PUBLIC MEETING AT PHILLIPSTOWN.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2256, 21 May 1881, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AT PHILLIPSTOWN.

A public meeting waa held in the Pnilhpatown echoolroam last evening, the Chairman of the Road Board (Mr F. Jones) in the chair. There was a numerous attendancp, and amongst thoso present were Mr E. C.J. Stevens, M.H.S., Mr J. T. Fishor, M.H.R., Mr S. P. Andrews, M.H.R, and several gentle men resident in Ohristchurch. The chair woe taken at eight o'clock. The Chairman introduced proceedings by reading the advertisement calling tho meeting, which was as follows : " A public meeting of ratepayers will be held ha tho Phillipstowii schoolroom on Friday evening next, the 20th instant, at 7.30 p.m., to take into consideration tho action of the Drainage Board in charging this district with works from which they derive no benefit; also, to consider the provisions of the proposed amendments to the Drainage Bill. " Ho remarked that the first part of the advertisement required explanation. They were all aware that the proceedings of the Drainage Board were commanding general attention. One proposal of tho Board waa a distinct departure from tho old arrangements as regarded the Heathcoto district, and an injustice to the ratepayers. This was alao the opinion of their member, Mr Cuff. Under the old arrangement in respect to tho Ferry road drain, this district was charged with £1840; now it waa proposed to charge tho district with £5921. This was regarded as a manifest injustice. Their member for the district had expressed disapproval of the proposal, but, of course, he waa only one among eight. Therefore, the present meeting had been called to give tha people upon whom this imposition was proposed to be mado,_ an opportunity of entering their protest againat it. [Hear, hear.J He then called upon the first speaker. Mr John OUivier then cams forward. He said ho felt some delicacy about appearing again on a platform in oonneotion with this subject—it waa such an old grievance. A long time since, in the year 1864, he first began to take objection to what was known as the old Ferry road drain, and they knew the result of that. But since then they had been repeatedly called upon to protest and stand up against a system of oppression that the Board since its establishment had endeavored to thrust upon the people of that district in particular. He then referred to the past experience of drainage operations, and the wasteful expenditure of which the Board had boen guilty. The system of Mr Oarruthers was plainly an objectionable one, and on the public opposition to it being made plainly manifest, the plan was sent back for amendment; but unfortunately it was not amended, the faot being that Mr Oarruthers displayed in his action thereanent an amount of animus and hostility quite unjustifiable and unpardonable in a public officer, and at the same time quite unoalled for. The matter was eventually referred to Mr Clarke, who produced thereon a very remarkable report. It was known that the chief requirement of the district was surface drainage, and yet the report chiefly dealt with another subject. He was going somewhat into detail, but he could not refrain from referring at some length to the subjeot, inasmuch as the Drainage Board had shown a disposition for years past to treat the people with utter contempt, to disregard their plainly expressed wishes, and in fact to treat them in every way aa children. Now, he contended that they (the public) were entitled to a fair amount of consideration, and their past experience was deserving of a certain amount of respect. [Applause.] Mr OUivier then proceeded to detail and comment upon the proposals contained in the report of tho consulting engineer, especially referring to the removal of exoreta, and the establishment of the water-closet principle, the report recommending the Board to seek for power from Parliament to give effect to such proposals. Hence a Bill waa framed, which the ratepayers indignantly protested against, and a resolution was passed by the Board that if in their opinion a majority of the inhabitants were opposed to the system of watercloset sewage they would abandon the idea. Well, it waß made satisfactorily apparent to the Board that the people were opposed to the contemplated plan, and the Bill waa accordingly abandoned. But yet what had thoy (the Drainage Board) done ? Why, an enormous amount of money was expended in constructing maohinery and drains for _ the removal of excreta in the faoe of their direct pledge that they would not do so unless with the sanction of the people. [Applause.] Was this, he asked, honorable on the part of the Board? He answered for them—"No!" [A Voice—" Disgraceful."] Other depar. cures from the plan approved by the people were enumerated, and now what were the Board doing ? They proposed to introduce another measure, which they called, forsooth, a Permissive Bill. m But let them Bee what this preoioua Bill meant, and what distinction there waß between it and a compulsory Act. The Bill, in fact, plainly contemplated closet sewage and house connection with tho main drains, and although the measure waa not supposed to be "compulsory," yet it gave power to the Board, under certain circumstances, to prosecute for allowing nuisances on their premises, which _ might be held to arise through non-connection with the main drains established, with a view to tho closet sewage system. The Board in effect said, " We want the power to construct the drains with the view of removing excreta, and to enable us to give permission to ' oonnect' if they so desire." And this waa in direct opposition to the expressed wishes and instructions of the ratepayers. But the Board would find that they had a power opposed to them which it would be difficult to Btem—the voice of the people, which would reach Parliament, and thus make itself heard to some purpose. [Applause.] This he said in the presence of the members then present, —[hear, hear]—and he hoped those gentlemen would take it to heart. [Laughter and applause.] There waa another clause in the Bill, which was an exhibition of childishness or an admission of ignorance and incapacity, seeing that there was ample provision already for effecting what wob there proposed, namely, the prevention of publio nuisances. In reference to a letter by Mr Harman, which had appeared in tho Pebss, he mußt repeat the sole expression contained in his (Mr Olhvier's) letter replying to Mr Harman—" For Bhame." Ho was surprised that that gentleman should have penned such an effusion. But, aslhe before eaid, the Drainage Board appeared to ignore the publio on every possible occasion. It wiii their obvious duty to confer with and take the opinion of the ratepayers. Suoh waß not their conception of duty, however ; on tho contrary, at a large and influential meeting held to consider the drainage question in Christchurch the members of that body were conspicuous by their absence. Mr Harman, in the first clause of the letter referred to, had shown that he entirely mistook the position of affairs. Ho did not for a moment say that Mr Harman was guilty of wilful misrepresentation ; that gentleman was of too high a character to do anything of the kind. But, unfortunately, he waa one cf a body who would never, probably, accept their true position until the people mado them understand in unmistakeable terms that they (the public) were their masters and not their elaves. [Laughter and cheera.] With regard to Mr Clark's scheme, which the Board were bo anxious to Btrictly adhere to, he would point out that Mr Clark was not the only authority in the world, and, strange though it might appear, there were eminent men who differed entirely from him. And as to the present Bill, it was highly improper, utterly inconsistent, and one that the peoplo should not on any account sanction. So far thov had a decided expreseion of opinion on the subject—thoy had now 600 signatures over the required number appended to a petition against it, and hopad to incraase that number to a thousand. Now, before going further, he would read the resolution placed in his hand to propose. It was as follows : " That this meeting pledges itself to do all in its power to provent the passing of the Bill which the Drainage Board has announced its intention of asking Parliament to Banotion, and requests that the members for the district be respeotfully invited to oppose the introduction of the same. It also recommends the signature of petitions to Parliament praying for the rejection of such Bill." Proceed-

'Ttg further with Mb remarks, Mr OHivier pointed out that it migf.t not only be one, but several pumping stations fo? which they might be called upon to pay. And then aa to the distribution of the rate % Was there any reason in the argument that because the Board held a certain opinion, a section of the publio *ho differ from them should bs called upon to accept it to their own detriment ? or that because a msa had a rich and extravagant neighbor such man should be called upon to f.uke part and bear the burden ol such enfravagance ? [Laughter and applause.] Then Mjo inequalities of the rates distributed on the Drainage district ware grossly unfair, the imposition upon the Heathcote district in particular being outrageously unjust. He had no hesitation in saying that when the £33,500 was spent, the Bos7d would find thorn- ■ elves considerably in debt, according to the present mode of proceeding, and they would require an additional loan of £IOO,OOO. The peoplar of this district, then, might look forward to a rate of Is in '-he £, at least, next year. But this waa not

all. They must consider She enormous expense of maintaining that wonderful pumping station and the vast arr&7 of drain pipes u'idor ground (something like £3500), which meant another tax of about 3d in the £. The fact was that if wo went on increasing this taxation we should not be able to live in the place at all. The people had powers in their own hands, however, and he advised them to act promptly as one man. In conclusion, he referred to the sanitary aspect of the scheme ss regards the depositing of a certain class of refuse on the sandhills, and contended that it was lamentably deficient in most important particulars from a sanitary and economic point of viow, and finally he warned those present and the ratepayers generally that, if they were so senseless, so regardless of their own wolfare and the interests of the community as to remain inactive under this wrong, they would desorve all the visitations they would undoubtely bring upon themselves, becauso it rested with them to call upon Parliament not to give their consent to the Bill, and to reject it with the- scorn which it deserved. [Applause.] He begged to move the resolution.

Seconded by Mr Staples. The Chairman re-read the resolution. No discussion followed. The resolution was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously.

Mr J. H. Hopkins moved the next resolution. He would not say much, seeing that Mr Ollivier had almost, if not quite, exhausted the subject. But he would say this, that in his opinion the people of the Heathcote district ought to oppose the Drainage Board's proposals by every means in their power, and he would suggest, moreover, that, as an outside district, it should not in any way be mixed up with Ohristchurch. He would plainly tell the Drainage Board that the rate they proposed to levy, being unjust and illegal, would be repudiated. r Applause.] He concluded by moving the following resolution :—" That this meeting having had under its consideration a statement of accounts showing the system upon which tho rates to be payable by the Heathcote district has been based, considers it unfair in principle and faulty in construction, and therefore requests the Chairman of the Road Board to resist the same, and take such measures as he may deem necessary in opposition thereto." In moving this he felt every confidence that it would meet with general approval. The Drainage Board had steadily been losing the confidence of the people by their method of managing the important trust reposed in them—especially was this noticeable in regard to the finances. He would suggest that in any Bill introduced there should be a provision to the effect that only those distriots benefited by the dr.iinage Bcheme should be called upon to contribute towards it, so that distriots unaffected should be exempt. He had great pleasure in moving the resolution just read. Mr W. J. Walters seconded the resolution.

Mr Clephano said he could not understand how the Drainage Board had reconciled it with their conscience to ignore so completely the strongly expressed opinions of the people. He emphatically condemned the action of the Boord, and further added that the only benefit (?) received by Heathoote from the scheme, was that Ohristchurch was permitted to cast its muck and filth into the district. He was of opinion that there was no necessity for such a sewage scheme as was proposed, and they should resist all taxation imposed to carry it into effeot. The resolution was then put to the meeting, and carried unanimously. Mr H. A. Bamford moved—" That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be transmitted to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, the members for the district, and to the Drainage Board, and that the chairman be requested to sign the same on behalf of this meeting." Seconded by Mr W. H. Ellis and carried. Mr Ollivier remarked that the business of the meeting was concluded, and proposed a vote of thanks to Mr F. Jones, the ohairman, and chairman of the looal Boad Board, to whom he referred in very complimentary terms.

The motion was heartily carried. A vote of thanks was, on the motion of Mr Olephane, then passed to Mr Ollivier for his action in the matter they had been considering, and for his admirable address thereon. This motion waa also carried with eclat. Mr Ollivier suitably responded. Mr Staples suggested that copies of the petition against the Bill should be circulated for signatures. The Chairman promised to attend to the suggestion, and whilst on his legs ho took occasion to remark on the powers conferred upon the Drainage Board by the Amendment Act, 1877, but which the Board did not appear to recognise or to fully appreciate.