committee had held a meeting, but were not yet prepared to report, the question having arisen as to how the report should bo presented. The difficulty, he would point out, was this—ln August last the Board passed a resolution

containing a basis upon which all rates should be imposed, ard as he was a member of tho committee, and dissented entirely from the basis thus adopted by the Board, ho could not see how the committee would bo able to report if only two Of its members attended, as had been tho case hitherto. What he objected to in tho basis laid down was that whilst a portion of the whole district would have nearly all permanent works carried on out of loans, other portions would have only their rates to come upon ; in fact, he considered the suburban districts would be treated with injustice. Tho Chairman interrupted Mr Brown to suggest that he would bo more in order to give some notice of motion to bring the matter up as special business, since he had raised a question in which there was a distinct principle involved. Mr Brown said he should like to have the chairman’s ruling as to whether the finance committee wore to bring up their report in accordance with the resolution of the Board last year. The Chairman, on looking up the record in question, said the resolution appeared to fix a definite period. He did not, at ail events, feel competent to rule otherwise. Mr Brown pointed out that the duties of the committee were exceedingly complicated, and, the settlement of this point, either way, would make a material difference in the sums ■to bo levied. And then there was the legal aspect of the question to be looked at. After some further discussion of a conversational character, It was resolved that a special meeting to consider the question raised by Mr Brown should bo held on Wednesday next, at ten o’clock. fALUAtfON ob fßormivy. Mr Duncan moved the following resolu(ion, which was carried :—“ That the Board appoint a valuator to assess tho value of all the rateable property within the Christchurch drainage district, which has not been assessed by the various local valuers, owing to the several properties not being included in the districts assessed by them; such assessment to be in conformity with clauses 49 to 74 inclusive of the Christchurch District Act, 1875.” At this stage Mr Boss took the chair, Mr Harman being compelled to leave to fulfil an an engagement elsewhere. KNIGHTSTOWN. Mr Dickey waited on the Board to represent the urgent necessity for drainage in Crescent road, there being at present no outlet for the waste water and refuse, which, therefore, accumulated in different parts and became a serious nuisance. The Chairman informed Mr Dicksy that nothing could be done until the pipes arrived, a shipment of which were expected by tho Coromandel. It was resolved that the engineer bo requested to lake the water from tho road into St. Alban’s creek, as soon as the necessary pipes arrived, A complaint by the same person, that the road men employed by the Local Board were in tho habit of leaving the sweepings of the streets on the road side, was referred to the Board of Health. CANAL BRIDGE. An application from J. Rigg, who appeared in person, for a reconsideration of the Board’s decision as to the erection of a bridge over the canal, was next dealt with. Applicant required either that a bridge should be put over the drain to his ground, or that pipes should be laid down. The Board decided that they could not do either of these works, but gave Mr Rigg to understand that if the approval of the engineer were obtained he might himself get pipes and lay them down as far as necessary. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for payment:—Loan account, £3813 10s Id ; rate account, £OB 9s sd. This the business, and the Board then adjourned.