THE DRAINAGE BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 12305, 21 September 1904, Page 3

THE DRAINAGE BOARD

Tho regular meeting of tho Dunedin Drainage and .Sewerage Board was held last night; present— Dr Coughtrey (iu the chair) and Messrs J. Hazlett, T. Scott, W. Burnett. J. H. Hancock, R. Maris Clark, and J. Gore. Mr J. T. Noble Anderson (engineer) was also in attendance. . The only inward letter was from Mr 1) Barron, Commissioner of Crown Lands, forwarding a letter from the Tomahawk Hoard Board as to the state of the • Tomahawk road. The Commissioner wrote that ho had visited the portion of Ihe road complained of and found that, about half the necessary distance had been re-formed and' satisfactorily metalled, while the balance was practically impassable. He estimated that about 500 yds of spawls and metal would sun be required for the road, and would ask the Drainage Board's favorable consideration and immediate, attention to having '.he work completed. In the Road Board's letter Mr Bmnill stated that as the road hud become daneerous for traffic it had been closed. The Itoarl Board had clnre their best to get the Drainage Board to complete the metalling, but there wen' only about twertty cbains metalled, which ' left seventeen chains and a-ha-lf to do np to the boundary. About ,i4oyds of metal had been used in metalling the twenty chains, so that liOOyds would be required to finish fhe road to the boundary. The trouble was all caused by the heavy carting of sand from the sandnit. Dr Coughtrey said that the matter was ilealt with iu the Works Committee's re;v>rt. --Works Committee.— The. Works Com mil fee reported :-—-The recent heavy weather has not caused any material damage to the Board's works, but there has been the usual trouble with old drains, and also inconvenience to pro-perty-hoiders. which can only be remedied after the main interceptim: sower is completed. With reference to the Tomahawk Road Hoard's proposals, the Committee consider tho Road Board have been pxreptionally treated. Metalling to the value of at. least £2OO has been supplied, which, if it had been fairly and properly applied lo the repairing iif the road, would have been more ihan enough. The. rommitdv advise that the Drainage Beard's offer be repeated. The Committee advise that the recommendation of She North-east Valley Council to exempt from rating for the present year a portion of its district be agreed to. but would point out that if future exemptions are recommended and agreed to a proportionate larger rate will be necessitated over fhe rest of the district, on account of the interest charges on works, such as the outfall, pumping station, and main intercepting sewer, which are required as much for one part of the district as another. The engineer has been authorised to have lilted up in the City a set of standard sanitary appliances, "and recommends that the City Council be asked if they will kindly afford space in one of their corridors in the Town Hall for these standards. The Committee recommend that of those submitted to date the following be approved of : Closets— The cheap cottage type of improved hopper closet (as per sample imported from ■Melbourne- and lodged in the Board's vard, Kensington), the Defiance (one plain and nne ornamental white; approved March 12. .1904), Federal, and Lyttelton (on condition that the outlet be made of larger dimensions); cisterns—Levern, Niagara, vnd Tho Chief. The engineer has been Mithorised to' put in a mod tank in Princps -treet, at corner of Princes and Jettv Ureots. The Committee recommend that laboratory requirements for chemical analysis of cement, etc., be procured, at an.estimated cost of £2l 17s sd. Ac- < mints amounting to £2,176 11a Bd, as per finance book, were examined and passed for payment. Dr Coughtrey moved the adoption of the m»>ort, and in speaking lo it said that tho Committee's proposal as- 10 Tomahawk road, submitted to the !a?t> meeting, was So supply the Road Board with 50" additional yards -if metal a-i>d spnwling on condition that Hi" l.'oad Board supplied the r"st and did the repairing. The Road Board had since Mien made an offer to give £ls on condition that Ihe Drainage Board gave whit else was wanted. Originally the Drainage Board supplied o7svds of metal N for the mirpose of repairing only that portion ot the road that had been used by the Drainage Board, rot the portion that ran to the Ocean Beach Domain Board's property, and in addition the Drainage Board had placed 188vds of metal in the road and a quantity of' spawls that were not measured. The Drainage Board had really dealt more liberally with tho Road Board than with the Domain Board, having actually pii<! for the carting. Instead of the' metal given to the Pvoad Board being for metalling the worst places and patching the road, ft had heen used from the Tomahawk hridgu on, nn the "best part of the road, which did not much require, metal and which had been really renietalled. The woist parts of the roads, the portions for which the metal was given, had been left untouched. Mr Ha/.lett seconded the motion.

Mr Scott said he presumed that the ro-f »f this metal and the expense of \hr spreading etc. had been put against the cost of the sand.

Dr Coughtrey: Against our cost on contracts.

Mr Scott said it was a qnestion to his mind whether the sand was worth all this. FTe thought it was costing a little too much now. Ft might be very good sand, but there the. cost of cartage, an engine find boiler at the pit for pumping, ami a man in charge required when the engine was at work; if it. was all added together the cost'must lx> heavy. The WorksY'omniitt.pc should considc- whether it would not U> advisable- to drop the sand works altngel her. Mr Gore said that the whole matter bid been considered by the Committee. The Kind procured wns the very best for the purpose. Mr Hazlett said "the Road Board seemed to have gone about the work with a desire to waste the metal. Th.- metal had been spread,over a «rsatcr width than had been done before. Mr Ham-nek said the Drainage Roar! had not been treated fairly in this matter. Dr Coughfrey said that as chairman'of the Works Committee he },;,,] | (ecn p ()s j. tively shocked to find that the Road Roard had been allowed to dump Yin; metal down where thev plriisei) Mr Ha/left: 1 think the Works Committee and the engineer are to blame, fer allowing- the Road Board to get the letter nf us. Dr Coughtrey: They have got the better of us: there is no doubt about that. Ibo motion was then curried. —Fiiuuice Committee,— The Financv! Committee reported : .\e. wants amounting to £3.264 18s Bd. examined and passed by the Works Committee on September 8. ' 1904, were passed for payment, and cheques signed; other accounts amounting to £Bl 6s lid were examined, passed ' for pavment. i;id cheques signed. The sum of £lsl 3« lOd has been paid into the. b.uik •»irice last meeting of the Committee. The ink pass books laid on the tabic showt 1 ''it-*—aggregate fnnd £10.298 19s lid. in trust account £53 3s 4d. The salarv '. H. Frye, Jan., in the secretary"* Row, .h,vl been raked to £39 per anuurn. "?port was adopted. —Harbor Terrace.— Mr SroM said the chairman might inform ihem what had bc»n done with regard to Harbor terrace. It. u-?t; in a terrible state for fho )>nov>}<i living there. Ho did not wish to discuss anything that was to conic before,the. Cotrt,. but something should be done. Dr Couglitrcy said ihe matter was sub jndice, and it would be better, if discussed, to discuss* it. ,in committee. There was quite a char explanation of the whole thmg. Mr Scott remarked that there were two places under wafer. The. subject (hen dropped, and the meeting terminated.