THE TUAM STREET DRAIN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9985, 14 March 1893, Page 6

THE TUAM STREET DRAIN.

PUBLIC MEETING AT LINWOOD, A public meeting was held last night in the Philipstown schoolroom, Linwood, to consider matters ia connection with the Tuam street drain. His Worship the Mayor of Linwood, Mr J. C. Atkinson, occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance. The Mayor said they had met to hear a report from the delegates who had waited upon tho Drainage Board and other bodies interested. Councillor Brunt, as one of the deputa- ! tion, urged that all persons interested in this matter should bo united. The proparty now under discussion was once the property of tho City Council, and it waa then understood that the drain was to bo kept open. Afterwards at a public meeting held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Linwood, it waa decided that tha drain should bo filled in. The Drainage Board, which had then come into possession, voted a sum of £250 for that purpose, aud a district waa defined with a rateable value of £oO,OOO, which would return a rate of £lB7 at three farthings in the pound. The City Council had granted £IOO also for the purpose, 212 properties were subject to tho rate, and 112 signatures were given to a petition in favour of tho proposal; but a contra petition waa sot on foot, and bo was sorry that some twenty-five had signed both, and the proposal was lost. Tho drain in its present state was a source of epidemics. Delegates were appointed by the Town Board to wait upon the Drainage Board and the City Council. The Drainage Board would take no action for want of funds. Tho City Council had referred the subject to the Sanitary Committee, which reported that the matter waa nob an urgent one, 'The Council waa, however, still willing to grant £IOO. He would now leave it to the meeting to saj whether any further action should be taken. Councillor Wilson moved-—" That the Drainage Board be urged to place a concrete invert in the Tuam street drain as soon aa possible; also, that the said Board arrange with the Christchurch City Council to taka the said channel water across the East bolt for flushing purposes. (2) That tho ways and means to carry out this be left to tbo Linwood Borough Council.” Councillor Board thought tho question ought to be approached ia a more liberal way. He did not approve of the idea to levy a rata on such a limited area. He would move—“ That this meeting, having heard the report of tho delegates of the Borough Council to the Conference in reference to tho Tuam street drain, desires to express its approval of their action ia connection therewith.” This was seconded by Councillor Pentecost and declared carried unanimously. Councillor {Vilson, in reply to Mr Vogel, said the estimated cost of the invert drain to Nursery road would be £3OO, or fourteen chains further on at the rate of £lO par chain. Mr H. Toomcr would advocate, if no other way waa adopted, to gather a crowd some night, and, with picks and shovels, fill the dirty place in. Councillor Wilson’s motion, seconded by Councillor Brunt, waa now put, and lost by a large majority. Councillor Board then moved—" That this meeting respectfully requests the Linwood Borough Council to take steps to have tho nuisance of the Tuam street drain abated at once.” This was seconded by Mr Staples, had carried. A vote c£ tbauks to the Chairman terminated fcbe