CHRISTOHURCH DRAINAGE BOARD

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2435, 12 January 1876, Page 2

CHRISTOHURCH DRAINAGE BOARD

The weekly meeting of the Board was held in tbe City Oounoil Chamber, at 10 o'clock, yesterday morning. Present— Mr F. Hobbs (Chairman), Messrs H. J. Hall, A.Duncan, T. D. Jones, R. 3. 8. Harman, B. G. Wright, J. V . Ross, and H. J. Tancred. eTivpnra obdbm. Tbe Ohairman said he "had to report on behalf of Mr Tancred and himself that on con* sidering the matter of Standing Orders, they had decided to recommend, with a few alight alterations, the Regulation* of Proceeding* in Part 11., Schedule 13, of the Municipal Corporations Aot, for adoption by the Board. There were a few oopies of the AeJt v ontbe table, and if the Board liked to go into the matter now, the several clauses oould be read. It was decided that the consideration of Standing Orders be proceeded with at once, and the Regulations in the Act wart reed by the Aeting-Olerk, The Regulation*, with alight amendments, were adopted, and the Otauman was authorised to bave 100, conies minted. The Ohairman said that as every appointment by tbe Board had to be made under seal, it would be advisable for a seel to be obtained. Tbe Ohairman and Mr Tancred were authorised to procure a design for a seel. Mr Jones presented a petition from owners and oooupiers of property on the East towß**g_4 belt and Philipstown, calling, attention to tK^| bad state of the drainage in that locality, ___\ evidenced by the fact that they had JmM^b] seriously Hooded twice during the past t*Hve " month*, and praying that some temporary relief might he afforded them. A. plan, showing bow this oould be dene by making * temporary drain into- the main drain, alao accompanied the petition. The petition was read by the Clerk. Mr Jones spoke strongly in support of the petition. He referred to tbe low character of the land in this locality, together with the flood* which had occurred there, and aaid tbat even now there was water lying in the Hon John Hall* paddock, which might produce fever if not speedily drained away. Mr Ross remarked that Waltham also reouired attending to without delay. The Mayor said that Waltham would certainly have to be attended to, but the land in the vicinity of Philipstown and last Town belt, was the. worst off for drainage, a* the water from the Waltham ride drained in that direotion. Of oourso be could not give a professional opinion as to the beet course for adoption, but it struck him that a great deal of good might be done by euttiog an overflow channel bto the Ferry road drain, so that when the drain along the East Town belt was full, the surplus water might go down the Ferry road drain, instead of lying on the adjoining properties until the drain on the belt could carry it off. Mr Duncan said, in his opinion, they should not do anything until aa Engineer was appointed • but even if tbe Board considered i otherwise, he did not see how the Chairman's

suggestion oould bo adopted, as the Ferry road was higher than the locality referred to Jn the petition. There was, however, an opon drain alongside the main rood whioh would carry off the storm- wator, but he understood there wae only an eight-inoh pipe leading into it, and the result was that, during the floods, tho open drain was not half full, whereas, if there was a large enough pipe leading into it, the drain would carry off nearly as muoh water as the main drain, In his opinion, if a larger pipe was laid down, the open drain would suffioe for all purposes, until suoh time as the Board oould oarry out permanent and, more oomplete works. The Chairman Baid why he suggested that the Ferry road drain should be used wob, that the land in. its vioinity was not sufficiently ' drained, and was, to a great extent, the cause of Philipstown and the East town belt being flooded. By adopting thia course, the Board would thus be killing two birds with one •tone. After some further disoussion, the petition was, on the motion of Mr Jones, reoeived, and its consideration was deferred until noxt week. The Chairman said that Axe had already received two letters applying for the appointment of Clerk to the Board, but as nothing had yet been deoided upon with rospocfe to a Clerk, he did not know whether it would bo advisable to read them. The letters were ordered to stand ovor for the present. The Ohairman said he had no other businoss to bring forward, except the payment of Messrs Garrick and Cowlishaw's account for drafting the Drainage Bill. Mr Harman said he had read the Aot ovor very carefully, and oould not find anything which empowered the Board toexpond money in the payment of a bill for servioos rendered prior to the constitution of the Board. Afer a discussion, during whioh it was remarked that the Government ought to pay the bill, and charge it to Contingencies Aooount, Mr Jones movod— "That the Chairman, and Messrs Tancred and Hall, be appointed to wait upon the Government and confer with them respecting the vote of £1500 for a DrainagO soheme for the Distriot, and tho payment of fche solicitors' bill." The motion waa seoonded and. agreed to. Mr Hall asked if the Board intended to disouss the appointment of an engineer at that meeting. The Ohairman eaid ho presumed the matter took this form, whether tho Board should proceed to obtain an engineer, whether they ehould ask Mr Carruthers to take oharge of the whole matter, or whether they should get a competent man to take thelevols of the Dis* triot,and then offer a premium for the best soheme for the drainage of the Distriot. He was informed by Mr Cowlishaw that there were many oompetent engineering firms in Sydney and Melbourne, but ho (the Chair* man) thought that even if the Board offered a Sremium of £1000 for tho best soheme for raining tho Distriot, they would not bo likoly to get a good firm to go in for it, unless the levels were first taken. If, however, tho Board had tho levels taken thomsolves, they would no doubt get a good sohemo. Thoy might also induoe Mr Oarruthors to givo the JJoard some auvioe on whatever, sohemes were submited, and an engineer to supervise the oarrying out of tbe scheme deoided upon, could afterwards bo appointed. Mr Hall said ho quite agreed with the Ohairman. The Board should first procure very aoourate and elaborate levels of the dis* trict, as no engineer of standing would send a man to take them on the bare chance of obtaining a premium. If the levels wore not of an. elaborate oharactor and oorreot, tho Board would not secure a good flohome; Thus great core should be exeroised in taking thorn. Another remark ho had to mako was con* cerning high ws>ter levels. He must . oonfoss ho did not understand what high water marks were, and for tho simple reason that thero were so many different opinions concerning them. At Sumner; for instanoe, there was no definite high water mark. Ono of tho great points, therofore, would be to instruofe the engineer to have a proper beach mark fixed, and the levels taken from tbat. No plan could, however, be better than for the Board to obtam proper levels, after which they might perhaps get Mr Carruthers to adviso them, and thus seoure a satisfactory sohomo of drainage. Mr Tancred asked who would havo to carry out the sohemo. Mr Wright said the Board would have to appoint an engineer to do it. In his opinion the whole matter was not so muoh a question of levels as o initiating a soheme for draining the Distriot, and even if the Board, after obtaining the levels, offered a premium of £1000 for the best soheme, no engineer of standing would elaborate one for tho ohanco of obtaining suoh an amount. The work would involve a great deal of thought, and it was of moro importance to tho Distriot that the work should be proporly done than almost anything else. Another difficulty was whoro would the Board find a oompotent person who ' would decide on the merits of the various sohemes sent in. No doubt thero were men oompetent to do it, but the question was would they undertake the responsibility P He did not think they would, To analyse the different sohemes sent in would be more trouble than forming a now one. The Board saw from tho petition just reooived that tho k matter was a very urgent ono, and whatever ' the Board deoided Upon should be that whioh oould be most expeditiously worked out. . (Hear, hear.) If they werft to work and, expended money on separato pieoos of work without firßt having a definite plan beforo them, they would certainly get into disrepute, and would lay themselves out to ultimately having an abortive scheme. He did not think it should necessary for him to defend bis suggestion that Mr Carruthers, should bo applied to for a scheme. Mr Carruthers' standing as an engineer was boyond quostion, ond when he Baid he was willing to undertake the work he (Mr Wright) thought ' it was a first-class opportunity for any Board to aooept. If it was decided to invite competitive sohemes, the Board would either havo to decide upon the ' erite of them, or to get .on engineer to do so, and b© would ask were tbe members of the Board oompetent to undertake suoh a task, or were they likely to find a competent engineer to decide for them P He would say no to both propositions. The amount of money already expended on the outfall drain j on blocking up tho Forry road drain j on the Liohfleld street water supply • and on the Gasworks drain, should be sufficient to caution the Board not to go in for works without first having a thoroughly definite and reliable plan beforo them. By all means let them get tbo plan as quiok ss they could, but avoid doing work pieoemeal. He thought the Board would do well to get Mr Carruthers to undertake tke whole mattor, and he would move— "That the Board make application to Mr Carruthers to enquire upon

What terms he will undertake to draWiip a comprehensive Bohotno for tho Drainage of the Distriot." ;. : Mr Duncan asked what time would bo likely to elapse beforo levols could bo taken, competitive designs obtainod, and the works oommeneed. Mr Wright said that looking to the magnitude of the works, he would consider quito twelve months would elapse before work oould be oommonood, if this plan was adopted. ' Mr Tanored seoonded the motion. 1 Mr Robs said he agreed with Mr Wright. It would be a tor ri bio obstruction to the Board to have to wait for competitive designs, and that would weigh with him in shelving any proposal of that kind. The next idea would be to get some person of standing to do the work, and if Mr Carruthers would undertake it, he thought the Board might very well aooept his offer. Mr Harman said it soomod to him that the Board oould not wait until a oomploto sohemo waß defined by the process of oompetitivo designs. The time that would bo required for it was suoh, that the Board oortainly oould not afford to wait. Somo temporary sohemo should bo adopted to tide ovor present difficulties, but tho Board could not do tbis without having somo one to adviso tbem, and hero ho thought that tho servioeo of Mr Carruthers would bo of great uso, in that thero wero good mon in the employ of tho Government, and that if Mr Carruthers wns appliod to, ho would bo ablo to reoommond one for the post of engineer, who would bo satisfactory to tho. Board. Personally he did not think that Mr Carruthers from the calls he had on his time could undertake fully a drainage sohemo for the Distriot, and what he would suggest was, that Mr Carruthers or the Ministor for Publio Works should be asked to recommend an Engineer to tho Board, whon thoy would get a man who had already formod his ideas of the plaoe, and had mado up his mind whether he would stop hero or not. If they wero to got an Engineer from England, thoy might find when ho arrived hero that ho did not like to settle in the Oolony. By adopting tho course he had suggested, the man they got would bo ablo to oarry out temporary works foroed on tho Board by oiroumßtanoes, and at the same timo take tho levels of tho Distriot. Anothor reason he had in favour of this was that tho levels should bo takon by a paid offioial of the Board rather than hy piecework or oontraot, This was a very important point. The levels should be taken by somo ono who had nothing to do but his duty to tho Board, and who would not be working against time, as he would be if working by oontraot. , Mr Hall said he would move, as an amend* ment — " That Mr Carruthers bo requested to reoommend some competent Engineer to tako the levels of tho whole of tho Distriot preparatory to inviting tenders for competitive reports for the drainage of tho samo." He said he could not bear Mr Wright out whon ho said it would take twolvo months to commonco work if competitive sohemes woro first invited. Tho very outside timo that in his opinion would be required was six months. Ho agreed with Mr Harman when ho said tho Board should have their own Engineer, and should see that the levels wore taken carefully before inviting tho competitive reports j and; he thought it would be a groat mistako to hurry into any sohemo for draining tho Distriot. Although evory member of tho Board would admit that drainage was very neoessary, and that it should be oarried out , as soon as possible, still tho wholo suoooss of the work dopended upon the soundness of tho sohomo initiated, and therefore it should not lightly or hurriedly bo dealt with. Ho still hold that it would be far the best to got an Engineer to tako tho necessary levols, and then submit tho mattor to publio competition, when Mr Carruthers would no doubt give tho Board advice as to whioh soheme to adopt, Mr Robs sooondod the araondment, Tho Ohairman supported the amendmont, and said ho was quite prepared to givo way on tho quostion bf whether tho levels should bo taken by a salaried officer of the Board or by a oontraot, so long as the engineer who did tho work was well reoommended. „■ Mr Harman askod Mr Hall if he had any objeotion to alter tho last part of his amendment!, bo as to read, " preparatory to obtaining a report for tho drainago of, tho Distriot," Ho thought this alteration desirable, for he was not prepared to say that if the Board obtained a thoroughly good man to tako tho levols,' that they should not be submitted to Mr Carruthers to give a report as to the host sohemo himself. The Ohairman : That would loavo tho wholo question of competitive sohemos to bo dealt with hereafter. Mr Harman: Yes. Mr Hall agreed to aooept the alteration suggested by Mr Harman. Mr Duncan opposed tho amendmont, beoauso waiting for competitive sohomos would involve a delay of six or eight months, and drainage would bo required in tho meantime Mr Harman said his idea was, that the engineer who took the lovols oould carry out any temporary drainage that might bo found neoessary beforo a goneral sohemo was commenced. ' After some further disoussion, tho amend* ment, as amondod by Mr Harman, was put with the following result :— Ayes s Mossrs Hall, Harman, and Ross. Noes : Messrs Tanored, Dunoan, Wright, and Jones. Tho amendment was therefore lost j and on the original motion being put, it was agreed to. The Ohairman said tbat sinoo last meeting ho had thought over the question of valuation, and it was his opinion the Board should write to the City Counoil and Road Boards in the Distriot, stating that as eaoh body required a valuation of property for rating purposes, the Board were prepared to join in the expense of obtaining tho valuations if they had a voice in tho appointment of valuators. Mr Harman said ho agreed with tho Mayor's suggestion, and moved — '» That the Olork be instructed tp writo to the City Counoil, asking if they will join the Board in the expense of preparing a valuation of the City, and that he bo instruoted to write to the Road Boards interested, with a viow to tho obtaining a valuation by their respective valuators, the same as that already supplied to themselves, in order that the work may be efficiently done, and to provent tho confusion likely to arise from having separato valuations.'' Tho motion was sooondod, and agreed to. The Board then adjourned. " Thomas Towsor, aro you guilty or innocent of this Oharge P " askod the iudgo. " May it please your honor," replied Thomas, "I don't want to commit myself." " Ab," said tho judge, blandly, "then I'll save you the trouble, and do it myself. Sixty days."