BOARD OF WORKS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12717, 12 August 1919, Page 6

BOARD OF WORKS.

CITY COUNCIL REQUIRES DATA. At the meeting of the City Council last evening a letter was received from the Drainage Board, enclosing a copy of the resolutions carried at a meeting of local bodies with reference to tlie appointment of the engineer to the Drainage Board, the city engineer and the engineer to the Harbour Hoard, and two accountants to endeavour to evolve a scheme from the proposal submitted by the chairman to me Drainage Board regarding the proposed -Metropolitan hoard of Works, also forwarding the suggested order of reference to be considered by the Commission. Councillor Flesher moved that the letter should be received, and that consideration of the hading should be postponed till a future date, also that the Drainage Board should bo asked to supply copies of the engineer’s scheme, and that the town clerk and the city surveyor should be instructed to go into the cost of carrying out such a scheme? in the more congested areas of the city affected thereby, and the annual cost involved, and the rating. Councillor Flesher said he moved in this direction ! because lie understood that the Drain- j age Board itself had not given close | consideration to the scheme. It was aI ’ case of rather putting the cart before the horse. Figures quoted were to the effect that the present drainage system was equal to serving three times the population now served. The system was by no means overtaxed, and in his opinion the scheme proposed was premature. It covered a very large area that would not be populated for years to come. So far as the city was concerned, they were mostly concerned with the people within their own borders. The recommendations that had come down from the conference were by no means unanimous—they had been carried by one- It seemed to him that by the letter put before them they were going to appoint three engineers to formulate another schemeThey did net need to link up the sparsely populated parts with a sewage system. . Councillor Hunter seconded the motion. The possibility of getting the local bodies to agree to the scheme as laid down, he said, was very remote indeed. Councillor Sullivan thought the matter should ho treated as an entire metropolitan problem and not one as a city of Christchurch problem. It was just as important that the people outside should bo provided with sewerage as those inside the city. It was a matter of health, and he objected to the taking of a parochial tone. He would not oppose, however, the motion of Councillor Flesher, so that they should have all available data. Councillor Burgoyne, in opposing the motion, said that if Councillor Flesher was going to wait until he got the data requested, he was going to wait about two years. Councillor Armstrong said the expense involved in complying with the letter would not be heavy, and would not bind the council to anything at all. He saw nothing in the proposal to take ( exception to. Councillor Agar said he had come to the conclusion that they should go out to establish a Metropolitan Board of Works, and then let it consider and parry out a policy. The motion was carried. The Woolston Borough Council, at its meeting last evening received a letter from the Christchurch Drainage Board’s secretary, submitting the resolution passed at the recent conference regarding the proposal to establish a Metropolitan Board of Works, and also the suggested order of reference for the proposed Compiission to inquire into the whole matter. After a long discussion as to whether the council would be liable for a share of the cost if it took anv further action in the consideration of the proposal was deferred for a fortnight.