Notes of the Day

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3711, 21 December 1912, Page 6

Notes of the Day

HOW NOT TO DO IT. There Lave lately occurred in connection with the borough works on Haiti quite a number of incidents which must have made ratepayers marvel as to the methods of the municipal authorities. To take a case in point, a batch of workmen have for some days been busily employed laying 1 down concrete channelling on the south side of Rutone Roacl, between Harris Street and Hinaki Street. As is well 'known, there is a big depres- ■ sion some chains in length in the course of this stretch of road. ‘ Under such circumstances it was expected that the channelling might be comparatively high: but what was done in the matter simply made adjacent ratepayers gasp. They found, as the work proceeded past the low-lying area in question, that the channelling ! became higher and higher, until it j stood up in the roadway like a miniaI ture concrete wall. What would have j happened if the work had been left undisturbed may well be imagined. 'Lo raise the footpath to the necessary height for such a distance would in itself have cost an appreciable sum. But it would have been a very sad state of affairs for the adjoining land-owners, as they would have found that it would have left their sections far below the height of the footpath. Under such conditions sections in the locality must of course have depreciated greatly in value, as there would have been no chance of ridding them of stormwater unless the heaw expense connected with filling in had been resorted to. Now what-has happened? Yesterday those ratepayers who wore

concerned were doubless pleased, althouglit that the officers of the corwaste of money, to see that the borough authorities had caused about five chains of the channelling to be broken up and removed, so U. it a channel might he put down at a lower level! Now, for our own part, we would have thought that the offiebers of the corporation would have benefit-fed by the which befcl the borough in Oifmnection with similar work in de lirwrtour Road some months previously. In this regard it is. of course, well known that on account of the channelling being built so high a special drain had to be put down to provide adjoining properties with a means of getting rid of storm water. It will, no doubt, be agreed that in important thoroughfares it would be as well for regard to be paid to the levels as strictly as possible. But in less important localities such a necessity is unquestionably diminished. As has been explained, the result of studying the levels in the instance under notice would have meant a heavy outlay to the Borough with reference' to the'eonstruction of the root-path, whilst it would also have meant that the adjoining sections would have become much less valuable. What, has taken place simply emphasises the need for much greater attention to lie paid in the future in regard to all such matters.