THE DUNEDIN DRAINAGE BILL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10422, 26 July 1895, Page 2

THE DUNEDIN DRAINAGE BILL.

(Proh Otje Own Comiespondknt.)

Wellington, Jn?y2s

The Dnnedm Drainage and SewMsge Bill got into Commifctea of the Whole House early this axterncoi, aud under fcha Vv'ary and skilful pilotags of Mr Pioksctou v/e:ni smoothly on ib 3 way nnlU s>ib suction 5 of sastiou 3 was reached, when the Premier moved an ameadaisaf; giving, in the matter of conaecfcSoas, & right. o£ appeal to tho stipendiary magistrate, whose decision should be final. This ameudment; was rejected by 34 to 21. Then the bill sailed aloag with a i'sir wind to clause 7 —providing for the City Council making by-laws—to which 35r" "Allen moved the fottomng'addition r—" Providad always that cothipg contained herein shall authorise the couocil to. charge " any owner with the cost of constructing aad laying any naw drisin in place oi" making any alteration to any drain which, subsequently to tha coming into operation of ' The Municipal Corporations".;" A<rt 1886,' was laid in accordance with, the by-laws for the time being ia force." This was agreed to by 31 to 18. During the discussion on.this amendment Sir Robert Stoat and Mr Eamshaw urged that there might te greit hardship if the reconstruction of existing connections was entirely at the direction of the municrpil engineer, I and both gentlemen stoutly defeqdrfd the, reputation o£ the southern city for ita sanitation, alleging that its sanitary condition in the past

had always hesn equal to the Wellington of today with all its recent improveHients and expenditure, l'rqtn clause 7as amended we progresstd withonfc interruption to clause 13 —providing that tha'council may erect: structures on or under public streets —when Messrs Earn&haw and Millar took a strong stand against tho power given to the Danedin City Council to erect sewage destruction • works outside its own boundaries. Mr Bmisaaw Baw.ia his mind's eye a " destructor" similar to that of .Welling-

toa—which 13 reported to ba as unsavoury as it is unsightly—in South Dunedih or Caversbam. Then Mr Millar proposed ths following addition to the clause, which was carried upon the voices:—-'.' Always;.. provided that before the conotruotion of -'suoh' works the coesent oftho ratepayers of the borough f.ffeetsd shall be obtsintd." Uninterrupted progrea3 was made

through the remaining sections, and then, after discuasioii; the following .new, claosewss added to the bill:—"Any : adjacent borough may agree wUhrthe city to allow its drainage to) be carried into the city sewers; and if the city refuses:,to allow.ttoisto be done the adjacent borough may appeal to a ; compensation court, appointed in . the -in auner ; piovided •; by. ■? The; Public -Works .Act 1834-,' and such'court »hall decide upon the terms in which, the-.'.adjacent borough may tise the city f-ewers." The bill was then reported from Committee, read a third time and passed.