DRAINAGE BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2246, 14 June 1881, Page 3

DRAINAGE BOARD.

A meeting of the Ohristohurch District Drainage Board was held at 1.30 p.m. yesterday. Present—Meßsrs B. J. S. Harman (chairman), Boss, Hobbs, Hall, White, Guff, Tancred, Blakiston, and Brown. Mr Hall said, before proceeding to the ordinary business of the day, he wished to call attention to a question affecting him. In a very able article on the drainage question appearing in the " Lyttelton Times," be read remarks attributed to him which had been made use of by Cr. Hall, of the Sydenham Borough Council. The portion of the article to which he desired to refer was as follows: "Mr Hall showed even more ignorance, by saying that the house drainage now runs into the river. We say more, because it is ignorance of the later events comprising the progress of the scheme. When he went on to say that the scheme of Mr Clark had nqt been adhered to, he showed an ignorance which, simply, is not justifiable." He hod been twitted outside with having made use of these remarks, and he therefore desired to explain that it was not Mr Hall of the Drainage Board, but Or. Hall of the Sydenham Borough Council, who had made use of the expressions referred to. The Chairman said no doubt the representatives of the Press present would give publicity to Mr Hall's statement. Mr Bobs suggested that Mr Hall should write a disclaimer.

The matter then dropped. Mr Hall reported on the drain on the north side of the Fendalton road. Some negotiations that had been entered into had fallen through, and he should now advocate the carrying out of the plan suggested by the engineer in his report, that the drain should be filled up. Mr White suggested that the matter should stand over till next meeting. After some discussion, it was resolved to defer the matter till next Board day. A letter was read from the Oity Council, forwarding a report by the inspeotor of nuisances on the nuisanoe arising from the main sewer flowing into the Biver Avon by the Madras bridge. The Chairman said that there was no remedy that the Board could effect until the completion of the scheme, and he should suggest that a reply to this effect be sent to the City Council. Mr Hobbs pointed out that this was one of the cases in which through no sewage arrangements having been made for Sydenham the sewage matter had got mixed with the storm water.

Mr White denied that the sewage came exclusively from Sydenham. The Christchurch water on Saturday filled up the sewer to such an extent that the water was coming up through the man holes. Mr Hall pointed out that the fall of water was to great and so unprecedented that to provide for such floods would cost far more than the ratepayers could afford. As evidencing the heavy fall of rain'he might mention that there was eighteen inches of water over Mrs Deans' paddock.

A letter was read from the Mayor, as chairman of the public meeting held recently at the Oddfellows' Hall, forwarding the resolutions passed at the same. Some further discussion ensued, and ultimately it was resolved to reply that so soon as the drainage works were sufficiently advanoed the sewage now finding its way to the river would go to the pumping station. With respeot to the resolutions forwarded by hia Worship the Mayor, The Chairman said—Gentlemen, perhaps I ought to mention that I have been requested by Mr 38. O. J. Stevens, one of the members for the city, to mention to the Board that, in the faoe of the opposition which has been shown to the new Bill in various parts of the district, he is of opinion that nothing will be gained by proceeding further in the matter, and that the Bill should be abandoned. Mr White moved—" That the Bill be abandoned."

Mr Hall said he hoped the Board wonld pause before adopting this resolution. He had dropped in at the meeting and saw there that the constituent parts of it did not represent the ratepaying portion of Christchurch or Sydenham. He should suggest that the Board employ two or three intelligent men to go round the drainage district and submit the question of the continuance or withdrawal of the Bill.

Mr White said he had consistently opposed the Bill from the first, and Mr Stevens' opinion strengthened his case. The ratepayers had told them that they did not require the Bill, and therefore he thought they should withdraw it.

Mr Cuff seconded the motion. He was in favor of the Bill, and thought they should require more power, but there was no chance of the Bill passing. Mr Boss would like to know what the public really wanted in the matter. The only speaker at the reoent public meeting said—- " Gentlemen, you are all wrong; what you want is a judicious system of surface drainage with off-takes," whatever that meant, without it referred to taking off the speaker. He thought the only thing they could do was to give their engineer six months' notice, and ask this gentleman, with his off-takes, to come and advise them.

Mr Brown said that he thought there was a great deal of misapprehension as to the Bill. He bad been told that Mr Ollivier bad read the clause of the old BUI instead of that in the new Bill. Ho was of opinion that the ohairman and Mr Hobbs should have attended that meeting and explained the Bill to them. But in the face of Mr Stevens' letter he should support the withdrawal of the Bill. Mr Hobbs said that out of the seven or eight thousand ratepayers, some five hundred had opposed the Bill. The question was, however, whether the Board should take the opinion of the noisy few as opposed to the quiet many. Still as Mr Stevens had given his opinion on the subject, he would be willing to bow to his decision. The Hon. Mr Richardson had suggested that the Board should call a meeting, at which they should submit plans and allow their engineer to explain tbe whole matter, aided by the members of the Board.

Mr Tancred thought it was a pity to give up the Bill because there had been a misunderstanding on the part of the public as to the scope of the Bill. He thought, perhaps, Mr Andrews would take charge of the Bill if asked, particularly after the late storm. Mr Boss suggested that, perhaps tho with drawal of the excreta clauses from the Bill would cause the opposition now manifested to be withdrawn. He thought it was a great absurdity, after having worked up to this point for the last five years, [to abandon it. The Board had better at once abandon . the i %>; ome altogether rather than at the request of meetings throw away the result of five years' labor. He would move, as an amendment—•' Xnat the Board prooeed with the Bill, the excreta clause No. 12." He thought they were all agreed on this point, that for five years they had been working up to a certain point, and now they were asked to temporise by withdrawing the Bill a second time after five years, when the

public had tacitly contented to the concoction with the sewers of liquid sewage. What would have been the use of their doing any work at all if they did not connect the sewage with the pipes ? They might as well have put their money in the sea. The Chairman pointed out that Mr OowlU shaw had directed his attention to the fact that if the Board excised the clause as proposed by Mr Boss it would not bo the Bill as given notice of by the Board. What would have to be done was that the Board should express their willingness to see the excreta clauses left out.

Mr Rose then moved the following:— " That the Board proceed with the Bill, consenting to the exclusion of clauses providing for the carriage of exoreta in the sewers." Mr Tancred seconded the amendment.

The Chairman pointed out that the resolutions of the various public meetings would go up to Wellington, and would be taken as a general expression of dissent on the part of the ratepayers to the Bill as a whole. This would appear to members as an indication of public opinion on the matter, irrespective of the consent of the Board to excise certain clauses.

Mr Tancred said the position he took up was this, that he considered the Bill was necessary for the preservation of the public health, and he was not prepared to accept the responsibility of withdrawing the Bill. He said this that he should allow the Bill to go up to Wellington, and if the House rejected it, then the responsibility rested with them, and not the Board. Mr Blakiston and Mr Boss coincided with Mr Tanored.

Mr White said if they left out the excreta clauses they would leave out that for which the Bill was mainly projected. [Mr Boss—"No, no."] Well, it was one of the main objects. They had plenty of power under the Act, and he thought they might do very well for another year. Mr Tanored thought Mr White had mi*, taken the scope of his remarks. What he meant was, that Sydenham, after the storm of Saturday, saw that the drainage they required, but which they had bitterly opposed, was a good thing after all. ' Mr Brown wished to know if they withdrew the excreta clauses what would .be left.

The Chairman said that there were some very important and necessary powers given by the new Bill, especially that providing for compulsory connection with the sewers as regarded kitchen and bouse slops. The amendment was then put and declared to be oarried on the voices.

Mr White called for a division, which took place as follows : Ay en—Messrs Boss, Blakiston, Brown, Hall, Tanored, Hobbs, and the Chairman.

Noes—Messrs White and Cuff. The amendment was then declared to be carried.

The Chairman said they had submitted the following resolution to Mr Cowlishaw for his opinion as to its legality. The resolution was as follows:—" That the interest and sinking fund on the pumping station, Ac., be charged as far as praotioable only on that portion of the district included in Mr Clark's drainage scheme." Mr Oowiishaw was of opinion that this was legal. Then there was another question asked, whioh was whether, if a suburban district of, say Avon, could not pay its share of the interest and sinking fund they could come on the rural portion, Mr Oowiishaw had advised that in this case the charge must be divided over the whole of the drainage district. He might further say that Mr Oowiishaw strongly advised the repeal of the Act of 1877, oommonly known as Mr Brown's Aot.

Mr Brown said that he thought the ratepayers would oppose this being done. Mr White wished to ask whether it was necessary that the districts should be divided for rating purposes ? Mr Cowlishaw responded in the affirmative.

Mr White—Then I shall go in for the £IO,OOO worth of pipes. Mr Hall—lt seems to me that you don't object to having drainage so long as other people pay for it. Mr Oowiishaw explained that the scheme proposed was that there should be three districts—city, suburban, and rural. The Chairman pointed out that really for rating purposes the city and suburbs might be one district.

Mr Hobbß said that the result of the opinion, if followed, meant that Christchurch would go up from a 7id to lOd rate. Mr Cowlishaw then retired. Mr Roes gave notice for next meeting as follows:—" That the Board proceed to define the boundaries of suburban and rural districts for the purposes of rating." A letter was read from Mr Attwood with reference to a road going through his property.

After a long disoussion it was resolved that the engineer prepare an estimate of the cost of covering the drain as required by Mr Attwood.

A letter was read from Mr Money with, reference to a drain through his property, near the slaughter-house reserve.

The matter was referred to the engineer. A letter was read from Mr Bountree, calling attention to the dangerous condition of a bridge across the drain on the Sandhills road, and offering to put the bridge in order if material were supplied. The letter was referred to the engineer to report upon. A letter was read from Mr B. W. England calling attention to an open drain near the South Belt, which had caused the illness of a family residing on a section along the front of which the drain ran. The letter suggested that the drain should be covered in or taken another way. On the motion of Mr Hall, It was resolved to refer the matter to the engineer to obtain his report. A letter was read from Mr Green, stating that he was willing to give the necessary land for making a drain on the North Belt, near Bryndwr. The letter was referred to the engineer. A letter was read from Mr Swan, asking for a drain to be laid in Togel street, Bingeland, to carry off the drainage from two houses.

It was resolved to refer Mr Swan to the Road Board of the district. Accounts to the amount of £9O were passed for payment. The Chairman said he should be glad to be relieved of the office of chairman of the Drainage Board, because it took up so muoh of his time, particularly as his partner was now leaving for Wellington. He should therefore ask the Board to accept his resignation of the office. He would endeavor to carry on the work of the Board of Health, but he must ask the Board to relieve him of the duty of the chairmanship of the Drainage Board.

Mr Hall desired to express the deep regret felt by the various members of the Board arid himself at the determination come to by Mr Harznan. During the term of office of that gentleman he had discharged the duties with so much courtesy and efficiency as to render suoh a determination as that now expressed by the chairman one of deep regret to tbe members. He hoped that Mr Harman would reconsider his resignation. The Chairman said that he was very much obliged for the expression of opinion, but he was unable, swing to the great amount.of work now entailed upon the office, to re-con-sider his decision. Mr Hall would then more—" That Mr Tanored be elected as chairman of the Board for the remainder of the term."

Mr Tancred declined, and thought that it would only be fair for Mr Boss to take a turn of the chairmanship. He (Mr Tancred) had beenjehairman of the Drainage Board for ono year, and he thought it had been laid down m a principle that tbe ohairman should only occupy the post for one year, allowing a change to take place. Mr Boss felt that Mr Tancred would make by far the best chairman they could have. A long discussion ensued, at the conclusion of which, Mr Tancred was unanimously elected as chairman of the Board for tho remainder of the year. Mr White gave notice of the following : " That a public meeting be called to consider the advisablenoeß of bringing the Begulalion of Lacu! Electioiif. Act into force within the drainage district." The Board adjourned at 4.30 p.m. until Monday next, at 1.30 p.m.