AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14292, 11 February 1910, Page 7

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

~V• "■" ::: ■ ~ , * :'••• COX'S CREEK DRAINAGE. J; THE NUISANCE. 'i ■ • . A WARM DISCUSSION. /• The usual meeting of the Auckland City Council was held last night, there being present: The Mayor (Mr. C. D. Grey), ' and Messrs. M. Casey,. G. Knight, G. 'Bead, G. Tutt, J. Patterson, R. T. Michaels, W. A. Thompson, P. Mackay, •A. J- Entrican, H. M. Smeeton, C. J. : Parr, and J. Mennie. The town clerk of Grey Lynn wrote, stating that the Council's letter of January 28 relative to Cox's Creek had been considered by his Council, and he was directed to send a resolution regretting that the City Council could not see its way to adopt the scheme submitted to it by' Grey Lynn. The measures suggested in the City Council's letter were regarded by the Grey Lynn Council as totally inadequate to abate the nuisance caused bv the sewage from the Auckland district, and the Grey Lynn Council urged the City Council to reconsider its decision regarding the drainage, and suggesting a conference of both bodies, in order that soma solution of the difficulty might be arrived at which would prove satisfactory to all concerned. The. city engineer said the Council fully understood that until the completion of the main drainage scheme,, or such porr! tion as would enable, the sewage at present discharging into Cox's Creek to be ■ connected with the main sewer and con- ■ veyed to the outfall at Orakei, no real ; abatement of the nuisance would be obtained, and he would be wrong were he . to advise the Council that the scheme suggested by Grey Lynn would have this effect. He wished to repeat, however, what- he had already stated, that the work rv in Cox's Creek proposed by the Grey Lynn Borough Council would be a valuable work preliminary to the reclamation of that area for the purposes of a public park or recreation ground.' Mr. Parr moved that they accede to the request for a conference. In his opinion the city engineer was wrong in the view he took of the matter. For years the city and Grey Lynn had been pouring their drainage on to a large mud flat at Cox's Creek, and several deaths from , typhoid had periodically been the result. (Cries of " No.") When the Grey Lynn borough engineer and Dr. Purdy said a temporary abatement of the nuisance could be made the Council should do something. The drainage works would not be completed for some five years yet, and it would certainly pay the Council to spend some money over a temporary arrangement, especially when -• human lives were at stake. As- a matter of fact the lives v- of 12,000 persons were imperilled. The city was guilty of culpable neglect in the - matter. (Hear, hear, and cries of " No.") The Mayor: You're reflecting on the jrfty. The city sends two sewers, to the place' and Grey . Lynn three. ; Mr. Parr: You .admit sending two sewers. The city and Grey Lynn both admit creating a* nuisance, but, whereas Grey Lynn is desirous of obviating it, the city will do nothing. The Mayor said Mr. Parr did not know ; the position of affairs. "He has put it before this : Council that we are responsible ■ for deaths at Grey Lynn. I say ; we are not responsible. It is coming it Very strong when p. member of this Coun- <-<? til . blames us for that. I might, say that i l 'have gone over the place with Drs. ,S iValintine and Purdy, and the latter told > tne there was no need for the city to * take any "action. : What I do object to .is ; fcr- Mr. Parr to say that the city is responsible for those deaths.- We would '.v.. have, completed our sewers by this time if v; Sir Joseph Ward had not prorogued Par- ' liament last year . and gone Home to Eng- ; land." : > v ' -V: .-''' , Mr. Parr: V Don't blame Sir Joseph V Ward. . - :-, --~ - -• " . a > The Mayor: I'm not blaming Sir Joseph Ward; I'm mentioning the circumstances*■;[:On March 1 wo shall have the necessary money to extend, those -sewers. •- If we can stop the nuisance in any quick way, then I say it is our duty -to do so. _, - ; * Mr. .-Mennie.; said it had already been i- decided' that as soon as funds were avail- ;: able the sewers would be pushed • on. ; But • the extension of. the' sewers was ;not what Grey ; Lynn wanted; . they wanted the whole -area - reclaimed. It ; was all very •A well to talk a lot of clap-trap about human h lives f being lost; " but the whole ! fact of the ' matter was the Council' did j not have the money. There v was fno doubt : that certain parties wanted. the area < reclaimed for. speculative purposes.. . ' C - A , - * Mr. / Thompson was surprised at the' atti- "• tude of Mr. Mennie. This was' a work that ought Ito be > done. Mr. Entrican said there could be no harm ; la having a conference. He pointed out, .however, ; that the Drainage Board might S?; be : J got: toat . once ,-' construct the ' tunnel $ they ; were going- to construct, thus bringing iv the sewerage into Freeman's Bay sewer, infcfcead :of letting it go on'to the flat area at 1;-Cox's- Creek. ~ All ' the councillors were anxious to See! something done, but hitherto wild schemes had * been submitted by the „ Grey Lynn Council. , ' '"The' Mayor suggested that at would be \i quicker and" better •. than ;holding a - conference if the' matter were to .go to the Works Committee. He - moved ..an amendment •in that direction. - • <>'?■ Mr. Parr raised. a point of order, and t a sked the Mayor to rule whether he (the " Mayor) ' had ;• a right to move an., amendment, having altea'dy spoken : to the motion.; The Mayor decided that '. he had the St right to do so. ' " .•' / -Vi -.-Mr.' Parr asked the town _ clerk to take : a note of - the Mayor's decision. ; - ••.•-.• j- v Mr. Knight said that -to' economise time, he would,; move"; the ; amendment that the natter go to the Works Committee. y Mr. Mackay : seconded. : '■.. ? •'V • s ' ; v j' The Mayor. was - about. to put the amendW Went,. when Mr. Parr rose to speak. ; • The Mayor: Sit down, sir. v • ' Mr. Parr (resuming his seat) said he was merely' going to' ask' that a note be taken ;of sthe Mayor's decision, so ' that- lie (Mr. Jn,; Parr) might take steps •to ; try ; and get that decision quashed as ,wrong. • .' ' The Mayor : did not reply, ; but - put the ':V amendment to refer the matter to the Works Committee, which was carried by fight votes to five.. . " ' & I Mr. Parr thereupon again ' rose,.and was proceeding: to move- a further amendment,•v when the Mayor again •' ruled him out of / order. " liifo Mr. Parr. contended, with some emphasis. , • that as mover of the original motion he had |0 : a right to /reply;' before * the - amendment, m which had been carried, was put as a mova tion. He moved as • an. addition to the Mayor's amendment, " And that the Works Committee be directed to take action forthwith to abate the nuisance." ' • < : Mr. Thompson seconded. ;, • . . , Mr. Entrican - regretted : that Mr. . Parr's Original motion was riot carried. The, proimposed conference- . should : have . been • held. fi-fjlt' would have ; saved time. :-. The matter should have gone to the Works' Committee, with power to act. • • ' V »,1 ft The • Mayor: You can't give them the Jiower; there is no money. ;• i : - Mr. Michaels said it was the - Council's dutv to abate this nuisance if a, single life : could be saved. * If typhoid broke out, in • :tjie • Cox's Creek district the whole city jStoieht be. infected.' r ' , „ . .; --Mr, Reed supported Mr. -Parr's addition ito the amendment. '' /'s' » vf; The Mayor said he was in a difficulty about putting the amendment, seeing ''that I it was impossible for the Works Committee to carry it out. ; :^^;^' : v; ; '' ,/> .<Zv,v,' . After; some discussion on this , point, the ' •amendment - was i; put, and lost : by eight Votes to five. . } ::k "The amendment to'refer the question - to the Works Committee was then put' as the :. ./motion, and carried. ■ / ' ' Later jin ;, the evening ; Mr.; Parr , produced % lengthy petition rom some 40 Grey Lynn 3P- •

ana other residents protesting against the present 6tate of affairs at Cox s (Seek. He moved, " That the petition be referred to the Works Committee, with power to act." Mr. Entrican: I rise to a point of order. Cox's Creek is done with. Mr. Parr: YouH get a lot more of it yet before it is done with. The motion was carried.