DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2130, 21 December 1880, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of this Board was held at the offices, Hereford street, yesterday, at half-past two o'clock. Present —Mr Harman (chairman), Messrs White, Hall, Brown, Hobbs, Cuff, and Ross. The Chairman laid on the table copies of the resolutions passed by the Board, giving Mr Bell, their engineer, authority to act outside the Board. The resolutions were as follows :—l. That Mr O. M. Bell be allowed to practice as consulting engineer, or otherwise, in the same manner, and on the same conditions, as the Engineer-in-Chief of the General Government of New Zealand. 2. That Mr Bell be allowed to take the position of consulting engineer to the Lyttelton Harbor Board, provided that the acceptance of this post does not interfere with the discharge of the duties required from him by the Drainage Board, and that his offer of a reduction of salary during the time he occupies the position of consulting engineer to the Harbor Board be accepted. Mr Brown said the question he raised was whether Mr Bell could take work outside the Board, without reference to any special resolution.

The Chairman said he did not require to oonsult the Board.

After some further remarks by members of the Board,

Mr Brown gave notice of motion—" That a committee, consisting of the chairman, Messrs Hall, White, and the mover, be appointed to ascertain what saving is possible in the engineering and surveying works." The matter was then allowed to drop, it being understood that further consideration would be given to it on a future occasion. The engineer's report was as follows : December 20th, 1889. I have inquired into the cause of the accident at Clare road. It appears that the trench was fenced and lighted across the Papanui road. There was a foot-bridge erected over the trench opposite the Bide walk on the east side, on which a light was hung. From this footbridge up Clare road the excavated earth was piled up on the north side of the trench, and the south side was left open. The watchman was on the spot, but he is required only for the protection of any material, such as pipes and timber. The accident occurred by the person who fell into the trench avoiding the footbridge and crossing Clare road obliquely, thereby crossing the road where the trench was usfenced. The contractor for opening the trench is required by the specification to fence his work properly, and is held liable for accidents that may occur from his not doing so. The workmen are obliged to remove the fence while they are working, and the foreman of the Board appears to have left before they had finished, as they were working late hours, and when the trench only is to be excavated he does not require to stay later than 5 o'clock. It was therefore an oversight in his not staying to see the temporary fence erected when the men left off work, as he probably thought the presence of a watchman and the lights were sufficient protection for the small portion of trench wbioh was open. Both the asiatant engineer and the foreman appear to have left the responsibility of fencing the trench with the contractor, as is implied by the specification. They have been told that this is not sufficient, but that they must see that it is properly done.

Sewage pipea have been hid in Berry street and Clare road; two flashing tanks only require to be completed at Manchester street and Berrystreet. The pipe from the flushing tank in Berry street must be laid through private property to flush the Clare road pipes, and I require the sanction of the Board for this purpose. A cargo of sewer pipes has arrived, and is being landed and stacked at the pipe yard. I have received only one more application for compensation for land taken for the drain through E.S. 1018, and Mr Stephenson claims J 350 for land taken, equal to 36p, and severance of lr 16p. Messrs Garrick and Cowlisbaw claim for Mrs Miles .£3l Is for lr 12p taken, and 3r 26p Revered. In both of these sections the ditch existed before the Board deepened it, and was as great an obstruction as it is now. The Board has placed bridges over the drain at both these sections. I think that the claim made by the solicitors is a fair claim, provided that the condition for maintaining the bridge by the Board is commuted for say £5 extra. Mrs Miles' section is more valuable than Mr Stephenson's, as the severance is close to the road. I would recommend that the Board pay to Mr Stephenson the sum of £25 as compensation for the land taken and the severance. The work of the main outlet sewer and the pumping station is making satisfactory progress. With reference to clause 1 the Board resolved to refer the specifications to the solicitors as to the liability of the Board. The necessary sanction asked for in clause 2 was accorded. The question of compensation, involved in clause 4, was referred to Mr Cuff and the engineer. The report, as a whole, was then passed and approved. The correspondence; accumulated since last meeting was next considered. In reference to a strip of land on the Town Reserve, Ohristohurch, which Mr Farker desired to purchase (and anent which a letter was written to this Board, dated 9th December) Messrs Garrick and Oowlishaw advised the Board that if the purchaser was willing to take title from the Board, they saw no objection to the Board agreeing to sell, provided their liability for title were expressly negatived.

After some disoussion the Board resolved to postpone consideration of the matter till next meeting. A letter was read from Messrs Thomas and Bruges, solicitors, informing the Board, under instructions from Mr Mackendrick, of Christohuroh, that on the night of Monday, Kov. 29th, Mrs Mackendrick sustained serious injuries through falling into a deep drain cut across the footpath of Clare road, Papanui, and claiming damages for the same. This question bad already been dealt with in connection with the engineer's report. The following accounts were passed: Loan, £325 7s Id; rate, £133 9s Bd. . Mr Blakißton here took his seat.

lenders were opened for channel clearing in the Avon district, and that of Mr T. Badden accepted. This concluded the business, and the Board adjourned.