COUNCIL AND DRAINAGE BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12800, 22 October 1903, Page 2

COUNCIL AND DRAINAGE BOARD

THE QUESTION OF A CONFERENCE.

MORE TROUBLE BREWING.

The question of a conference between a committee of the City Council and a, committee of the Drainage Board regarding drainage matters, as suggested by the City Counoil at last meeting, has been productive of considerable correspondence between the two bodies, and at the meeting of the board on Tuesday evening the matter was exhaustively dealt with in. committee, and legal advice on tho position considered. The first letter (read in open board) was from the town clerk, who acknowledged Teoeipfc of a letter from the drainage engineer regarding the matter of poles for sewer ventilators having been referred to him, and desiring that Mr Goodman should see him in reference to the others. In reply the town clerk stated that the latter was one of tho matters which the council's Special Committee desired to discuss in conference with a committee from tho board. In reply to this the drainage engineer wrote to the town clerk that in consequenco of the foregoing ho (Mr Anderson) had found it necessary to ask Mr Goodman to himself arrange a conference with him (Mr Anderson), at the earliest possible date, in this matter. In another letter the town clork asked Tho reasons that had led Mr Anderson to abandon the Bowers in George street between Duko and St. David streets, and also those in Castle street between Frederick street and High street. These • and the following letters wero then considered in committee, and it was decided, by resolution, to band the documents to the press for publication:—

I have the honour to inform you that at its meeting; held last evening, the City Council resolved that a suh-commitlcc consisting of his Worship the Mayor, the chairmen o[ the Public Works and Tramways Committees, and the city engineer should meet a sub-committee of the Dunodin Drainage and Sewerage Board to discuss details between the two bodies, end to request that yon will kindly arrange re your board's sub-committee and tho dale of meeting, which meeting I would suggest be held in the Town Hall.-Tnos. B. Fairbairx, Town Clerk. To this the secretary of the board replied:— Sir, —I have the honour by direction of the deputy chairman of the board' (in tho absence of the chairman) to advise, in reply to yours of tho Ist inst., thst ho will have much pleasure in moving that your request be acceded to, and also, as you desire it, the meeting should take place at the Town Hall. For the purpose o[ facilitating the business' of that meeting he would bo obligsd if you would furnish the board beforehand with the nature ol the details your council wishes to discuss. Having obtained that information tho deputy chairman will endeavour to arrange an early date for that meeting. Tho town clerk then wrote:—

Sir,—Ro tho mooting to be arranged between tho sub-committee of the City Council and your board, in reply to your letter of yesterday's date I have the honour to inform you that tho business to be discussed relates to sewers and other matters. Tho secretary of the board replied on October 8:— Sir,—ln reply to your memo, of yesterday's date I am instructed by the deputy chairman oi the Ixard to point out that the words " the business to be discussed relates to sewers and other matters" are so vague and discursive as to furnish very little information to the Drainage Board of the exact business the council wishes to discuss in Ihe conference you have proposed. It mud be patent that unless the members of my board attending that conference know bjforehand the exact matters yon wish to discuss there is a possibility ol the deliberations of that conference being futile, and it isiwith a view of obviating that risk and of promoting that harmonious cooperation of two pub'.ic bodies that ne again requests me to ask you for more explicit and exact information in detail of what matters your council wisb»3 to deal with at your proposed conference. Tho town clerk then wrote on October 13:Rcferring to your letter of the Sth iusl, I havs'the honour to inform you that tho matters which the comtuiltes of the council desires to discuss with the committee of your board arc as follows:— 1. Tho complete drainage schemo within tho city area, as per my letter d?,tcd 15th September, 1903. 2. To obtain particulars of and discuss (a) sewers that the board intends utilising; (b) sewers that the board intends abandoning; (c) sewers that the board intends paying interest on. 3. To consider the advisability of constructing the main intercepting newer before reticulating the city area. i. To discuss position of conduit feeder system as per your letter of the 7th ir.st. . 5. To arrange operations of the board so that its work will not interfere with the tramway construction or traffic. 0. Any other matters that nic: r arise.

In connection with this correspondence the following letter from Messrs Mondy, •Sim, and Stephens was also considered in committee:—

October 20, 1003. The Secretary Dunedin Drainage and Sewerage Board, Uunedin.— Dear Sir,—As instructed by the chairman and Dr Coughircy we pracetl to put before the board oar suggestions with regard to the matters which the committee of the City Council desires to discuss at the proposed confereuce, as set forth in the town clerk's letter of the 13th inst. The city is largely interested in the operations of the hoard, and it is, of course, the duty of the board to carefully consider any suggestions that the City Council may seo fit to malto from time to time in connection with any such operations, but wc cannot see what good is to be gained by attempting to discuss at a conference of committees such largo matters as those specified under heads numbered 1, 3, and 5 in the town clerk's letter. If the City Council has any suggestions to make with regard to these mattors they should be put into writing and communicated to the board so that they may be duly considered. I'ho board's conclusions with regard to them can then be communicated to the council, and if the two bodies do not agree in their views it might be desirable (it that stage to havo a conference to discuss the point) of difference; but to invite (lie board to a conference to discuss such a question as " the complete drainage scheme within the city area," without any further Bpeeification of what is suggested seems a novel proceeding. There can, however, be no harm in "listening to what the City Council's committee has to say on the subject, so long as it is clearly understood that the City Council is only entitled to make suggestions, and not to dictate to the board. As to'thc particulars desired with regard to sewers to be utilised or abandoned, the liability imposed by section 47 of the net of 1000 is to pay interest upon the value to the board of all'such works as are capable ot being utilised by the board in carrying on its operations. The value has to be fixed by » stipendiary magistrate, and if .1 .dispute arose as to whether a particular work was capable, or not of being utilised by the board that would be a matter to bo determined by a stipendiary magistrate in terms of ccction 31 of the "act of 1902. "Whether a particular sewer shall bo utilised or not i 3 a question for the board to dotermino after Inking the advice of its own officers without reference to the City Council, but there can be no harm at anyrale in hearing what juggeslion the council's committee has to olf'r on the subject. In connection with this question, we would point out that, although the may decide not to utilise n particular sewer, such sewer might bo held to bo one which was capable of being used by the hoard, and tho hoard 'held liable, therefore, to pay interest on the value thereof. In connection with tho question numbered 5 in the town clerk's letter, we would point out that it is i;ot •necessary for the board to obtain tho consent, of tho City Council before opening a slreet for the purpose of laying drains therein. All that tho board must do is to give ono month's notice of its intention to construct or execute any sitcli work, and in connection with this question wo desire to refer the board to the opinion we gave on the subject on the G7th of July, 1903, in a letter addressed to the drainage engineer. With regard to the last head specified in the town clerk's letter— i:nmo!y, "any other matters that muy ariee," this convoys no information at all, and we sug-gest-that the board's committee should dcsline to discuss- any further questions without having had. some nrevious indication of what is proposed to bo brought up. Whoa tho board resumed it was reported that it had been resolved to adhoro to the position suggested by the solicitors.