Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Life in Early Poverty Bay

The Perils of Open Drains

The Perils of Open Drains.

Mr. Smith recalls some of the early Borough Council work with a great deal of amusement. “Soon after being formed,” he remarked, “the Council set to work to improve Gladstone Road. The first requirement appeared to be efficient drainage and so the Council had a deep drain dug along the roadside from Roebuck Road to Carnarvon Street. This certainly helped to draw off a great part of the surface water, but, in those days, we had nothing in the nature of street lights. In conseouence people using the road were continually stumbling into the drain and even the cushion of water at the bottom for them to fall on did not alleviate their indignation at all. Finally, so many protests came into the Council that these authorities were compelled to take the only possible course and have the drain filled up.