RANGIORA DRAINAGE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19032, 21 June 1927, Page 7

RANGIORA DRAINAGE.

ADDRESS BY DR. TELFORD. A meeting of ratepayers convened to permit the District Health Officer, Dr. T. F.. Telford, to give an address on the necessity for tha installation of a water supply and drainage scheme for tho borough, was held in the Bangiora Town Hall last night. The Mayor, Mr \Y. A. Bowse, presided over an attendance of about 80 ratepayer*. Dr. Telford referred tc> the requisition for the installation of water and drainage schemes at a cost not exceeding £35,000 sorved on the borough by the Board of Health in consequence of a • loan proposal for a more comprehensive scheme being rejected. The modified echeme,. he said, would be of benefit to only the very central part of the- town, but the - whole of the borough would have to bear : the cost. He had come to appeal to the to consider--taking another poll on the original scheme, restricted to a somewhat smaller aiea than previously proposed. All who paid would then derive direct benefit from thb scheme, otherwise the only benefit would bo that 'tha business area would have better sanitation and a good water He stressed the liability of the contamination of the- existing water supply by household drainage as in most cases the sections in the inner area were too small. to absorb properly the surface drainage and would in time become water-logged. . He replied tj questions by the Borough Council and stated definitely that the Board of. Health would not be satisfied with the installation of a water supply scheme only as a drainage scheme alone. He said that ho would be prepared to suspend action under the requisition for four months to allow the ratepayers to approach the Borough Council with a request that another poll be taken, as the Board's scheme was certainly not satisfactory, and he wanted to see a scheme suitable to all installed. After answering numerous questions, Dr. Telford reiterated that ho would give the ratepayers four months in which to approach the Council with a request for another poll. He condemned the scheme advocated by the last Council as too comprehensive, as it embraced laud not .ikely to become thickly populated for many years It also was bad judgment on the part of the last Council Chat he had not been asked to come and put his facts before the ratepayers and advise them why they should have supported the poll before the eve of tho poll. All were to be that the borough had escaped an epidemic in the past, but that was more a matter of good luck than good management. A vota of thanks was passed to Dr.. Telford for attending the meeting.