DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2206, 22 March 1881, Page 4

DRAINAGE BOARD.

"The ordinary meeting of tho Drainage "Board was held at 230 p.m. yesterday. Present—Messrs R.J. 8. Harman (chairman), O. ■* i O«ff, F. Hobbs, H. J. Hall, H. J. Tancred, - O. B. Blakiston, J. V. Boss. •A'letter was read from Mr J. E. Brown, "Stating that ho was unexpectedly called away, ■-and asking that the further consideration Of ' Hie report on savings should be adjourned - until next meeting. Mr Hobbs said that • tho question wae this, ■ that Mr Anderson having sent in his resig- - nation, they -would have to appoint his sue- ■ sossor as speedily as possible. Tho Chairman said that ho had received a ' letter from Mr Anderson, which he would - read. It was as follows : Christchurch, March 17th.

Sir,—l have tho honor to bring under your notice the ropert made public of the proceedings > "in' connection with my resignation at tho last meeting of the Board; by which it appears that the acceptation of my resignation was held over ' until the report of a committee suggesting my dismissal could be considered therewith, I may ■ remind the Board that at the time of my appointment I was a partner in a large contract, and that daring my period of office I have tendered openly for variona works, with the tacit • permission-of the Board. Any objection to my tendering for works ought, therefore, to have been privately made known to me, whan my , resignation -would at once have been sent in. The Board have never lost any of my time through private work, and they have the official statement of their engineer that my services have given him entire satisfaction. In the • absence of any charges against my character or - efficiency, tho unusual course adopted by the Board is -nnoccountaVe, ■ I beg, therefore, that iho Board-will allow the nsnal notice to bo dis- , pensed with, or made as short as possible. I have,-Ac., A. Andbkson. The Chairman. Drainage Board. Mr Hall said that as Mr Anderson had ■ wished the term of notice to be as short as -. possible,, there- could be no reason why they - should not arrange for him to go. Mr White was of opinion that they should • at once proceed with the report of the committee on savings. They had waited six weeks, and now be thought they should dis- • cuss the matter. Mr Hobbs would second a motion to that effect if Mr White would move it. Mr White moved that the report bo taken into consideration at once. Mr Hobbs seconded the motion, which was - agreed to. The Chairman said it was very desirable for the Board to consider the new Bill, if it was intended to carry it on. He had asked Mr ■' Cowlishaw to be present at three 6’olook, when any ..questions could be asked. It would therefore be necessary for the Board to decide whether they would-go on with the BUI. Mr Hall asked whether it was intended to . introduce any alterations in tho Health Act. The Chairman said that the two subjects wfaioh had been impressed upon tho Board ai requiring some alteration was the inspection of dairies and the - reporting of infectious ■diseases. If the. Board desired it ha would urge upon the Government tho necessity of their introducing alterations dealing with - these two points. Mr Hall was opinion that tho Board should . do this.

The Chairman said he desired to say that - the Bill now proposed was, if possible, far more necessary than at any previous time, as the works were now coming to a conclusion, ar. at least to such a state as would enable the Board to give the public the benefit of them. He was of opinion that they should not . couple the Bill with any further borrowing, «s it would induce an opposition they would ;find very difficult to deal with. Copies had been sent round to all the local bodies interested, and no objection had been made. As regarded the fear of arbitrary .powers, he might say they had no more in that Bill than they possessed already. For this reason he was of opinion that they should 4 go on with the Bill, Mr Hobbs thought with tho chairman that it would be wisest to go on with the Bill. - There was no doubt that next year, when the work would bo well advanced, they would urgently require the powers conferred on them by the Bill proposed to bn introduced. Mr Boss said that he would support the ■ -views of the chairman and Mr Hobbs, Mr Cuff asked whether this was not the Bill upon which the ratepayers requested the i late Board to resign. Mr Ross said that it .was.

Mr Cuff mid that he thought perhaps they , should consult the ratepayers before the Bill ■u gone on with. Mr Boss said he should move—“ That the (Bill now under consideration to amend the Christchurch District Drainage Act, 1875, be proceeded with.” Mr Hobbs seaonded the motion. Mr White said there were some of the .clauses to which he objected, and he thought that the Bill had better not be proceeded v-with. The motion was put and carried, Mr White .dissenting. A letter was read from several residents at Jfew Brighton, asking for the straightening .and deepening of Ooraer’s drain and building a culvert and flood gate. The matter whs deferred until after the ■consideration of the financial arrangements of the district. Mr Cuff waited on the Board with reference to some stagnant water at. the Northeast belt, to explain that ho was unabio to got it awpy, owing to the pipes being choked up. The matter was referred to the engineer to .examine and report upon. A letter was read from Mr E. J. Palmer, .asking that the Board dear cut a drain near his property at' Now Brighton. It was resoived, after gome discussion, to defer the consideration of the application, to enable the engineer to see whether tho drain had been taken over by the Board, Ultimately Mr Bell reported that the drain had .not been taken over. Mr White then moved—“ That the applicant bo referred to the Road Board, the drain not being a Drainage Board drain.” Mr Rosa asked how it was that part of this «ame drain was taken over. Mr White pointed out that there was already a deficit on the Avon district account, and if they took over any more drains Christchurch or some of the other districts would iuive to pay for it.

Mr White’* motion woe then put and agreed to. A letter wag read from the Town Clerk, Sydenham, offering to prepare the rate roll at a certain price. The letter was referred to the Solidary of the Board.

A letter on tho subject of the overseer ci drains in thb Hoathcote district was read from Mr Mills, and referred to tho engineer for presentation to tho committee appointed on the matter.

Mr Hall sr.id that somewhere about _ a j mouth ago Mr D. Craig applied to the Eio- I carton Hoad Board for permission to lay a | line of pipes to carry off refuse water. _ The Board had referred Mr Craig to tho Drainsg.o Board, and he wanted to know what fc.ad become of the application, as ho had not heard anything 'ot it, Mr Boss said that he bad no remembrance of suoh application having been made at the request of Mr Hall. The Chairman read the ; correspondence between Mr Craig ard the Board with reference to permission being i granted to open up the road to put down a ' line df pipe loading'to the river. i Mr Bell said that Mr Craig had asked him ■ some time back for permission, and he had i granted it, thinking it was only to drain a low place in the section. j Mr Hall said the question involved was one Of very great importance, as it simply meant this —that permission had been given by the. r engineer to drain a large block of .property into the river. He should like to know whether the engineer hod power to do it. The Chairman said Mr Bell had mo power to do so. Mr Bell said that he did not quite understand what Mr Craig wanted. Ho thought that tho question was asked of lumas a way of obtaining information. Mr Hall said that Mr Craig had commenced the work, and opened up the road. The Chairman said that Mr Craig should be at once told that the Board could not give him power to take up the road. Mr Hobbs said that they would have to face the question of draining this block very soon. It would be a largo suburb directly, and the only outlet for the drainage was the river. At Avonsido and on Bark terrace they know well that the house drains went right into tho river. Of course, it was very desirable that the river should be kept as clear as possible, but as regarded this work, he could not see how the Board could 'take the drainage elsewhere. Mr Hall said that some time ago he proposed a scheme by which the whole of the neighborhood would bo drained. By _ this proposal only one house would be drained. But this was not what he wanted to bring before the Board, which was a question of principle that no officer of the Board had a right to give such permission aa this without putting the matter before tho Board and obtaining its concurrence. It was resolved, after some further discussion, that Mr Craig be informed that ho must discontinue any further work on the drain in question until the consent of tho Board is obtained, aud that what has been already carried out is at hia own risk. Mr Hall trusted that the Board would see their way clear to give such drainage to that part of the district as would give all an equal ■hare of advantage, and not alone to one house. Accounts to the amount of £BS 2s 2d were passed for payment. The Board then proceeded to consider the report of the committee on the departmental expenditure of the Board. The following letter was read from Mr Bell : Christchurch, March 14th. Sir, —is the Board meet to-day to consider the reductions which tho committee have advised should be made in the pay of the employes on the works of this Board, I beg to offer the following remarks, in ju tice to myself and my assistants. When I first accepted office under the Board it was with the understanding that a consulting engineer was to prepare all plans and bear all responsibility for the successful working in all its details of the scheme of sewerage propose! to be carried out. The yearly charge for engineering at the commencement of the Board’s operations was £1950. viz., £SOO a year for Mr Carrathers, as consulting engineer, exclusive of I,‘i per cent, which he was to receive for his plans ; £BOO a year for myself, aa resident engineer ; £SOO for an assistant and surveyor ; and £l5O for a young draughtsman, also employed in levelling and other works. On the rejection of Mr Cirrathors’ scheme of drainage, tho late Mr Clark was employed to indicate a project for the sewerage of the district, and generally to advise the Board on tbs carrying out of the work, and for his services he received various sums amounting to about £7OO. Upon the death of Mr Clark, which occurred shortly after bis visit to New Zealand, tho Board decided not to retain a consulting engineer in England in the place of Mr Clark. The whole of the responsibility, therefore, devolved on me for carrying out his scheme, which was loft in a very unfinished state. I hive, nevertheless, made no claim on the Board on account of aneh additional work and responsibility. In accepting the appointment offered through Mr Carrathers, I made it a condition with him that I should he at liberty to bo consulted by other public bodies in the same manner as he was, and this was confirmed by the Board. Notwithstanding this, when I applied for the appointment of Engineer to the Lyttelton Harbor Board, I voluntarily gave up £2OO of my salary. As some of the public have raised objections to my being called in aa consulting engineer to the Government and other corporate bodies, I beg to say, that out of a period of five years I have been absent in all about three months. When the Board requested mo last year to defer taking any outside works while the heaviest parts of the Board’s works were being carried ont, I at once agreed, without asking for any remuneration. I have always made economy in carrying out the Board’s work my chief study, in which I have never failed to inclnde myself and the assistance which I have thought it necessary to employ. Until now, the engineering expenses have been reduced from £1950 to £1250 yearly, the amount of work to be done increasing as the engineering expenses are reduced. The Board incurred great expense at the outset by calling in two engineers to decide upon the scheme of drainage ; but even with that unfavorable commencement, the engineering expenses have not greatly exceeded the usnal charge of 5 per cent, on the cost of the works, end at the present rate, if the Board spend what is estimated to complete the work, the cost will be under 5 per cent. With regard to the pay of assistant engineers and foremen, I would represent that the former bring to their employers the result of a costly apprenticeship and long training, and the latter have to exercise firmness, discretion, technical knowledge and unusual vigilance in the interest of the work. The Board may urge, as the Government have reduced the salaries of their engineers, they are bound to do the same, but the Government offer services for long periods of years, with the prospect of compensation or pension on being superseded, while the service of tho Board is coincident with the time taken to finish one work, and for foremen only such time as it takes to finish part of the work, after which they often remain unemployed for a long time. Contractors and city authorities, I believe, pay for foremen the same rate as the Government for services other than in permanent situations. In Auckland the engineering for the waterworks and the dock was paid by commission at 5 per cent., and large snms were paid previous to the commencement of the works for advice from other engineers. In Oamaru the engineering of the harbor works is paid by commission at the same rate, and, if I mistake not, in addition an assistant, engineer is employed at a salary of £3OO, paid by the Harbor Board. I think that the above facts will show that the Board are not incurring any unreasonable expense for the engineering and superintendence of their works, which require more supervision than any other kind of public works, and are of sufficient importance to require very carefol engineering attendance. I have, Ac., C. N. Bunn. Mr Cowlishaw being in attendance, Tho Board went into committee to consider the proposed amendments in the Drainage Bill for submission to Parliament next session. After going through the Bill the Board resumed, and the committee reported the amendments which had been made therein. It was resolved—“ That the chairman have the Bill re rinfced, with the amendments now made, and that Mr Cowlishaw be requested to give the necessary notices for getting tho Bill put. before the House." Mr Hobbs brought up the copy of the annual accounts, signed by the auditors, and moved —" That they bo accepted as correct by tho Board, and certified to and signed by the chairman in accordance with tho Act.”

Mr Tancrcd seconded the motion, whioh was agreed to. Mr Hall moved—“ That the further consideration of the report of the committee on departmental reductions be adjourned nntil a special meeting, to bo held on Monday, 28th inst., at 2.30 p.m.” Mr Tuncred seconded the motion, whioh was agreed to. After accepting a tender for castings, the Board adjourned.