A FEVER BED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14019, 26 March 1909, Page 7

A FEVER BED.

DRAINAGE INTO COX'S CREEK. At last night's meeting of the City Council a deputation was received: from ■. the Grey Lynn Borough Council with reference \ to the insanitary state of Cox's Creek, into which : a great deal of the drainage from the city' and the borough flows. The deputation asked that the city assist ; the borough in some scheme for remedying the L nuisance and danger. . [ : Mr. G. Sayers, Mayor of Grey Lynn, said that six huge I drains—three.' from the ' city and three from - Grey Lynn—entered 1 into a) mud fiat/ known as Cox's Creek, : which had; been given to the Grey Lynn ; Borough Council. The place ; was pimply a fever bed. It would be seven years bet fore they would get a drain laid by the Drainage Board, and- the deputation therefore asked for temporary relief. ..v The borough was prepared to join in with the ' City Council in some scheme for relief for I seven years. The city engineer had for- • mulated a scheme for that period, the cost of.which would come to £20,000. But ! that scheme was not; favoured. What they wanted was either a chute to enter ,-' into: the ' sea, or ; else iron pipes. t ; : Probably i some arrangement could be come to in the matter between the City Council, Grey Lynn, Borough Council, and the Drainage Board, by which each party might pay one-third , of the cost of remedying matters. " Seve- .' ral deaths had occurred through the present conditions. ■ . Mr. Schofield said that Dr. Purdy v i district health officer, , had attributed j several cases of typhoid fever to the city drain- ': age entering this spot.; -. ' . >-: Mr. Murray said the greatest complaints ! in s the matter came from city residents. The place ; where they i proposed to carry the drainage to was just across the road, where the tide could : get at it better. vAs it was at present, the; inflow J from the ', higher pipes was too high up the creek for , the tide to get in and flush :it out. He [ suggested putting out iron- pipes on trestles,' so that at some future time they could be j taken off the trestles and used for some ■ other purpose. ~'•."■,,.'■"; ; i,' The Mayor of Auckland •■ (Mr. C. D. . Grey), in reply, said that the matter was , in the hands of the Works Committee, who would make a report as early as possible. I.; ! . Mr. Parr moved, I "That the city engi-, , neer consult with the Grey Lynn Borough engineer, and devise some scheme of carryi ing out improvements." : :- ; . ' The ■ Mayor said that if the resolution L were adopted, it would be a want-of-confi-dence motion . in the , Works Committee. , The matter was entirely in their hands, and they would see what could be done.',. ! Mr. Farrell urged ; immediate action in , the matter, and ' Mr. Somers iendorsed the deputation's remarks. ' The city engineer i stated that a report had already been made, and had been .in the hands of the Council for some six or | nine months. The proposal to spend £20,000 was for permanent works, namely, the complete reclamation of Cox's Creek. ;; ' Mr. Parr said he would withdraw his motion if the Works Committee would take immediate action, and report at next meet- , ing of the Council. It was decided to leave the matter in the ' hands of the Works Committee, and the j« deputation then withdrew. : _ ; ,' In reply to a subsequent inquiry by Mr.. '-. Court, the city engineer explained the posi- ; tion of affairs. He said that until ; the big Auckland drainage scheme was carried out, ' they could : not deal satisfactorily with | Cox's Creek and other similar places in the city and suburbs. ■* v . '■'-