THE DRAINAGE BILL

Evening Star, Issue 15915, 22 September 1915, Page 2

THE DRAINAGE BILL

AMALGAMATION WITH THE: CITV. ST. KTLUA IX THE WAY. Under the heading of *'extraordinary business" at last night's meeting of the Drainage Board, Mr M'Kinnon said ho understood that the chairman of the Finance Committee (Mr Small) was responsible for the £IOO,OOO loan bill before the Hawse, and Ihj would like Mr .Small's, position defined in regard to this matter. He took it that members of the board were appointed to serve the ratepayers, aiid he eonsidei'ed that it was a, disloyal tiring for the chairman of the Finance Committee to have acted, in the trav he had done .not only to new membeis of th* board and members of the board, but to the general public. It was out of tho question altogether for the chairman of theft- Finance Committee to move tha adoption of a. report to borrow £IOO,OOO and then to express totally different views on the matter <m another body. Hewould like Mr Small's attitude in regard to this matter clearly defined. The Chairman said he explained at the last meeting of the board tfie reason why Mr Small had moved the adoption of the Finance Committee's report in the Citv Council. Mr Small explained that he moved it as chairman of the committee. Mr M'Kinnon said that Mr Small's explanation was that Dunedin liad borrowed so much that it should not borrow tuiv more. He did not think that Mr Small thought Dunedin owed so much until after the board recommended bowowinir £IOO,OOO.

Mr Small explained the reason, why he recommended the borrowing of £IOO,OOO. Wlien the mat-tor was intixxhiced to the Works Committee the amount mentioned to carry out certain local works was about £55,000. Mr Kellett eaid: "Why ai>.>t finish the whole scheme?" The Works Committee agreed that they should finish the whole sobeme. He (the speaker) then said that if it was intended to finish the whole scheme £35,000 was no good ; that ■they had better not make two bites at a cherry, but barrow £IOO.OOO. They would find that £IOO,OOO would not finish the scheme, that it would take double that amount to finish it. He did not eee where the disloyalty Mr M'Kinnon referred to canie in.

_ The Chairman ref erred to what the position of the board would be shortly. Although they had nothing definite in respect to the Bill before Parliament, there was a report from their solicitor on the same which he had just received. It appeared to him that very shortly the hoard's finances would be tied up in a difficult way. The City Council, \vlu> had been speaking amalgamation, had been a bit slow in that direction. He was satisfied that members of the board had made ample provision to meet the requirements for which they had been set up. There was no doubt that there were certain responsibilities which members of the board would have to lace sooner.or later. Some of these responsibilties might be of a serious nature, and it was necessary thatthey, as- .representatives of the citizens, should take steps to s'afeguard tliemeelves'. and also the public. They had endeavored to do so by promoting this Bill, but as some one remarked the other day, the board had been '■ torpedoed " so faras the Bill was concerned, arid in the next- fewmonths they would find themselves in a peculiar position. He had not the slightest doubt that if the board, went on "the market at the present time And tried to float a loan tinder the conditions fixed the ratepayers would turn it down, especially after some, of the additions that would probably be attached to it. Therefore taking that view of the matter -he. strongly recommended members of the board to take steps to secure themselves. First of all, he would suggest that they should approach- the St. Kilda. Council, especially now that Maori Hill had amalgamated with the City, and find out on what terms they could induce them to come into the City. If the board were successful in doing that, then Jet them ask for a conference, the City Council, with aview of the council taking over the functions of -the boaixl. That was practically the position they were in, and he did "not think, 'as. members of the board, they should bear the responsibilities that' would be attached to them very shortly. One could not speak too strongly on the way thev had been treated in connection with this Bill,.but when it was returned to the board and they knew how to operate on it, then it would be time enough to speak. The sending of delegates to Wellington had run the ratepayers into a considerable amount of expense. The City Council and the board had sent strong forces to Wellington. The board were compelled to send representatives there, but had the City Council decided to receive a deputation from the board at a conference to discuss the proposals it would probably have saved the necessity of delegates having to go to Wellington at all. In fact, so far as that went, he might say that when evidence was given before the Local Bills Committee the committee adjourned and requested the two bodies to hold a conference and see whether they could come to terms. That, he contended, showed that there had been a necessity for holding a conference between the two bodies. The statements that bad been made -that the members of tha board did not wish to lose their identity and were Rot_ in favor of amalgamation, were "piffle." When the time came it was a matter that the board would face to save expense on standing charges among other things for the ratepayers. The point was. and it was stated 'in Wellington, that until they had complete amalgamation the affairs of the board could not be brought to an end. He said they had to look at their own responsibilities "as members of the board, and also at those that the ratepayers might incur. They wanted one united body so far as drainage was concerned, and if thev could get St! Kilda to look at it in that light, then the board could approach the City Council and ask them to give effect to the wishes expressed at the last municipal elections. Members of the board had "been twitted that thev did not wish to lose their identity. The board, he could onlv say. were in favor of amalgamation. There" were other matters affecting the Bill which he would ask them to consider in committee, because they did not know what would be the fate of the Bill. Mr Farquharson : Is . the Bill .r o ing forward for £100,000? The Chairman : We don't know. It U in the hands of Parliament. He suggested that the board should take stc-ns to interview the borough of St. Kilda, and see if they, could come to some suitable terms with a view of furthering amalgamation. Mr Belcher did not believe in the board going cap in hand to the City Council or the St. Kilda Council in regard to the functions of the board. What he thought was the best thing to do was for the board to say : " Certain other public bodies have taken no the axe to decapitate us. Here is ottr resignation. You can do what you like." He thought that would be the best policy to pursue. Mr Wilson : I think so, too. Mr Belcher said it seemed to him an -unfortunate-thing that certain members of the board should occupy dual positions. "What they wanted to understand from those members was : Which Richmond j they were going to fight? The sooner the amalgamation of the two bodies was fixed up the better it would be for evervI body concerned. The board had been \ blocked from getting the money they I needed. Then let the local bodies that j had blocked them get the money and earry . out the work themselves if they could." i Mr Small agreed with Mr Belcher that they should not go cap in hand to. the St. Kilda Council or anybody else to take over tho board's functions. He believed that the City Council .would, when the proper time came, take-over the Drainage Board, with all their obligations. -In the meantime St. Kilda was in the way. Until St. _Kilda became a portion of "Greater Dunedin it was difficult to see how the City" Council could absorb the Drainage ißpard. .There.wis no doubt 'that the j board's Bill would go through Parliament, and they would be allowed to borrow a certain amount, .of money. .The City Council had no objection to "thenr borrowlinjj £IOO,OOO. The chairman, ai the Local

Bills Committee had suggested, seeing that the board were about on their dyin,g moi ments, that £IOO,OOO seemed to be rather la large sum to borrow, and a conference 'was field to arrange about that and sevI era] other matters. At the conference the I Mayor said he did not object to the amount. What the City Council objected to. was the rate of interest the board proposed to pay. Objection was also taken to the board's extensive rating powers. The council thought that th« board should pay interest on the same footing as every other local body, that they should give a security for interest on the loan at a special rate. In the meantime, in default of payment of interest it was felt that a receiver could come in and take the place of the Drainage Board, .and rate not only for interest, but for principal as well, and that he might impose a rate of 20s in the £. That the City Council strongly objected to. 'They "said that the board should be on the same footing as the City Council and other local bodies, and only be allowed to pledge a special rate in security for the loan. M,r Farquharson said there was a feeling that'Mr Small, in his dual position, had sacrificed the Drainage Board to the City Council. He would like Mr Small to give a definite answer, because that was a nasty feeling to get about. Mr Small: In what respect have I sacrificed the Drainage Board? Mr Farquharson : That is the very ques.tlo" I ,. i ! skcd J' 0 " to explain. You went to Wellington as our representative Mr Small: No, I did not, Mr Farquharson : Well. T ask you straight out: Did you in Wellington sacrifice the Drainage Board to the Citv Council? Mr Small: Xo. The_ Chairman, dealing with the three objections from the Citv Council, mentioned by Mr Small, said that it was strange that objection should be taken to the receiver only now when that provision had been in existence almost since the formation of the board. It was a mere quibble to now bring up the question of a receiver stepping in. Jf those were all their objections, it was the duty of the Citv Council to have met the board in conference and settled the matter without all the trouble and expense, of sending representatives to Wellington. He "considered the City Council's refusal to meet them m conference a direct insult. A report from the board's solicitor on the present position of their Loan Bill wi'* considered in committee.