DRAINAGE FOR GISBORNE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2326, 20 October 1908, Page 5

DRAINAGE FOR GISBORNE.

TWO SCHEMES CONSIDERED

THE DISCUSSION ADJOURNED

A special meeting of tho Gisborne Borough Council was held last night to consider the' question of drainage for Gisboi'iie. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr. W. D. Lysnar), Crs. Williams,. Matin*, SomerThe "Mayor said that from a schedule prepared by the Town Clerk it was shown that, on a 2s. rate, they could have the streets loan expenditure and recreation grounds'expenditure and all roads maintained, and this would give a sufficient surplus to pay the drainage rate for over five years. It was a very satisfactory position, and they had nothing to fear, but to go ahead, and- not alone would the saving from the streets pay the drainage rate for -five years, but it would go a great way towards paying it after that period. He hoped* tho Council would approach tho echemo jn an unbiassed way. Ho did not blind what engineer was engaged, but lie did mind what scheme

was adopted. The rate on Mr. Jickcll’s scheme would be Is 2d, while that on Mr. iMestayer’s would be Is 9d, a difference of 7d in the rate. The annual expenditure of Mr. Jickell’s scheme would be £7OO, while Mr. Mestayer’s was £2OOO. Jn Mr. Jickell’s scheme the machinery was only a stand-by, while in Mr. Mestayer’sit was necessary. Another important matter was that,in Mr. Mejjtayer’s scheme drainage was treated' from a long distance and liable to go wrong, while in Mr. Jickell’s it was impossible for anything to go wrong as the sewerage was gravitated; to the pump. Every point was in favor of Mr. Jickell’s scheme, and his outfall sewer, tank would collect the sewerage when the tide was corning in, and ‘automatically let it go when the tide was going out.- No'portion of the Borough was left out in Mr. Jickell’s estimate, every part being provided for. He would suggest that they adopt Mr. Jickell’s scheme, which was -a prudent one, and only meant borrowing £70,000, £20,000 per year to be spent for the first three and a-half years, and the -whole scheme to be completed in seven years. The matter of house connections should be placed separate!\«before the ratepayers to allow them to express their opinions differently. It was quite possible that Mr. Mestayer’s scheme would be a success, -but at a very great cost, and lie would be. pleased if any Councillor could show him any, advantages in Mr. Mestayer’s scheme. He wanted what was best for the borough, and, as a small town, they could not face tho difficulty of miles and miles of air main's, where it was so difficult to locate any leaf.

Cr. Mann said lie wanted to see drainage for Gisborne, but Mr. Jickell’s name at tlio foot of a report did not carry the same weight with him as did that of Mr. Mestayer. He would’bo pleased to be convinced that the scheme was sound, as it would moan lessened annual expenditure. Mr. Jickeil had also given an estimate of £30,000 for draining Gisborne —which ho had never seen —and this tlie speaker thought was a most unprofessional thing to do. ■ He claimed that they had to go very cautiously, and before asking the ratepayers to adopt this proposal, should bo sure that they could look on Mr. Jickeil as being an eminent authority. He did not know Mr. Jickeil, but his report did not appear to carry the same weight as that of Mr. Mestayer. >

The Mayor said that in several places "Mr. Jickell had been' called in where Mr. Mestayer had been engaged, where the work had gone all jvrong, and Air. .Jickell had-been engaged to set it right. Cr. Somervell said that from an economical point of view Air. JickeM’s scheme commended itself to the pockets-- of the ratepayers. The scheme contained a great deal of originalitv, but he could not say that he thought it would be successful. He thought that, the two reports should be- submitted to some other qualified engineor to report on them. There was too much risk for him to decide which was the better of the two schemes, although lie knew which was the-cheaper. . . •Or. Williams- said that to Ins mind Air. Jickell’s report had one groat advantage in that it proposed to deal with a great part of the borough by gravitation. The'great objection was the proposal to discharge the sewerage on the Kaiti beach, and the proposal to syphon the sewerage on to the Kaiti' side. There wag- only a slight fall from the AVhataupoko to the Kaiti side, and it seemed to him doubtful if the syplion system would ho workable. As regarding pumping, lie was not clear bow AH’. Jickell pioposed to pump the sewerage, whether it was a suction pumn or not. The great point of Air. Alo s tayer’s scheme was that it. could be constructed piecemeal, and when all parts wore completed they would dipvetail and they would have a complete scheme. All the drainage that was required for many years could bo obtained for an expenditure of £90,000. He could quite see the- difficulty of locating - a leak in an air main, but the pipes would be easily got at, as they would not he very deep do wn in the ground . Ho agreed 'with Or. Somervell anil hardly felt competent to. ho asked to decide between the two engineers reports, and thought that they should get another opinion from as .eminent an authority as Mr Mestayer.. Like Cr Afann, he hardly attached as much weight-to the report of Mr. Jickell as to that of Air. Mestayer. Ho su"nested that the opinion of some authority in AVellington would be of value, as he would have a good_opportunity of studying the Shone system. The absorbent soil of Gisborne had stood to them in the past, and it was possible, that with a system of drainage they might even he worse oft than they were at present. He wanted to see drainage introduced, and Mr. Mestayer’s scheme commended itself to him, in every particular, except that'Air. JicklFs scheme provided for the drainage of a large portion of -the borough by gravitation 'Or. Sawyer asked if it were necessary for the details of the scheme to lie -placed before’the ratepayers before they were asked to sanction a loan. The Alayor said, that it was only necessary to ;let the ratepayers know what scheme they intended to adopt. Cr. Sawyer said that another report would cost at least £SO. Or. Pettio agreed with other sltoak-

ors that the matter should be approached with caution. Apart from tho"expense, Mr, Mestayer’s scheme .appeared to him to be perfect in every detail, and under liis scheme there was' no .possibility of tho sewerage being washed up on either of the beaches. At a full meeting', of the Council they were unanimous against carrying tlio sewerage on to the Haiti beach. This'"would bo a very grave mistake, and lie thought they should have further advice. Flo did not like many tilings in Mr. JiekelJ’s report,' and the pumping station and tank proposed by him would be, in time, in the very centre of tho town. Ho also wanted to see drainage introduced, and was pleased to think that they could have Mr Mestayer’s scheme without any increased rates, as'well as they could have Mr. .Jickell’s. The whole of tlio ratepayers should be rated for tho outfall sew.er, and as the sections were brought into it they could pay tor it. For many years the expenses would not be more than thoy could'undertake. If they -were -going to make it a charge over the whole •borough he felt they would not get it carried: Before going further ho would like to see the matter discussed at a fuller meeting of tlio 'Council, and then for the Council to -lie unanimous in what they put before the ratepayers. Ho wa-s with thoso who wished to proceed with caution, and would like to see the meeting adjourned for a fuller attendance of Councillors.

The .Mayor said that he was very sorrv that any reference had Leon made as to. the standing of the tuo engineers. He had wired to Nelson and Fielding, and. found that they had been dissatisfied with Mr. Mestayer’s work, and on one occasion his serviced had been dispensed with and Mr. Jickeil had been employed to set tlio matter right. While this was the case with Mr. Mestayer, there was aiothing to be said against Mr., Jickell’s work, and wherever he bad been nothing but good was reported of him. The Mayor went on to deal with the various points raised by Councillors against Mr. Jickell’s echemo. Regarding the feeling that another opinion should bo obtained, he was not averse to it,, but failed to see -how it would be serviceable at this juncture. He suggested that the Council approve of Mr. Jickell’s scheme as against Mr. Mestayer’s, the work to be carried out by a resident engineer, to be appointed by the Council. He asked them to benefit by the experience of their water supply, where tlie work was left in the hands of an outside engineer, and which -lie claimed was a failure. /If the Council were not satisfied-with the.work of the resident engineer, then woxild be tlie time to get- another outside opinion. He was quite prepared to leave the matter a little longer for a fuller meeting, but not one argument had been advanced that affected the merits of Mr. Jickell’s scheme as-against that of Mr. Mestayer. Cr. Pettic said that the Council had already approved of Mr. Mestayer’s scheme, and before going on. it would be necessary for that resolution to be rescinded.

The'Mayor said he was very pleased with tho. remarks made by the Councillors during the discussion. They had alre.uly paid Air. liay over £3OOO and a great saving would have been effected by the of a regient engineer, whom tneywould have got for £IOO or £SUO. 'He hoped the Council would be unanimous in approving of Mr. Jiekcll’s scheme .. The question of obtaining a further expert opinion was deferred, Cr. Pet-tic pointing out that there might be some difficulty in getting the resolution of the Council approving of Mr. Mestaverbs scheme, rescinded. Eventually, on the motion of the Mayor, it was decided to adjourn the discussion until a future special meeting, the date of which will be fixed at the ordinary meeting of the Council to-night.