THE DRAINAGE QUESTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5366, 8 June 1878, Page 3

THE DRAINAGE QUESTION.

Want of space i yesterday compelled us to greatly condense the .speech ;delivered by the Mayor on Thursday-, evening, and' it is now ,' --publishedin full. . ,■ ■ • , Tho Match : It might be considered wrong on my part if-I wore to give a silent vote on this important question. .; My Opinions have been expressed pretty strongly on this point during the, last two . years. Judging from the , remarks that have been made by members of 1 the" Council, I shall give them .credit: for having, as I-think/very carefully thought the matter out. - The speeches made ot any rate entitle the members of the Council to the •-'Ctedit of; having carefully considered the •» ‘ question we have come together this evening; ‘ . '/to discuss; but;it appears to me that; we have r ' M .amyed at this,position : that we are discuss- }.. -.ring-the relative merits, of Mr. .Climie and Mr. ; 1,, Clark, and that it would have more distinctly , brought,tha matter to an isaue. if some mom-. . her had -moved that Mr. Climie’s scheme be , adopted. ■ Without giving an opinion as to the imerits of tbis gentleman’s proposals—and I , :,; .wiU/at : once admit that l am not going to ~ , give -, -an i ,opinion/.because K <yonknow . ; very ,well' that. I ,am not, competent V to •• do so but -Mr. ■ Clark,,, comes . .' amongst. 'us with a very high. character ; . he i comes amongst us with almost, I, might say, ’•. a, world-renowned ,fame, for. having t carefully' . studied (questions of the kind put to him by ,"U9/and if we are not to-considor ■ that gentle- - roan’s position.thoextent of. his studios, and, ‘j./tho character ho has for discussing and dealing yjtli such questions as., these,'what.xSito.bo our ’ guide? (Hear, hear). Such being ray opinion, ' ,;I say that to my mind Mr. Clark’s - scheme has -been a more, carefully. thought-rout, one than .-that of Mr. Climie. (Hear, hear.l is. perfectly clear to any nonrsoientific mind, ../I should imagine, that a pumping scheme is - ’’.necessary .to. carry out the sawagoof, Wei,’lingtou, if. it is.nottq be discharged into the , ,harbo^; .and that appears, to me to be - i. the only thing in which - tho two schemes .agree. Mr. Bell, Mr. Climie, and Mr. Clark _ ■: approve aud recommend a pumping, .scheme, • , and (hat; with this exception—that oue.gentleT .-.man proposed, in tho.iirst instance that .the .-.whole of the sewage; should .be pumped, and tho .other that, a large proportion should be carried off by gravitation.. Coming back ’. jo -rile original, starting point, whereas one ~ man/ from his- report,;would . leave one .to suppose he- has had’ before him. a very carefully - I written.: book, ■ which ho has,' taken his ideas,. . . from,.the ;other has practically, worked put the scheme,-thought it,out: in his .own-mindand. judging from the (information ; that/he . acquired, the.data-ho has' asked for from our engineer, hehas the whole thing in his .own j head/-That ■ brings, me to this point—that I. '■ would rather pin my faith to Mr. . Clark than I would to'Mr; Climie... With reference to the. i, land,at Evans Bay, in the, possession of , Mr.' 1 Crawford, .which Councillor Logan has referred . to, 1 wouldrjusi; .mention thatmany years ago ‘ I—l think very soon after Mr., Fitzherbert . /became, Superintendent —X waited .upon him, . ...-finding- that-this .portion of Evans. Bay had, not been alienated from the Crown, and asked -him to,be good enough ..to act it apart for Wellington.! Hiß, xeply was— ,! A pledge-has ’. , already : been given to Mr, Crawford that he : ’ sbalihavo this land in return; for land he gave L.to the colony for.a.flagstaff,.audinconsequence .;[.,Ofith!tt!l;oon]d not comply.with .yonr request,” I tJunk.MiiiCratvfordiwas’tb'pay 10s. ariactri for this land. Tho -reason I mention this is’ ; ,'to show that -the thing was not i lost sight of. The Superintendent saw the'necessity ifor car-' lying out my suggestion, but the province wasso far pledged that he did [not see jhis way to it. In the event .of this. land being required,of coarse Mr. Crawford would only get fair - value for it, and if auy difficulties arose/they ~;' .wonld[ of course- be_settled ; by arbitration..! A • good deal has been Said, about the large amount of interest; [and sinking-fund, that'would have to be proyxded ;for,’.if..Mr. Clark’s acheme is carried- out,' but imy own private opinion is/ —tW-th«.pwffi,dflrived£rom_tbereoh>imed-land. if~we are allowed : to carry it out quickly, would more than pay the -annual interest, he. yeaxlffpm that. With .these remarks, I .feel bound to support the .proposition of CouncillorDiver.' ■»< ti ft '