CITY BOARD.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1722, 10 September 1862, Page 4

CITY BOARD.

The following is the report of the Engineer on the sanitary state of the city, read to the Hoard on 1’ riday last: — City Hoard of Works Office, sth September, 18(12. Gentlemen, — 1 beg to report as follows, in terms of your resolution ul date 18th August last —“ Unit the Engineer be requested to examine Chancery-lane and its neighbourhood, West Queen-street and its neighbourhood, Klliolt-slreel and its neighbourhood, and to report to the Hoard what further steps the Hoard can take to improve the sanitary state of the city generally.”

With the exception of one part, Chancery-lane is n tj better condition warding the surface tlppi most

of the main streets. The portion that is very bad is that alongside the printing office of the Daily Southern Cross, and from its very fluid state it is evident that a spring exists at that place; very little labour is necessary to drain this portion and render the street passable.

The sanitary condition of this neighbourhood is really very bad. The natural drainage is now through Bacon's lane, and thence by private property into Shortland-strect. Owing to this, and the continued wet weather, the above Jane is much waterworn, and looks like a stagnant ditch, into which all house slops seem to be tlirown. The condition of the rest of the rest of the locality is scarcely better. I will refer further to this in remarking on the latter part of your resolution.

The neighbourhood of West Queen-streets seems to he in as bad a state regarding drainage as any other part of the city. Mills’ lane especially is in a fearful state: a considerable traffic seems to exist, too, and owing to its small width, want of formation, and retentive soil, has cut up the place to a great extent; this, combined with the overflowing of the cesspools and closets of the higher side, has caused its present state. The natural drainage of this part is also through private property into Queen-street. Elliott-strcet is in much the same position as Mills’ lane, but in a.lesser degree arc the same evils visible. It seems never to have had anything done to it at all, with the exception of one or two drains, so rough as to be almost useless; and just now it is greatly cut up. Like Mills’ lane, too, little can be done in a temporary manner so as to have any good effect: the only way is to drain and form the streets, and prevent the overflow of cesspools into open drains or the road gutters. This leads to the consideration of the latter part of your resolution regarding the steps to lie taken “ to improve the sanitary condition of the city generally.” This is a very broad subject, and one of the most vital importance, as it bears not on the passable nature of the streets only, nor merely on the freedom from offensive sights and smells, but on which our very existence and freedom from malaria and its effects depends. The means of remedy are very simple in expression, but not so easy in application. They consist of thorough drainage and an efficient supply of water; without these nothing can be done to effectually improve the sanitary condition of the city., flic best made roads kept iu the Lest order would not alter the case for the better; and Mills’ lane, or any other of our lanes, with a perfect roadway and the sewerage streaming from every back yard as at present, would be as fruitful a source of pestilence as it must be now. This evil is repeated more or less in every quarter of the city which has come under my notice. And it is a growing evil; for it must he well known to all that no practical remedy is in operation to counteract or prevent the accumulation of sewage matter within the city. Comparatively small amount can be absorbed by the soil, impeimeablc as most of it is. Almost all is still accumulating, or, by spreading over and into our lanes and street gutters, is exposed to its full power of contaminating the air.

Neither main sewers nor minor sewers can cure this without house drainage, and even this, without an effectual water supply, would only aggravate the evil, its only by water can these drains he kept clear and free from choking.

1 have already admitted that these remedies arc not capable of immediate application, and the question which then arises is very serious,—what can in the meantime lie done? I believe that unless a general cleansing, whitewashing, and carting takes place throughout the bad portions of the city —the uprooting of every pig-sty, and regular removal of till litter as it is formed, be now and at once commenced, while some wet wcatlier may yet continue, that it will be better not io touch the matter at all, till it can be cured as above, for if the summer heats come on and any disturbance of the nuisance is attempted the evils will only be aggravated. Whatever temporary expedients may be resorted to, let it be distinctly understood that nothing can lie effective without the city drainage and water supply being carried out at the earliest opportunity. The results of these measures, where carried out, are now so well known, and the statistics of the Board of Health so decisive, in indicating the immense decrease in the average mortality of the drained portions of a city over those portions of the same city indrained, and the almost total absence in well drained towns of those epidemics caused and fed by malaria, that little evidence or argument is now needed to convince all of their very great importance. I would, however, suggest that if any means there are of preventing pig-sties from being within the city, or if no law forbids this, if anything can bo done to prevent the accumulation of this or any other kind of manure, to the danger of the public health, such should lie enforced. 1 would only mention one or two places. The lower end of Mills’ lane on the south, and the back premises of the Trafalgar inn—a look at either of which will show the horrible state of matters arising from this. In no place within a city in the mother country would this be permitted.—l have the honor to be, Gentlemen, your obedient servant,

James Stewart, Engineer to the City Board of Works. The City Board of Works, Auckland. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER Bm, 1862. Present—Messrs. Beveridge, Cadnian, Darby, Finlay. and Macrcudy. Mr. Mackkadv having been moved into the chair, the minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. A petition, addressed to the Board from certain inhabitants of White-street, lying between Edwardes and Upper Qaccn-strcets, was read by the Secretary: “ To the City of Auckland Board of Commissioners: “ Honorable Sirs, —We, the undersigned freeholders and residents in White-street, Auckland, beg to state that we have been deprived of the right of entrance to the said street for the past eighteen months, owing to a wooden plank bridge that has been placed along Upper Queen-street and across the only entrance to White-street. Wc, petitioners, have suffered considerable loss in rents and value in property, besides other necessary accommodation, to onr doors with firewood and other articles wc require in cartage. We, petitioners, have borne the obstruction patiently up till the present time. Hoping that your honorable Board will at once take immediate steps to remove the obstruction, so as to allow the right of cartage into the said street; and your petitioners, &e. “Signed, William Smith, James Moore, Jeremiah Hurley. John Shields, Alexander Henderson, John Law, John Hardy, Hannah Marks, Catherine Marks, and William Bacon.”

Mr. Caomax thought that the matter might be left for the engineer to report upon. Mr, Finlay stated that he was in full possession of the particulars of the case. White-street was a private street ; and the formation of Upper Queen-street had raised a harrier opposite its entrance of 11) feet in height. It was quite likely that, by-and-bye as Queenstreet was formed, they would be blocked in altogether, hut lie did not see that the important object of forming one of the main streets in the city should he interfered with for the benefit of a private entry to property. The Engineer, who was present, explained that the clear course of remedy to the petitioners was for them to raise their street to the level of Queen-street. It was ultimately arranged that that olliccr should examine the locality and report thereon at a future meeting. Mr. Cadmax then moved the important resolution standing in his name:—“ That it is desirable the Boat'd should he enable as soon as possible to form some opinion as to the amount of pecuniary assistance which it may expect from the Provincial revenue during the ensuing year, in order that the necessary works determined on and in contemplation may not be interrupted. That with this view a letter ho sent to his Honor the Deputy-Superintendent, requesting that he will, if possible, inform the Board what amount of money the Provincial Government will propose to the Provincial Council to grant to the Auckland City Board of Works for the ensuing financial year.” This motion he trusted would meet with no opposition from the Board, its importance to the Board being a most serious matter, when the stale of the public streets was taken into consideration. From the manner in which the roads were cut up it would now he necessary almost to remake them; and it seemed to him that to do so from the rates raised this year would be impossible. There was the main sewer, and according to the Engineer’s report the Board would not he able to construct more than . r )SU feet in length with the funds at their disposal for that purpose—and there it must slop, a comparatively useless work, unless some fresh grant of money could be obtained to carry it on to its termination, for it would be idle to suppose that the money raised by rates for the of roads could be hypothicatcd for that object. '1 here was before the Board the task of forming something like *lO miles of expensive roads, many of which had to be entirely constructed. He was quite sure that il this Board, or any other body, by whatever name they might be called, was to work that it must be assisted by large endowments. At least (10,000 or 70,000 acres of ‘country land should be set apart as an endowment on which the city might fall back when its wants compelled it; or the Provincial Council if it would not make a grant of this nature must give a yearly subsidy ofXOOOO or .(MOOO to aid in carrying out the works ol the city. The manner in which section -18 had been chiselled from the city, for be could characterise this transaction of flic General Government under no other name, was most disgraceful, and either that property must lie handed back to the city or an equivalent m lieu of it H wfpi n hare fared robbery m the* >wt of

the General Government when they knew that section 48 was a city endowment. Believing that the city had a claim on the Provincial funds, and that the Board had a right to know what amount of revenue was to be granted it in order that the several public works might, when undertaken, proceed uninterruptedly, he would call upon the Board to pass the motion standing in his name. The motion having been seconded by Mr. Darbt, was put to the meeting and earned unanimously. TENDERS FOR CARTING. Mr. Finlay thought that they might again advertise for tenders for carting in three separate forms —one for cleansing the streets; a second for carting gravel; and a third for carting stone. Mr. Finlay also thought that the attention of the Engineer should be drawn to Ilobson-street, as to whether it would be best to repair the same by contract or day work. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. Finlay gave notice that he intended to move at next meeting of the Board —“ That the Secretary be instructed to request Allan O’Neill, Treasurer of the late City Council, to hand over any of the property ho may have in his possession.” Mr. Finlay thought the Board ought to employ a working foreman, and gave notice that on Wednesday he would move—“ That such an officer be appointed.” This being all the business before the Board, they dispersed.