DRAINAGE OONFERBKOE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7075, 18 October 1884, Page 4

DRAINAGE OONFERBKOE.

A meeting of delegates from the city and suburban Borough Councils was held at the Town Hall yesterday morning for the purpose of dißousaing the subject of drainage, and conferring with Captain Scott, R.N. The Mayor of the oity (Mr W. P. Street) presided, and the following delegates were present:-Crs Carroll, Murray, Fagan, Barnes, Barron (Dunedin), Messra Short (Mayor of North Bast Valley), Calder (Mayor of Caversham), Wardrop (Mayor of South Dunedin), Gourley (Mayor of St. Kilda), and Gr Begg (Roslyn). The Chairman stated that a conference had been held in November last year, and an adjournment bad thon been made for the purpose of getting reports from the various Councils, but these had not yet been forthcoming. He afterwards introduced Captain Scott. Captain Scott shortly gave an account of his experience in connection with the drainage of Ealing and Paddington, London. Tha sewage was run into tanks, and after deodorisation, discharged into the Thames ; and the Thames Commissioners were well satisfied with the amount of purification which took placo. The residue had been used for manuring farms, but only with partial success, chiefly owing to the flocculenco of the material. If desired, he would get tbe fullest particulars of everything wbich had boen done in connection witb the system up to the peeeent. The most satisfactory acheme, he thought, would be to gather the sewage at the head of the harbour, pumping it in, after purification, with an American windmill similar to that usod at the Eorbury racecourße, The amount of solid matter left after deodorisation would be much smaller than they might suppose, and this could be easily disposed of. lie would certainly not recommend the discharging of the sewers at the Ocean Beach, for in all probability the sowage would be washed on shore again. This had been the case at Brighton in the first instance, although tho sewage was conveyed two miles out.

Mr Barnes said he quite agroed with some of Captain Scott'a remarks, but not with all of them. Ho had lately been in all parts of England, and had paid some attention to the drainage queation. Ho found, aa the result of his observations, that the greatest part of the sewage still ran into the Thames, as it did when he left Home 27 yeara ago. In Manchester, alao, the drainage waa allowed to run into the river, which was as black aa Boot in consequence. He advocated for Dunediu a system in which the solid matter in the sewage might be allowed to sink to the bottom in reservoirs. He waa decidedly opposed to conveying tho sewage to the Ocean Beach, and thought that the parties who talkod of that scheme were very deficient in braina.

Mr Carroll expressed himself as highly aatißfied with the able and practical manner in which the question had been put beforo them by Captain Scott. Ho also expressed his disapproval of discharging the sewage at the

Ocean Be&ch, Ha ieterred to the vaius oi sewage as a, fertiliser of the soil, nnd expressed a hope that the value of its properties in that respect would not be lost sight of. This mooting bo looked upon as a preliminary one, and it would be their duty at a future meeting to formulate somo feasible plan.

Mr Paean remarked that tha meeting I Was not a preliminary one, but ho thought thoy wero only lo*ing valuable timo in discussing a sciantiCo matter: that it would ba for more experienced parse as to diHCUBB. Captain Scott's Bchems, he thought, would bo a moßt effeotivo ono. At any rate it would be advisable to have something practical bnforo them as soon aa possible, and with this in view he would move—" That bonuaas of £100 and £75 be offored for tho moat effective and oheapeat deßign for the permanent drainage of the city and suburbs, the cost to be charged pro_ rata against all the surrounding boroughs intimating their willingness to join in such a scheme." Mr Barnes seconded the motion. Mr H, Godblkt said he would not be justified, on behalf of the borough he represented, in agreeing to Bhare the cost of the scheme. The idea of tho meeting, ho undoratood, waa to carry the drainage into the bay, or, aa they called it, the harbour. For his part, he failed to sco how such a scheme would benefit either St. Kilda, South Dunedin, or Caveraham. Mr Murbay pointed out that there was nothing in tbe resolution that provided for a fixed plan. Year after year they had fresh evidence that it would ba no great task to cope with the difficulty. Thoy were all, he thought, agreed as to the necessity. The next queation was, the be3t method of carrying out the project. Each one, no doubt, had his own pot scheme. He, however, would counsel them to leave theße schemes out of the question, and submit the matter to the judgment of practical men who knew more about it.

Mr A. O. Begci said be understood they had met together for the purpose of hearing a paper from Captain Scott, and not to adopt any reaolution.

Mr Mubrat : Of course we can adopt a resolution. It'a as plain as sunshine. Mr Bkgg : I was not speaking to Mr Murray, your Worship. Mr Murray : No, but you were trying to throw cold water on the scheme.

The Mayor, after referring to the minutes of a previous meeting, said the present meeting was called for discussing generally the question of drainage, and hearing a few remarks from Captain Scott. Mr Pagan was perfectly in order in moving the resolution.

Mr Begg said he thought that before going into tho matter they should have the opinions of the Buburban councillors on the matter. He was, he believed, tha only representative from the hill boroughs; and as far aa Roslyn was concerned, he might say that they had passed a resolution to tho effect that if the Dunedin Corporation would prepare plans and estimates of the cost, and submit them to the Roslyn Council, that body would consider whether the benefits likely to arise from tho Bystem would be sufficient to induce them to join in the scheme proposed. The general opinion was that Roslyn was not very much concerned in tho matter, and would not be for years _to come, The greatest urgency was in connection with Dunedin, and as a ratepayer in the city he agreed as to tho necessity for undertaking the work speedily. Mr Barron supported the motion. He would very much like that all the suburban municipalities would join in the endeavour to grapple with this very important matter of drainage. Ha thought it would first be necessary to ascertain exactly what position tho suburban municipalities would take up. _ It would therefore be wise to allow them time to make up their minds on thp question— giving them, say, a fortnight to decide whether they would join the City Council. He advocated the desirability of putting the whole of the drainage works under a board, outßida cf tha municipal councils altogether. Though not wedded to that idea, he was at the same time very much inclined to think that it would be really the right way to solve the difficulty. So long as they dealt with the matter in the different councils, it would not bo properly dealt with. He suggested that with the view of gaining information regarding the working of a drainage board, the Gouncil might send their engineer to Christchurch. He had no doubt they would get a suitable scheme before long. Captain Scott's scheme of precipitation and deodorisation was the one he believed would be ultimately adopted by the Council.

Mr Cabboix proposed as an amendment— " That the bonus be £200"; but it was not seconded.

Mr Caldeb agreed with the proposition to adjourn the meeting for a fortnight, so that the suburban municipalities could come to some conclusion on tbe matter.

Mr Short spoke in a similar strain. Personally, he was in favour of the scheme. Captain Scott pointed out that all the surrounding boroughs were equally interested in the health of the city. Regarding the question of utilising the sewage as a fertiliser, he remarked that unleßß it was used without delay the ammonia, which was the valuable part of it, would soon be lost, and the manure would be of little value.

Mr Wardrop said that personally he was rather favourable to tha amalgamation of the suburbs with the city in this matter. The great question, however, on the Flat —which was, generally speaking, a poor neighbourhood—would be the expense. The inhabitants generally did not care about favouring any scheme that would lead to increased taxation. However, when the people considered the question as one of health, he thought the monetary difficulty would be got over._ He thought the idea of establishing a drainage board an excellent ono, and if Parliament pasaed a bill making provision for auch a body, the suburbß could be made to contribute whether they liked it or not. It was resolved to submit the resolution to the varioua municipal councils, and to call another meeting of the conference in a fortnight. Captain Scott was accorded a special vote of thanks.