The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1862.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 982, 9 April 1862, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 1862.

The towns of Christchurch and LytteltoiTare old enough to have accumulated a good store of. grievances. All sorts of indignities have been heaped upon them, but they have not been without their sacred poets to sing their deserts and bewail their'sorrows. Who does not remember how Ly ttelton was deprived of pumps and Christchurch drowned in water by an unpateraal Government? Who has not heard haw shamefully the pittance voted from time to time by the Provincial Council has been wasted by bad management ? The case was patent and simple. Local control was wanted; men interested specially in the towns would soon remedy all the evils complained of, if they were allowed to deal with the monies voted. A reasonable expectation, which we hope will not be disappointed by the new Town Councils. The Provincial Council has started them in life with a fair allowance, and if they are inclined to do anything for themselves, they may live in decency and comfort. Indeed, it is quite time that these towns should be declared of age. If they do not take warning, they will soon be obtruding their uncared-for growth in an unpleasant manner upon the public. Thanks to the position of Lyttelton, drainage outfall is easily found ; the great, task here will be to provide a plentiful supply of water. The rapid increase of population at Christchurch and the flatness of its site call for a more elaborate system of drainage.

The remarkable healthiness of the climate has hitherto prevented people from realizing the evils of concentrating1 population within the ordinary limits of a town without the smallest provision being1 made for a system of drainag-e. Christchurch has gradually grown more and more populous till at last it is impossible to shirk the question any longer. At last the inhabitants are rousing themselves to accept their position as the citizens of a town • a town which in all probability will be the most populous in New Zealand before many years are over. Under these circumstances, the public turn rather anxiously to their new Council, to find put what it is proposed to do in that quarter. But the good people and future ratepayers of Christchurch find, somewhat to their astonishment, that the door is shut in their faces, and that nothing is allowed to transpire as to the doings of that august assembly, except what ! the Concillors see fit of their grace to publish themselves. What do they do at their mysterious meetings ? Do the Lord Mayor and aldermen wear gorgeous robes and feed sumptuously ? or do they fight so shockingly that the public may not look in ? Depend upon it, gentlemen, you had much better let us see i what you are about. You may be doing wonders, but John Bull does not believe in secret meetings, and you will soon have horrid stories circulated about your proceedings, if you do not let in a little daylight. Rumours are current that rates have been proposed, and that rates have been opposed, and that you want to borrow a great deal of money, and that—in fine—you are, like all other governing bodies, no better than you ought to be. For our own part, we have the deepest respect for municipal authorities generally, and for the Christchurch Municipality in particular; but its Venetian seclusion frightens us. We won't tell how you are dressed, gentlemen, if i you will let us in. Now, an evil hangs over Christchurch at this moment to which we respectfully beg to draw the attention of the Town Council. There is a strange-looking building, with excrescences like feelers stretching towards the road, on the Avon at the Hagley Park end of the town. This is the new Hospital, and it is said, by the bye, to be curiously incommodious inside. But that is not the present question. The drainage of this Hospital is so arranged as to have an outfall into the river! Wow, gentlemen of Christchurch, is your time. Submit quietly to this, and your beautiful river will soon become a filthy and poisonous open sewer. We cannot believe that the Provincial Government have advisedly sanctioned this ; but if they have, we hope that the Town Council will remonstrate at once. It needs no argument, after all the examples we have seen in the old country, to convince us that even were the Avon the natural drainage outlet of Christchurch, every effort should be made to divert the sewage from the river within the precincts of the town. But the fact is that the river is above the natural drainage level • so that there is no excuse for such a wanton destruction of the chief ornament of Christchurch, and its conversion into an absolute nuisance.

It will be at once asked, what drainage system is to be adopted ? We are glad to find, from information which has been allowed to transpire, that the Town Council propose to take this question into their immediate consideration, and that it is proposed to appoint a commission to investigate and report upon the whole subject of sewage. This is a step in the right direction, and we hope before the Provincial Council meets, that a practicable scheme for thorough drainage will be prepared, and that the Town Councillors will show a willingness to raise a fair share of the necessary funds for such an enterprise. We have no doubt that if they do, the Provincial Council will meet them in a liberal spirit, and will assist so important a public work, as far as is consistent with the claims of the rest of the community. The proposed commission will probably be instructed to consider the question in all its bearings. There is but one point which we wish to urge upon the Council as almost a necessity in any scheme of drainage—we mean the utilising of the sewage. In many towns of Europe, a system of deodorization has been carried on, and the drainage of towns has been made a paying process by the sale of manure. To carry the sewage of Christchurch into the river or the sea would involve expensive works in order to effect a wicked waste. In Edinburgh,, in Belgium, and in parts of France, it has been proved practically

that a town is an immediate gainer by its provision for economising its sewage, and that the necessary works soon pay for themselves. In both towns the work upon streets and surface drainage should be commenced forth-

with. There are barely two months now to come during- which road making- will be practicable ; so there is no time to lose in the formation of such streets as are to be made before winter. The Town Council must re-J member that they will take the place hereafter or the Provincial. Government in the minds and mouths of suffering- and uncompli-

ment'ary citizens. If a street is impassable, passengers will ask angrily what the mayor is about- and if anyone falls into the river on a dark night at the bottom of Cashel Street, our facetious contemporary will expect, not a provincial engineer, but an alderman to be solemnly drowned for the public good. Office has its responsibilities as well as its mysteries and closed doors cannot keep out the public voice, although they may keep in collective wisdom. * Seriously speaking 1, we have great faith in the present Town Council. It comprises many business men who are personally interested in the welfare of the town; we wish to remind them, however, that there is pressing need of g-oing- to work at once, and that there are others in Christclmrch interested besides themselves in the questions they are supposed to be considering".