DRAINAGE SCHEME FOR PICTON.

PROPOSED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE RATEPAYERS.

At a special meeting of the Picton Borough Council on Monday night the resolution of the old Council that a poll be taken on a proposal "That the sum of £2500 be borrowed for the purpose of erecting a septic tank for laying down a drainage scheme for Auckland Street, High Streets, parts of Wellington, Dublin, and Taranaki Streets, and the Crescent," was confirmed by seven votes to two. The Mayor (Dr. Redman) said the basis of the loan had been estimated on the report and plans of Mr Leslie Reynolds. The responsible officers of the Health Department favoured the scheme in its entirety as the best and most reasonable for the town.

Cr. Philpotts opposed the scheme. The Council should have been satisfied with a, scheme embracing the main streets only. Blenheim, with four times the population, had no drainage scheme. He considered that with the assistance of "the natural facilities for drainage in Picton, if people could not keep their premises clean, they were a very dirty lot. In reply to Cr. Pugh, the Town Clerjc- estimated that to produce interest of, say, 4 per cent, on £2500, it would require a rate of fd in the £, if levied on the capital value, or l|d in the £ on the unimproved value. Cr. Simmonds said he felt convinced the poll would not be carried. In reply to the discussion, the Mayor said they were all well aware that a serious menace to the public health of the community existed in Wellington Street, and it was to remove this trouble that the drainage scheme for the inner area was first proposed. The Borough reserve in that locality had been leased for long terms, and extensive buildings had been erected. It was the Council's duty, therefore,,to abate any nuisance that had a,risen before the sections were taken over. If any Councillor would bring, forward a more inexpensive scheme it would doubtless be fairly considered^ 'but he thought the scheme before them would prove the most satisfactory in the end. The annual rents accruing" from the Wellington Street sections would amount to about £103, which would be a setoff to the money payable in interest on the loan.

Cr. Philpotts did not think the scheme would: do away with the nuisance complained of. If two years' income from the reserve was expended in reclamation .work, and carrying the pipes a greater distance out, it would do all that-was required.