WATERWORKS CONTRACT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11856, 21 May 1909, Page 5

WATERWORKS CONTRACT.

THE RIVER CROSSINGS. Tj&rtst month the 6obk County Council decided to consult its solicitors respectirfg; Ihe waterworks contnitt. affecting the Ai'ai river crossing, and at to-day's meeting Messrs deLautour, Barker and Stock forwarded an opinion in which they stated that the contractors for the waterworks pipe line in crossing the Ami river Had caused "a Blight-obstruc-tion to the flow df the river on or immediately abbvß the, lord. It ,- did not eeem quite clear whether the pipe line as it crosses, the. river was on the road or not. The effect; of tjie obstractionj they were informed, wa» to raise the river at the ford in times of flood, about a foot. A defection of the stream was also /caused towards one of the banks, which" to some extent Was being eaten int& The. report 6btaihed,by the Borough Cquntil Admitted a certain,' deepening at thSSf irw^re' of ■' the ford, but 'attributeq" this, tfl- the truffle and renioyal of stones bylthe surfftce men. The County officials paid ihera ; had v been no removal, of storied beyond wh.^t from time to • time was necessary in such a river to • procure smooth " Be fore the Cdun<?U:'''succeed' in ah* applicaiio'n 'to compel th&'i i'Bhjpval 'of this obstruction a strong case .wbuJd hayo ,to be made out affiima-' tive-WvtUat it was at least ,a> ■ ptoxinlat^ caul^Qf * actual' ddriger to fl>e public. Oft theflfiiyJ.iite'drfattW as disclbfied they aid nofc^mftk , this could be done. If the Cduhiy.^as' put 'to any expense in re r gtorihg the . Jorti to its former ;state ench expense, they. thought, cbttld be recovered^' >l!^ey.'ribUcedr, it 'had/ been suggested that, itl^ 5 ' -Borough was not answerable to'tbßvCouniy for anysuth damage on the, .ground that', it hid 110^ 7 e^ ta^ en over*tjio "contract. -They thought this to^ljeVwrpng. The - Bbro-qeh could not escape '- fxqm the iespousibiJity entailed uppniit -in 4he , coiißtruction of that work w -a, >co«tr»ctor apart from the corisjdpjfttion'the work was done . under" the sujtotviirion '.and. direction, of the Bps&gV&" a .B ent ?- R to < f^P alleged, injury yto the bank of the river, unless tlilp? vr^s.ap injyry to the, road it 'did noj^.'cipncern- the County, but any land owneFr had,' his remedy. ,