WATER BOARD BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 227, 25 September 1930, Page 8

WATER BOARD BILL.

OPPOSITION VOICED.

ONE AUTHORITY ONLY URGED

■r»*. -■' ; , fCHAMBER OF .COMMERCE VIEWS

Opposition to _the ..Auckland Provin-; ;!c3al Wa.tet Board Bill; at present-"bofore' 'parliament was voiced.at this morning's, Meeting ibf the "fcouncil o.f -the Chamber, of) Commerce.'. •.,;;• '. , ;'. : . . ;i|On the. recommendation of .the ex-ecn-"Hre it .was, decided ■ to-,.op,i»ose the, pro!,|>psal ,to , set .up another authority 'to •(lontrpl a'public utility .in Auckland, and ifsie opiriion was expressed that if' the iiSPa'ter, .Bill' was- passed' , it ■ sh'ould; be ]p]tered >'p. as; to provide lor th'e ■ Nyhdle ;Sf 'the,'ivater eupp.ly.'of thbj'city' «irjd 'districts .being .brought ;'lin;stgr 'one controlling 'authority- ''■'■'['."■ jfllt was urged by JJr. L.- A; ,ta.&y. that it. would,, be calamitpys : to have, two ■;;Etuthorities supplying water 'in'the. AuckjjfMidr metropolitan -it, would, me/m'jif/the.-liilj-were; "The 'City Xjouaicil. JiacT- .capital "amounting-; tq on; and thai was.a ■bur4en r tliat'was' caiTied: bj the.'ciiy ratepayers• for : :|he ,-puiipose ;of siippiyihg..water to rthe: iwhole. of. a po:pulatio« of .230,000; people: ■'m the bill. took-, effect ;it ;would mean ||haVa-?largc number.of the.council's conj'iumers would "be-.cut off from the supply Hijh'd : an large burden would be ;ip3|aced en the city ratepayers. ■ ■ I? According : to Mf. ; ' T. 'Mclndoc the policy of the City Council had contributed largely to the discontent that existed among other local bodies over the water supply. The council'had accumulated profits from water amount"jgg to £400,000, and some portion of ftfiat should have ibeeurpassed on to the bodies who drew, on the supply, fife' lar'geT emjpace "towns",in" tlie "Waikatd district *hich Avere. sadly.- iu...need. of adequate Ij|ater supplies. : * ;§-The- chairman j Mr. M. ■ Stewart., asked !# it was n.o.t ■possible, to include the J#ity Council in the proposed "Water :]poard. . , , - • : ? Mr".' Mclridde 'thought that the'council should be incTiidedT and pointed out i|ha€'he : -vvas' 'not opposing- the r-esblu-He'thought that Mr. Eady, as a ■jjnembpr. of, the jcouncjl, ; was. trying'.to ;?lield the .Ci.ty-. Council, i ; ■ . " . |§ilt was "explained that •Mγ.' Eady. was ffixt -a- member of the : present • council'. ; 'I* In ' tintesj of- financial s'tress , such as •ffae '.present Mr. Ai G.- Jiuhn"'did 'not? ;|bnsiJier : -it .necessary; "to ; haVe. Hwd . -to tover -'the'dne- : area' with .Np-Cfdi-erhmeri't with any 'sense .of should corteider such sL proposal at the present juncture. If anything -were done it should be in the direction of forming a co-operatiy6 asso«ciation to rbring about a , revision of water : charges. .