DRAINAGE BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24832, 2 March 1944, Page 7

DRAINAGE BILL

early introduction METROPOLITAN SCHEME The Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Bill, authorising the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board to reconstitute itself and proceed with the comprehensive sewer drainage scheme for the metropolitan area other than North Shore, is expected to be introduced in Parliament this week, according to information received by the board at its meeting yesterday. It was stated that Mr. W. T. Anderton, M.P., had received permission from the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. P. Fraser, to introduce the bill when Parliament reassembled. In a letter on a subsidiary matter., the Minister of Works, the Hon. R. Semple, stated: "The urgency of the work embodied in the proposals of your board is such that the passage of the bill will have my full support, and tiie inauguration of the scheme will be facilitated as one of the most important post-war works." Tamaki Housing Project In reply to a question regarding the desire of certain suburban bodies for polls of the ratepayers on all proposed loans lor the purposes of the scheme, the chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said that in conformity with the board's decision the bill would go forward without provision for loan polls. The bill would be referred to the Local Bills Committee, and any local bodies which wanted an amendment would have an opportunity of stating their case to the committee.

I In his letter, the Minister of Works proposed a temporary arrangement enabling the Government to proceed on a limited scale with the erection of State houses in the rural area of Tamaki before that area was served by the proposed metropolitan drainage scheme. The expedient was to utilise the surplus capacity of a 12in. sewer which it is proposed to instal in the Purewa Valley and to pump sewage into the sewer from Tamaki. The letter stated that the city engineer, Mr. .J. lyler, had agreed that the surplus capacity could be used until the Anglican Church lands in the valley were developed. A Doubtful Proposition

The engineer-secretary, Mr. H. H. Watkins. in a report, stated that it would not be possible to serve any substantial portion of the undeveloped lamaki area b f v the means suggested without enlarging the storage tank capacity at the Orakei outfall and intensifying the undesirable conditions there. However, the proposal might be considered if the City Council would give an assurance that the facilities to be provided for undeveloped lands in the Purewa Valley would not bei required for the next few years. In reply to a question, the chairman, Mr. J. A. C. A Hum, said he did not sec how the council could guarantee that any particular privately-owned lands would not be limit upon. The problem had arisen because the Government was proposing to erect houses on lands which were without drainage, water, electricity or gas, although there were large unoccupied areas in the city with all these services. It was decided to refer the matter to the City Council.

MANUKAU HARBOUR WESTFIELI) POLLUTION DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS Pollution of the eastern Manukau Harbour by trade wastes from the Westfield area was described as deplorable by Dr. T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health, in a letter received by the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board at its meeting yesterday. Dr. Hughes urged the board to do everything possible to provide drainage 'for the area.

"Recurring insanitary and offensive conditions duo to drainage of waste matter into the Manukau- Harbour from the various offensive trades is causing considerable concern to this department," the letter stated. _ "Of recent date the insanitary conditions created in the Manukau Harbour.and on the foreshore have been deplorable. It is realised that the prevention of further pollution of the Manukau Harbour and foreshore is mainly dependent upon the institution of the metropolitan drainage scheme. I "would urge your board to make every endeavour to further the provision of drainage for this area, and would point out that such drainage would at the same time provide facilities otherwise urgently required within the same district." A letter was a!?o received from R. and W. Hellaby, Limited, stating that, in consequence of the erection of new buildings and for other reasons, it had become necessary to alter and extend the drainage system at the company's W&stfield works, which now discharged sewage and trade wastes into the upper reaches of the Manukau Harbour, but which, it was presumed, might ultimately be connected with the proposed metx-opolitan drainage scheme. The company asked to bo supplied, with certain data so that the extensions could be designed with this in view. The engineer-secretary. Mr. H. H. Watkins, reported that he had supplied the data. The chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, remarked that the correspondence underlined the fact that, in submitting the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Bill to Parliament, the board was asking for powers to carry out a specific and detailed scheme, and not drainage extensions in general. It was pointed out that the board at present had no responsibility for conditions in the area, which was outside its district.

DIVORCE GRANTED AWARD OF DAMAGES The hearing of the petition of Robert Arthur Treadwell (Mr. M. Robinson) for divorce from Letitia Eurydice Emily Treadwell (Mr. Noble), based on allegations of adultery, was concluded before Mr. Jirstice Fair and a jury yesterday. Stanley John Percival Cooper (Mr. Urquhart) was named as the corespondent, and the petitioner claimed £SOO damages from him.

The co-respondent gave evidence denying practically all the account the petitioner had given of the relations between respondent and co-respondent. He said he was a divorced man when lie went to stay at Tread well's fiat. In the course of his summing up His

Honor said the co-respondent had tendered no satisfactory explanation of why he had persisted in remaining in the house against the husband's wishes and why he continued there when the husband left home. The jury found that the respondent, and co-respondent had been guilty of adultery, and awarded the husband £250 damages, with the recommendation that this amount be used for the education and upbringing of the child. His Honor Raid the recommendation seemed very proper and would be given effect to as' far as possible. He issued a decree nisi. DECREE NISI ISSUED RETURNED SOLDIER'S PETITION A returned soldier from the Middle East, lan Murdoch Mcßae (Mr. Hubble), yesterday sought divorce from Beryl Irene Mcßae, alleging adultery. The" petitioner said he had been overseas from .Tune, 1941, to July, 1943, and when he returned his wife admitted adultery. Mr. Justice Fair issued a decree nisi.