DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2170, 8 February 1881, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

The usual meeting of the District Drainage Board was held at 330 p.m. yesterday. Present—Messrs B. J. S. Harman (chairman), J. B. Brown, F. Hobbs, H. J, Tanored, W. White, jun., and H. J. Hall. An apology was received from Mr O. B. Blakiston for non-attendance.

The engineer’s report was read as follows

A considerable number of pipes having been delivered by the contractor, if the Board approve of doing so, a large area of the north and north-west part of the city sonth of the Avon may be laid with pipe sewers at once. These pipes would discharge temporarily in the river near Madras bridge. In resuming pipe laying on a large scale it will be necessary to call for tenders for a considerable quantity of cement, sand and shingle, and timber, for which I would require the authority of the Board. I have had to arrange all the lines of pipe sewers so as to make them more suitable for flushing, but wherever possible I have preserved the same inclinations and direction of flow. We are depending entirely on artesian wells to flush the pipes, this being mnch the cheapest method of doing so. The wells being from 4ft to 6ft below the surface, it is probable that if the water continues to fail at its present rate, some of the flushing tanks will be withont water in six or eight years, and it would then be time enough to lay a special pipe to convey flushing water from the Avon at Wood’s mill, or to erect a small reservoir and steam pnmp on the bank of the river close to the town, both of which methods of flashing would greatly exceed the cost of flashing by well. At the higher parts of the sewers a number of small concrete tanks will bo built, through the bottom of which the artesian well is sunk, and a brass cock is placed on the end of it. The tank can thus be filled when wanted, several of these are already built, and serve their purpose very well. In laying the lines of sewer pipes, it is often found to be impracticable to admit subsoil water on account of the almost impossibility of excluding the running sand, and also the quantity of subsoil water in some places is so great, that the result over the whole system might be that the pumps could not do the work of lifting it and the sewage. Under these circumstances, it is necessary, where largo quantities of water occur, to lay drain pipes alongside the sewer pipe to drain off subsoil water to the nearest outlet, either to the river or to the storm water sewers. This has been done in many places north of the Avon, and will bo necessary on the sonth side wherever practicable. The works on the main sewer are progressing favorably, although the ground in the trenches is very wet and bad. The pumping tank has been cleaned _ and pumped ont, in order to set the suction pipes. The work is found to be in excellent condition, and quite watertight. I submit a letter from the inspector for house connections, showing how changes and additions are made to the connections with the sewers without the knowledge of the Board. If this is extensively done the system of sewerage being carried ont by the Board will be unworkable. In regard to tho letter of Messrs Ward and Co., advising the Board of the danger to the tower of the brewery from the sewer trench passing in front of it, extra precautions will be taken when the sower reaches the place by close sheet piling left in the trench, and no risk will be incurred of the ground subsiding. I would recommend that the drain reserve, called Anthony’s drain, be fenced in and kept by the Board for drainage purposes, such as laying flashing pipes, or back drainage of premises from New street to Salisbury street. No sewage should be discharged into the open drain, but rain and subsoil water only to be taken by it. In part of it there is already laid a subsoil drain pipe, and a pipe to finsb the sewers from the flash tank in Barbadoes street.

C Napier Bell, Engineer. The clauses of the report were considered seriatim.

On the first clause Mr Hobbs said that this was a question of finance, and should not be entered into until they had before them the estimates of the expenditure and receipts of the current year. Mr Brown moved—“ That the matter be postponed until next meeting, and that the engineer be meanwhile requested to forward an estimate of the work required to be done during the current year, dividing the same into districts.”

Mr Hobbs seconded the motion, which was agreed to. With regard to the letter of the contractor for house connections, it appeared that Mr Withnall had interfered with the sewer pipes in such a way as to fill his bouse with sewer gas. The Chairman remarked upon the extreme danger of the practice, Mr Hobbs moved—“ That the chairman take the advice of the solicitors as to the power of the Board to prevent interference with the pipes of the Board.” Mr Brown seconded the motion, which was agreed to. With respect to fencing the reserve at New street, the Board declined to carry out the work as suggested. The report of the auditors was read as follows : The Chairman Christchurch Board. Sir, —We certify to the correctness of the Board’s books as represented by the accounts of receipts and expenditure to 31st December, 1880, signed by us. The accounts, we believe, speak for themselves as a whole, but there is one item of £609 7s 2d appearing as a payment in error from loan to rate account, which requires a little explanation. It is this —‘‘When the Board decided in March last to pay over to rates account all profit made by premium on debentures sold ; such profit was over estimated by £609 7s 2d, and at the audit we suggested that the transactions should appear in the accounts as they are stated.” A cheque transferring the amount from rate to loan accounts, banking account, will correct the error. There is a sum of £5 Os lOd to credit of suspense account, in rate account balance-sheet. This sum, we are satisfied, is the property of the cashier, and we recommend that a cheque be paid to him. With regard to the book-keeping, we think the present method of recording in the books of the Board and showing how the monies have been received and paid should be extended or sub-divided, so as to render unnecessary the keeping of a subsidiary set of books (which arc not audited by us) to show where locally the payments are expended. This would save a great deal of clerical labor, and would admit of much more information being given in the annual accounts.—Your obedient servants, w C “ A ™ 1 Auditors. H. E. Alport )

Christchurch, 7th February, 1881. The report was approved, and on the motion of Mr Tancred it was agreed to carry out the recommendation of the auditor* with regard to the alteration of the method of bookkeeping. A number of accounts were passed for payment. Mr Brown asked the engineer how it was that a number of the sumps on the St. Albans road and Papanui road had had to be altered at considerable expense. Mr Bell said that owing to the continuous alteration in the levels of the roads by the different Boards, their sumps had had to be altered.

[ Mr Hall thought it mattered very little, as the ratepayers paid in each case. Mr Brown said that in this case it did matter, as the Drainage Board had the credit of rating the public more than any other body. The cases he referred to had been caused by a private individual cutting up his property. Mr Bell said he would make inquiry into the matter. Mr Hobbs moved —" That the chairman be authorised to sign the accounts as presontefi.” Mr White thought that the accounts should be placed before the public by means of a printed form, so that the public might see where their money had gone. Another thing was that he was not quite satisfied that the districts were bearing their fair share. The district he represented was very heavily handicapped, as it paid 125 per cent, more than Heathcote and Biocarton, and if the question of the proportion of the districts could not be re-opened, he should be prepared to oppose the resolution. He thought that the more they placed their affairs before the public the better, which would tend to remove much of the dissatisfaction now existing. The Chairman said these were only the general accounts, and need not interfere with the matter of the accounts as between the subdivisions of districts. The alteration proposed by the auditors would bring the accounts between the various districts under audit.

Mr White would move, as an amendment—- “ That the accounts stand over until next meeting, and that they bo printed.” Mr Cuff seconded the motion.

Mr Hobbs pointed out that what was now being done was that they were asked to say whether the accounts were correct or not. If they were not satisfied, the only method would be to have a second audit. He had no objection to the printing of the accounts ; indeed, he had suggested it before Mr White spoke. The question of the districts would come on for discussion when the striking of the rate took place. In many of the districts the amount expended had not been so much as anticipated when the rate was struck, so that in these there would be a refund, or rather not such a large rate would be required. The amendment was then put and agreed to.

The Chairman said that they had been urged for a long time to close the South belt drain, and the engineer found the best way of doing this would be to take the drain through Messrs Ford and Ogdon’s property, and thus into the South belt se>> er. The agreement was now before them, and he wished the decision of the Board on it.

It was agreed that the chairman be authorised to conclude the agreement with Messrs Ford and Ogdon, The Chairman said that he desired the Board's instructions with reference to the Bill which it was proposed should be introduced into Parliament during the last session. As far as be was aware the powers then sought to be obtained were still required, and if the Board were of this opinion he would venture to suggest that a committee should be appointed to examine the former draft, and to report whether any, and if any, what alterations now appear to them to be desirable.

It was resolved—“ That the chairman forward to each new member a copy of tho Bill, to be considered next meeting.” Mr Cuff moved —“That Messrs Hobbs, White, Brown, and Blakiston, be appointed as tbe finance committee for the ensuing year. That the chairman, Messrs Hall, Boss, and the mover form the works committee for the ensuing year.” Mr Tanored seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The Board adjourned for a fortnight.