STREET DRAINAGE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 223, 14 May 1932, Page 6

STREET DRAINAGE

NECESSARY WORK £200 FOR BOROUGH STORM WATER SCHEME. COUNCIL DISCUSSION. Ob jection to a recommendation that £200 should be expended during the forthcoming year on the construction of a comprehensive storm-water drainage system for the borough was raised by Cr. E. T. Johnson at Thursday evening's meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council. Cr. Johnson stated that he did not consider that the work was essential, and was of the opinion that so large a sum should not be expended at a time when the council was reducing expenses and actually curtailing estimates on essential road maintenance. After discussion, the recommendation of the drainage committee, placing £200 on the estimates for the work, was adopted. The ehairman of the drainage committee, Cr. O. H. Coleman, said that the sum of £200 was to cover the salary of the drainage engineer while eng'aged on the job. The Mayor Mr. T. Jackson, said that while he sympathised with Cr. Johnson's objeetion, he thought that the work was really necessary and a very real economy. Until a comprehensive storm-water drainage scheme was evolved, they would continue to experi'ence similar trouble to that which had been encountered during the past two days. In addition, the construction of proper storm-water drainage would considerably reduce street maintenance charges. They would never be able to have the scheme carried out more cheaply than at present, and in any case it would not be necessary to carry out the whole of the work at once. Neied for Economy. Cr. Johnson said that he was quite convinced that the borough engineer was fully competent to carry out the scheme, and he did not consider it necessary that an extra amount should be paid to the drainage engineer to do the work. He agreed with a certain amount that the Mayor had said, but in view of the urgent necessity for economy he could not support the expenditui'e of £200 on the work at the present juncture. He moved that the recommendation be deleted. Cr. Albert Smith said that while he considered that a storm-water system was very necessary, he considered that on the score of economy the work should not be undertaken at present. He supported Cr. Johnson. The Mayor said that he quite agreed that the borough engineer was fully competent to work out a scheme, but it was not fair to ask him to do so. Mr. Bunyard had a great deal to do, and the evolution of a suitable scheme would require considerable time and concentration. It .was like asking a man to concentrate on an intricate mathematical problem while serving out pounds of tea and butter. Cr. H. Tai Mitchell said that while he sympathised with both sides of the argument, he was inclined to agree with the Mayor that the work should be put in hand as soon as possible. On Cr. Johnson' s motion for the deletion of the recommendation being put to the meeting, it was lost on the voices. The report, including the recommendation was adopted.