NEWTON WATER SUPPLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 186, 9 August 1898, Page 4

NEWTON WATER SUPPLY.

We would remind the ratepayers of the Surrey and Sussex Wards in the Boroiifrh of Kewt.on that to-morrow they will be required to decide whether the Council shall be empowered to borrow £1,400 for the purpose of extending the water mains in the above wards. It should not bo necessary for us to impress on the ratepayers of these wards the necessity that exists for this work. They themselves must be well aware how'neccs-

sar,« for the convenience of the householders, and the safety of houses from fire the proposed extension of the water supply is, and how much-the work when finished is sure to enhaiice the value of nil propert.y in the district. As matters now stand a number of residences in the wards are without water or are very inadequately supplied by a half-inch pipe, which is barely sufficient for household gpurposes, and would be of no use hrcase of fire. Indeed, in the.wards as a whole there is no provision made for that disastrous contingency. Considering' the rapidity with which this j>art of Auckland is progressingl, it is quite time this condition of things was rectified, and we cannot imagine that those whom it is intended to benefit chiefly will do otherwise than vote to-morrow in favour of the loan. If • additional considerations than "those we have referred to are necessary to induce them to pull together in this matter, we might point to the really admirable way in Avhich the Council has managed its finances, and to the fact, that the people of Surrey Hills have for the past ten years been paying' the 4d rate, for water, though they were not connected with the mains. With regard to the first matter it is not generally known that the Newton Borough Council, to call it by its old name, will have paid off, by November next, £1400 of the £2500 borrowed in ISSS on acocunt of water works, so that the original liability of the Borough is notincreasedbythe new loan. That is to say there will be no additional taxation necessary. Indeed the sum required to meet the interest on the new loan and the outstanding part of the old one (£1,100) will be less than, was needed originally to pay the interest on the latter, for the Council can now raise the money at 4A per cent, instead of at G per cent, as formerly. Altogether no objection can be taken to the scheme, and we anticipate that the ratepayers of the Surrey and Sussex Wards will endorse this opinion in a body at the poll tomorrow. If they do there is little doubt that Richmond will follow in their steps at no distant date.