DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2258, 24 May 1881, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

I The adjourned meeting of the Drainage Board was held at 1.30 p.m. yesterday. Present —Messrs B. J. S. Harmon (chairman), C. Cuff, W. White, jun., J. V. Boss, J. E. Brown, H. J. Tanored, C. B. Blakiston, and W. Hobbs. The report of the engineer was read aa follows: May 23rd, 1881. 1. I have inspected the drain on the northwest aide of the Lincoln road, within the town. This drain is necessary for the storm drainage of that part of Addington adjoining it. It could be diverted inside the hedge on the Park side, but I do not think there is any necessity for doing so. If the tramway is laid cloae to the telegraph poles it will be perfectly safe, and there will Btill be thirty-six (36) feet of roadway, exclusive of the footpath, for traffic, which iB ample, considering that there are houseß only on one side of it. The present ditch is in pood order, and the Bides well graßßed over. It would take about .£SO to cut a new one. and I do not think it is necessary at present to incur this coat. 2. In regard to settling the claims for compensation for land taken for the drain recently cut through R.S. 1118, &c , it will be advisable to get a survey of the land for the purpose of making out conveyances, and I will get this done as soon as possible. 3. The works on the main sowers, engine house, Ac, are progressing as usual, and there is nothing particular to report. 4. The laying of the iron pipes must be delayed until that part at the pumps to which they are to be joined is put in place, which will bo done as soon as possible. The clauses of the report were discussed seriatim, and approved as a whole. A letter was read from the Avon Boad Board, protesting against the striking of a uniform rate over the whole district to meet the cost of pumping station and outfall drain. It was resolved to allow the letter to stand over till after the discussion on Mr Cuff's resolution. A letter was read from Mr F. Jones, chairman of a public meeting at the Phillipstown sohoolroom, forwarding certain resolutions passed thereat with regard to the rating of the district and the new Drainage Bill. It was resolved that the letter be acknowledged. A letter was read from Mr George Booth, as chairman of a meeting held at Spreydon, forwarding a resolution passed thereat that the Spreydon district be separated from the Sydenham district, and be represented by one member on the Board. Accounts to the amount of £l5O 3s 3i were passed for payment. Mr Cuff moved—" That the following resolution be rescinded, viz. :— * That the Board adopts the principle that the cost of the storm water sewers be apportioned to the several sub-districts within the Christohuroh drainage ( district in a ratio of the area drainedwithin such sub-diitriots." He thought that all the other outside areas, as well as Mr Hall's district, were shut out from the benefits of the soheme, and, therefore, the resolution passed should be rescinded. What he proposed was to treat the districts as last year. They objeoted to the cost of the Ferry road sewer being charged to the Heathcote, as it was for the benefit of Christohuroh that it was made. I In reply to Mr Boss, the engineer said that the scheme of Mr Clark only contemplated a brick sewer on the Drain road. A much larger amount of water went down the Ferry road sewer now than was contemplated by Mr Clark. The water came from the oity, Heathcote, and Sydenham. Mr Brown said he would second the motion pro forma. He was of opinion that the Heathcote people should be very glad that the Board had built that covered sewer and made the district habitable. Mr Hall wished to know whether it wss fair if Heathcote only expected to pay some £IBOO odd for its sharo of the cost of the Ferry road sewer, they should be charged some £SOOO or £6OOO because the city and Sydenham required more drainage. Mr White said that he did not think the storm water sewers were charged correctly in Sydenham; for instance, Christohuroh demanded a covered drain, and Sydenham, in the case of the Antigua street drain, had to pay some £I3OO, and Ohristehuroh £2OO. It was only for the improvement of Christohuroh that that drain was covered. In reply to Mr Hobbs, The Engineer said the cost of the- Antigua street drain from the South belt to the river was £IBOO. Mr White said that he found 1 that Syden. ham paid £I3OO, and Christohuroh about £SOO. This, he thought, was an injustice to the outlying district. Mr Hall thought that Sydenham could not expect that the Board should have an open drain, which would be a nuisance. The motion was then put for rescinding the resolution, whioh was lost on the voioes. Mr Cuff then moved —" That the Board employ its own rate collector." He said that the* collection of rates cost £BOO, and he thought that they should try and save at least £SOO of this. What he wanted to see was whether they could not save the money of the ratepayers. Mr Boss seconded the motion pro forma. He thought that their experience had proved that the employment of a rate oolleotor was a mistake. Mr Hobbs should oppose the motion. If the local bodies saved money by collecting these rates it went into the general fund, and the money so received went to the ratepayers. He could not see what it mattered, as the_ operation was simply taking the money wi*n one hand and returning it with the other. The only point where the Board was interested was that they got the onus of striking a larger rate than perhaps would otherwise be the case. Mr White and Mr Boss were in favor of the local bodies collecting the rates. The former pointed out that it was a convenience to the ratepayers to have the rates collected at onoe. . He thought they should now ask the local bodies to collect the rates for them. Mr Brown pointed out that he was aware of four of the local bodies being prepared to oppose the striking of the rate as proposed by every legal means in their power, so that they could not expect that these bodies would collect their rates for them. It was proposed after some discussion to postpone the motion till next meeting. Mr Boss thought that the whole point behind was the opposition to the Bill proposed by the Drainage Board. Several districts had declared that they would oppose the passage of the Bill, and he believed if they allowed the Bill to drop for the present they could easily arrange the minor matters. The further consideration of the resolution was after discussion deferred till next meeting. Messrs Flesher, Snow, and Grierson waited on the Board as a deputation from Bingsland. Mr Grierson said they had waited on the Board to remind them that certain promises had been made to them which they were apprehensive the Board would not be in a position to carry out. The Bingsland_people had been made certain propositions which had been accepted on the principle that half a loaf was better than no bread. Mr Flesher spoko at some length, pointing out that in the financial proposals of the Board no provision was made for the drainage required in Bingsland. Nothing had yet been done for Bingsland, and the ratepayers now desired to ask what the Board intended to do. The Chairman said that he was afraid that the Board could not hope to carry out .what the ratepayers in Bingsland wanted, but the financial proposals were now before the Board, and until they were discussed the Board could hardly be expected to give an answor. Mr Flesher pointed out that though Bingsland contributed one-sixth of the whole rates levied on the Avon district, nothing had been done for it. The Chairman said that an answer in writing would be sent to the deputation at the earliest possible period. The deputation then withdrew. Mr Hobbs moved, according to notice of motion :—" That the sum of £IO,OOO be set apart for the laying of pipe sowers in the oity. That the sum of £IO,OOO be set opart for the laying of pipe sewers in Sydenham ; that the sum of £6558 9s 3d be set apart for the laying of pipes in the Heathcote district. That the Board notify their intention to make the following rates on the undermentioned districts under' the Board, viz. : Christchurch, 7id ; Avon, Is ; Heathcote, Od ; Biccarton, 3Jd; Sydenham and Spreydon, Hid ; also, that the said rate shall be for the • period oommenoing on the 1881, and ending on the 31st day of December, 1881, i and that the said rote shall be payable in one sum on the 1881, and that the rate • book be open for inspection at the office of the Board." The city, he thought, could do • for some years with the amount of pipe drains r he proposed. In Sydenham it was absolutely necessary, from the natural formation of the 3 distriot, that pipe drai s should be provided. The method of throwing house slops in the

back yards was, ha felt ante, most prejudicial to the publio health, and therefore Sydenham decidedly should, before the balance of the loan was all spent, be provided with pipe drains. He begged to move the notice of motion.

[ Mr Blakiston seconded the motion. Mr Cuff opposed the resolution on behalf of the Heathoote district. He was altogether opposed to any more money being spent until they knew how their pumping station works were going on, and whether they were sufficient to deal with the pipe drains proposed. Mr White should oppose the spending any money in a district like the Avon, which could not pay interest and sinking fund upon the expenditure. He defied Mr Hobbs to prove to him that Sydenham next year would be able to pay interest and sinking fund. Sydenham did not require pipe drains, and he objected to Ohristohuroh saying to the outside districts, " Oh, we want pipe drains, and you must arrange that we shall do so." He oontended that the Board was never intended to be a large sewage Board, but rather as a Board to dispose of storm water. . The district of Sydenham was in the same position as Riccarton, and why should it be made to receive pipe drains when it did not require it, nor was able to pay for it ? The drainage scheme could not be completed, but he wanted to show this that there were some 1200 chains of pipes completed in Ohriatehurch, and not one in Sydenham, therefore, he said, let Sydenham and Heathcote stand out. Even under Mr Hobbs' proposal, they could not do the work throughout the borough. They could only do a street here and there. Besides, they in Sydenham intended to have side channels.

Mr Ross wished to know whether the artesian wells in Sydenham would rise sufficiently to flush the side channels. The Chairman said that it must be distinctly understood that so soon as the sewage system was complete, nothing but artesian water would bo allowed to go into the side channels. The Board of Health would have to see that this was not done. Mr White said that the Sydenham sewage would go into the Madras street sewer. The Chairman wished to disabuse Mr White's mind of the idea that the house slops and sewage would drain into the river.

Mr White should move as an amendment—- " That no money be allooated to Sydenham for the purpose of pipe-laying therein." Mr Cuff would second the amendment if Mr White would inolude Heathcote therein.

Mr White was quite willing to allow of this being done. The amendment was then amended by inserting the words "and Heathoote " after the word " Sydenham." Mr Brown should support the amendment moved by Mr White, as it was the wish of their ratepayers. He intended to move another amendment to the following effeot:— "That, after making provision for the completion of the outfall drain to sandhills, the pumping station, and conneoting the same with sewers already laid, excepting only those in the Avon sub-diatriot, 75 per cent, of the unexpended balance of the loans be set aside for laying additional pipes or sewers in Christohuroh r and one-half of the remainder of the money—viz., 12£ per cent. —be expended in providing surfaoe drainage for Bingsland, and the residue be kept in hand to meet future exigencies." He desired to point out that the suburban districts' would not allow them to spend money without litigation, henoe he should not press them, but appropriate it as ho proposed where it was wanted. Mr Hobbs opposed the amendment, and argued that if they adopted what was proposed, the Board had better go home and allow the district to be out up into a number of little sections. He should look at the district as a whole, and he objeoted to a few members of a Borough Counoil, or a few people at a meeting such as at Heathoote, arrogating to themselves that they were the district. They were nothing of the kind, and he thought the opposition was a factious one, and as such he treated it with the contempt it deserved. It would not deter him from proceeding on his course, and he might say that he had been asked by some of the prominent ratepayers to press on the work of pipe laying. The Chairman said he must ask Mr Hobbs to withdraw the word " factious." It was hardly in order. Mr Hobbs would bow to the ruling of the the chairman, but he took it that the opposition was for opposition sake. He wanted to call the attention of the Board to the fact that they had not begun the drainage works a day too soon. If they had not done so, the city would have got a bad name, and no men of means would have come to live in it. He denied that the Board had been formed as a Board for carrying off storm water. Perhaps in the crude ideas of some people on the subject of drainage this might have been their notion, but he for himself denied that this was so. If they did not carry out the scheme it would be most disastrous, and would result in the death of hundreds of weak women and children, a responsibility which he declined to accept. If he was selfish, he should have proposed that all the money should be spent in Christchuroh. They could do with it, but he wished to see the subject dealt with on a broad basis. The opposition he could not understand, as they were the very people who required Mr Clark to be sent for. Having got Mr Clark's soheme and worked it for two years they now wanted something else. Why could they not be fair, and say they objected to pay any rate all. It was really objecting to a rate and nothing else. The Chairman said his that there should be no further allocation of the loan at present. Mr Tancred should vote for tho amendment, because the ratepayers of Heathcote and Sydenham were opposed to any money being allocated to them. Mr Boss said that it seemed to him that, looking at the state of things and the opposition of the ratepayers, it seemed to him that they did not possess the confidence of their constituents. He could not for one moment see how any one oould oppose the logical consequence of the works they were constructing at great cost, viz., the compulsory connection of houses with sewers for the removal of excreta.

The amendment was then put: — For the amendment—Messrs Brown, White, Tancred, and Cuff. Against—Messrs Boss, Hall, Blakiston, and Hobbs. The Chairman gave his vote with the ayes, and the amendment was, therefore, carried. Mr Brown then moved his amendment as above, with the following addition :—" That each sub-district be rated in proportion to the amount expended, or estimated to be expended, under the foregoing resolution in each sub district." There was no seconder for the amendment proposed by Mr Brown, which fell through. Mr Hobbs wished to call the attention of the Board to the position; either the Board would have to invest the money with the Bank, or proceed to allocate in what distriot the money should be spent. The responsibility now rested with the Board. He considered that the carrying of the amendment defeated the whole of his proposal. Mr White thought that the whole Board should bo to the ratepayers. Mr Hall pointed out that an eleotion took plaoe in December next. Mr "White—Very well; let us wait till then.

Mr Hobbs—And waste the money. Mr Hall said that it seemed a great pity that their staff should remain idle. Mr Cuff pointed out that all they wanted was to see what was the effect of the works now under contract. Mr White then moved—" That the districts of Sydenham and Spreydon be treated in the same way as Riooarton." There was no seoonder, and the motion lapsed. Mr Hobbs said that pro forma he would move the other part of his resolution, though of course the Board had practically disposed of it by carrying the amendment. He took credit to himself for having brought forward a soheme, and it would now be for others to try their hand. If they brought forward a scheme he could then exercise his iconoclastic tendencies and knock it down.

Mr Brown pointed out that no amount of rate could be struck, as they had not been able to agree to spend anything at all this year. All that they would have to provide for would be the interest and sinking fund. The Chairman said his principle was that the distriot included in Mr Clark's scheme alone should bear the charges of the work. That was the view ho had held in the following letter he had addressed to the members of the Drainage Board. Chriatchurch, May 3rd, 1831. g; r] —During the course of the discussion yesterday with reference to the allocation of the rate required to pay the interest and sinking fund on the cost of the outfall drain, pumping station, Ac, being under the impression that in

some clause of Mr Clark's report he had defined the limit of the area to which his scheme should bo applied, I did my best to find the clause, but, being unable to find it, I came to the conclusion that I must hare been mistaken, and accordingly voted in favor of the resolution moved by Mr Hobbs, by which it is proposed that a uniform rate should ba levied over the whole district for the purpose of meeting the charges above referred to.

After the meeting, however, I set down to a farther examination of the report, and on page 12, clause 45, and in the note at the foot of the page, I found the following passages :—" In making these proposals to the Board I do not intend to intimate that there is an immediate and pressing necessity for the execution of the entire scheme. The drainage area, nearly four miles square, is very large." Note—" This does not, I believe, include the entire area under the jurisdiction of the district Drainage Board, but it would not, I am of opinion, be desirable to include any larger area in the present scheme. Whatever may be required will probably be of a rural character, and should be separately dealt with by your engineer." The effect of the words quoted above is as follows : —That the'Riccarton district is not included within the area to which Mr Clark's scheme extends, and that as Mr Clark was of opinion that the area covered by the scheme should not be increased, the Board would not be justified in imposing on the Riccarton district any charge in respect of the works required for the carrying out of the scheme. I feel bound, therefore, to inform you that as at present advised I should not feel justified in voting for the imposition of fa rate on the Riccarton district in respect of the charges which form the subject of the resolution above referred to, until such time as the area included in Mr Clark's scheme is unable to defray such charges by means of a rate at Is in the £. It will probably be found that the difficulty which has here presented itself to me will have a much wider application than to the Riccarton district alone. —B. J. 8. Hacman.

He, as stated, held this view very strongly, and it was now for the Board to decide what rate should be struck. If the Board liked to agree, they might go into that subject now by suspending the standing orders. Mr White suggested that the pumping station should be charged on those districts having pipes. Mr Hall moved orders be suspended, in order to allow of his moving the motion." Mr Ross seconded the motion.

Mr Ouff and Mr White objecting, the motion was lost.

Mr White —I shall give notice that all the members resign, as we have not the confidence of the ratepayers. The following notices of motion were given : Mr Hall—" That the interest and sinking fund on the cost of the pumping station, outfall drain, &a , be charged only on that portion of the whole drainage district which is covered by Mr Clark's soheme." Mr Tancred—" That the rates to be imposed upon the several districts for defraying the charges on loan, the cost of works, and incidental expenses, should be in proportion to the sums required for defraying the ex penditure incurred upon the above objects within such districts respectively; that in accordance with the above resolution, the Spreydon district be rated separately from the Sydenham district." Mr White—" That the cost of pumping station and outfall drain be charged against the several districts whioh have pipes already laid or under contract." The Board then adjourned for a fort-