A DRAINAGE QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 192, 4 August 1908, Page 4

A DRAINAGE QUESTION.

Ai-j.'k<.ll.\u i.UUIU KO.li) &MTL.LKS.

At tin: Xarauaivi County Council meeting.yesterday a letter was leceived from iUe county .solicitor, .Ml 1 . J. a. i\oy, wlio had been asked to advise upon the lollowmg nieu:—iiio Co-ui-eil had deep dililiio or drains on eiMier side oi the Tariki road—a enmity roll —for the purposes of draining Hie .'oiil could not otherwise suiiicieully dram Uttlers, whose, lauds abut on Hie roil I liad constructed drains to drain Weir lauds, and tnese drams were disciiargnig into the comity drams, ami Hie consequent total volunie ol water was becoming too large lor the county drains. He was asked, could tu.; County Council prevent Hie settler* from constructing drains, and disclnrging water thereironi into the county drains t In his opinion Hie primary duty oi the Council was the maintenance oi its roads, which of course, included drainage of same, but the Council was under no obligation to provide private drainage for adjacent, private landowners. Under section 145 of the i'ublic Works Act, lilltt, any nelson who, without the permission of the controlling local authority allowed any water, etc., to flow into a public drain from any building or hind in his occupation was liable to a line not exceeding £lO for every day upon which sue i otlence was committed or suffered to continue. These drains did not appear to have been declared public drains. He recommended declaring them aw-l cordingly, and thereupon this section would become applicable. Should the landowners ail'ected find that they could not otherwise sullicienlly drain their properties they could petition the Council to constitute a drainage district under the provisions of sections 208 to 277 of the Counties' Act, or. and preferably, petition his Kv:;lieecy the Governor to constitute a drainage district under (lie provisions of l'te Land Drainage Act, 1004. The Council decided that the ilwiis on each side of the Tariki road frcvu the section opposite the Tariki creamery to the llaiigaotea stream to lie public drains as provided I>V section 'iil "f the Public Works Act, I'.IO.), and that public notice be given warning sclM'Vi against draining into these public drains