DRAINAGE BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 14532, 7 December 1910, Page 6

DRAINAGE BOARD

The fortnightly meeting of the Drainago Board was held last evening, and attended by Messrs W. Burnett (chairman), J. Arklc, J. Small, J. Campbell, J. .1. Marlow, J. S. Douglas, and T. R. Christie. —Correspondence.— TJio District Engineer wrote tluvt he would bo pleased if the Board would undertako tho work of altering the drains in Sydney street, Caversham, rendered necessary by the alteration to the grade of the street in connection with the DnnedinMosgiel railway duplication. He also asked the Board to have the sewers made good across tho railway line at Katherine and Laing street's, Caversham.—Agreed to. Tho Chairman of tho ITigh Street School Committee asked permission to connect tho proposed swimming bath at the school with the sewer.—Referred to the Works Committee to act. The Engineer reported .-is to a nuisance complained of by a deputation from Maori Hill thafc to .affectively deal with the matter tho main lino sewer should be constructed from Gannington road along tho bluff, and thence to Wakari road ; also a number of street sewers. The estimated cost was £3,023. —Tlio report was received, it being stated that the work could not be done in the meantime. Mr ¥. Porter, Cavcrsham, drew attention to the unhealthy state of the crook at the back of tho Gaversliam Hotel. Tho engineer reported that tho watercourse running through Mr Porter's property was polluted by discharges from the 'properties within the watershed. The only means of abating tho nuisance was to reticulate the wliole of the area on the higher, portion of Cavensharn. He could not recommend the Board to clean the ditch.—Mr Porter to be informed that tho engineer was preparing plans for the reticulation. Tho St. Kilda Council pointed out that a nuisance existed from the New street drain at the corner of Grovo and New streets, and asked that another vent be put in at that particular spot.—Engineer to report to the Works Committee. —The, Laborers' Award.— In connection with an alleged breach of tho general laborers' award in regard to tunnelling, it was decided to inform tho Inspector of Factories that the lioard were not aware of any breach of the j award, but that they would rectify any I breach if satisfied of "i he same. j —The Sewage Rate.— I Tho following report was submitted by | the secretory:—"The Board will bo able to strike the general sewage rate for the year commencing Ist ApriL, 1911, on all properties for which sewers have been made available previous to 28th March, 1911, so that the expenditure on .sewer reticulation will be almost immediately revenue-producing. Another inducement to expedite work is that the Board have a favorable contract for supply of earthenware pipes which terminates on the 27th day of February, 1911. To the olst March, 1911, the estimated expenditure would bo: Timber on order, £1,200; six-inch cast iron pipes en older. £5B0; purchase and installation continuous pump and motor, £1,200; intoroet due Isi : January, 1911, £6,710; standing charges and maintenance, say, £3,000; completion of works in haud, £2,000; Bay View roaa contract, nine fortnights at £l,ooo' pei fortnight, £9,000; North-east Valley contract, nine fortnights at £6OO per fortnight, £5,400; foreshore, if authorised, say, six and a-lialf fortnights at £BOO per fortnight, £5,200; total, £34,090. This could be met in the following way: Bank balance, £l2 lis 2d ; rater, payable, £10,765 ; City Corporation at call. £5,000; City Corporation at call (on deposit to 1/4/11, but could be withdrawn). £6,000; overdraft at bank till 1/4/11, £12.312 8s lOd ; total. £34.090. The Board havo with the Bank of New Zealand on iixed deposit, till Ist April, 1911, £33,000; do do, Ist April, 1912, £53,000. Money expended after 2GUi March next will not commence to be ro--venue-producing till March, 1912. When the above matters have been disposed of 1 shall primate tlio estimates for the enduing financial year, and make the necessary tables of comparison between loan ct-tiiiKites and expenditures in time to enable the Board to deckle tho further rite of expenditure of loan money* and the amounts of drainage rates to be .struck for tho financial year, ist April, 1911. to 31st March, 1912. Mr Small said he thought at tirsf., in connection with the memo, from the secretary, that it would be found, if they were going to strike a rate for next year, if

would have to lie r:iit*<'-<l, but he had since found Unit owing to the judicious manner in which tho loan money had been put out. at interest they would ho able, he thought. to save the ratepayers one penny. Ho was wider the impression tbey would have to strike the full .shilling, but he found 0:1 going into the matter that day 1 hat it would he 10id or lid at the most.* They had to thank the, Finance Committee of the City Com lei! for the faiiiitiis they had afforded them in investing llie money arid repaying it to them as thoy required if. They Jt.i-.l also to thank their own chairman for the trouble be had Kikmi m <<-.;i:;-rl;on with tlie niatl-er. —[Ileal-, hear.)

Complimentary reference was made to the niinme as prepared by the .-ocrc.txi y (Mr Fsthcr). It was referred to the Finance Committee. —Csy Dell. - Mr Clni.stie moved, in accordance with notice of motion given—"That with regaid to Cosy D.'Jl In audi sower through the gully, notice in writing be given by the secretary to tlie under-mentioned occupiers and owners of the Board's intention to construct a. public drain through or upon their respective private lands, being pan. of a public- drain providing for the (sewerage of portion of the Borough of Maori Hill, and extending from that borough to Cosy Deli 7-oad, Dmicdin, and that they be informed in such notice Unit a plan and dtsciiptioii of the raid pul'lic drain, showing bow i; affects the tsaid piivato lands, lias been dejMisitcd for public iirpe-d i"ii ,;! the, oilice of the Board, Town Hall the occupiers ami owners were Kate, Grant, Helen Cr.ih.m. and .lame Stewart Newton. the Sihool ConnnisMoneis |'ur the (Hugo Provincial District. William Charles Trevvcrn, Martha Broad, Alexander S.vnuel Adams, and Wiliiain Kiie Koym.Ms." In s[ieakinu' to the motinn. Mr Chri.-tie said his object in moving the motion was to have some finality. It was time the people of .Maori Hill and the surrounding dis!ri:is idiould get a service. The whole of li;e reticulation was practically done with tho exception of this particular little bit—a few chains at the mo.-t. It was time the Maori Hill people had relief. Mr- Douglas seconded the. motion. Mr Campbell opposed it. He thought that hetore they went down Cosy Del! they should have their solicitor's opinion on tlie matter. Mr Mrnlow said if they went by the road they would give tho Maori J!ill people effective and speedy relief. Mr Slinger told'the Board that <bnv.' the gully was the best way, but if they went down the road they would know what it was going to cost them. Mr Campbell : Taking into consideration tho legal aspect, do you advise us to godown the. gully V Mr Slinger:" T say down the gully is Ihe best job for all concerned. The motion was carried. Me--srs Mariow and* Campbell, voting against, it. —An Urgent Work.—• In accordance with, notice of motion, Mr Small moved -••" That the work of reticulation fihown on plan Xo. 504, foreshore, bounded by Lower Stuart. Rims, and .Rattray street's and Queen's crescent, bo gone on with at once by day labor." He said he thought it was .somewhat of a novelty to liav<s reticulation dealt with by notk-o of motion, but the urgency of this matter, together with some peculiar circumstances connected with it, justified his _ motion. The piece of ground in question wins situated on the east side of tho railway. They had had eevcral complaints from various residents and property-owners in the neighborhood, and, along with the engineer and Mr Chrietie ho had viewed the properties, and tho state of things they i'onnd to oxi6t in connection with tho foundry and manufacturing premises in

' general -was not at all creditable to Dtmedin or to the Board. Tho district was partly a, manufacturing and partly a residential one. In most of tho places they visited they found that they had sanitary appliances, but the discharge from them was allowed to soak into the ground tho beet way it could. That, of course, was a state of things that could not bo allowed to exist where eo many men were congregated, and in some instances women as well. There was one factory employing about 500 hands. That factory was connected with the High street outfall, bnt the drain connection was eo imperfect that at frequent intervals the sewage bached up and became very offensive. Tho Hoard cent men down to clean tho outfall, but if the present condition of things was allowed to continue something serious might occur there. That, ho thought, showed the urgency of the matter. A good few of tho properties adjoining the High street outfall were connected with that outfall. The discharge, however, collected underneath the outfall until a fresh came and it was swept out into the harbor. Why they had not had a complaint from tho Harbor Board he could not understand. Tho City Council had for some years been contributing £368 per annum for tho right to discharge sewage into tho harbor, and if this work was done that money would be raved to tho Council, who could devote it to keeping tho streets in better condition or to cleaning out the Board's mud tanks. Mr Christie seconded. He thought that they should also purify the Lcith by compelling those living adjacent to it to connect with the Board's sewers.

The motion was carried, and on the motion of Mr Marlow the question of pmi lying the Leith was referred to the Works Committee to report.