ROSENEATH'S WANTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 540, 22 June 1909, Page 3

ROSENEATH'S WANTS.

' WATER, LIGHT, AND'ROADING. MEBTiNG.-op. Ratepayers' associa- .•'•'.; ■•■ . '■■' won.. : ■■■ -■■/'■■■ : The annual meeting of the' Roseneath and Oriental Bay Ratepayers' Association was held in.■ the,Roseneath Schoolroom yesterday .evening," Mr. /H/'NV-Liardet presiding-,over an attendance of'about a dozen members. ■ ' A .resolution as , to whether the association should.disband .because of. the apathy of-the ratepayers ,of. the'district-was tabled,' but it was decided, that the association ehould continue in existence, arid strive to strengthen its membership rolh . ■• • •...'■ . ■:■ Mr. H.jLliardet' was elected president for. the ensuing year, and Mr. T.iW. Ward was elcoted:hon.:a(;cretary. :■■' . . , ' The. chairman, expressed his regret' that the president (Mr.:C-Mohaghan) was unable to be present, ,on account'of ill-health, and .also voiced- his surprise at tie small attendance. His; experience ,was that citizens would' growl energetically, but would take no active interest in-forwarding their affaire. • He was sure it only needed a little unity to get what the district rewired.■•; Tho condition of .the Streets and/the, ligbtiiig. of the. district were a' disgrace, not to the City Council, but-to the'peo-' pie, living.in' the district. It was• absolutely dangerous .to lifo- and limb, to go down some of the ■ streets, at, night .time. The gas power appeared .to be all right, but the lamps were broken- and badly wanted ■ looting .after.. The whole trouble was that the people would not interest themselves in the matters.' He thought it would be a good,.thing if the meeting elected a; number of delegates to wait on the City ! Council, and- ask them; to' look- round the dieTiot a : little more, often than-they-do. He was perfectly certain the councillors.were reasonable men, and would-see that the roads and lights were attended to if. they- saw their, con-' ditiori. The water supply required attention at once., At .present,- if a house on tho. high eyels. caught was a case of pick up your aat and walk out, : and watch your house burn. ..There was-no reason-why this condition should obtain. The ; people should demand the :imPf o , ve ™ ent ;. of -the, water, lighting, and roads', and they.had every right , to enjoy the priviiteges of .citizens in the' city.' .• They' had to pay rates, and'should demand a quid pro quo. He hoped this meeting would be the' beginning of a.new.iera-in the-district! ■'..■'■■• .!" • Commenting on the need for a-high-pressure water supply, Mr. Brook-Taylor urged that the matter-of the promised-reservoir should be pushed ahead.; The council: had been waited on time after time, but the. deputations had invariably been , .put off. The'streets and the lighting ; also repaired immediate ■ attention: Mr. Taylor'moved that this meeting-appoint a-deputation to wait on. the council in Tefer-' ence .to ..the high-pressure , , water supply-fand roadinp. . '. .....■;", ■ Ur. Bridge thought: it;' would. be a waste- of energy.to"ui-ge,the council to,continue the reservoir work at once' on account of the state of the finances .of the. city and the decision' to pursue a cours9 of ecoriomyV What they could-do was to agitate for a better water service than at present; ■ The.water! was.frequently, cut off from, morning , .to .night, .and he thought this should.not be. -The association should find out what .it. paid'in rates and,what;was spent on tho-district. If :tho money spent wasndt in Proportibn.to the rates paid" the association would, havei -a: good-case .when.;it' urged its claims on the oonncil /for street improvement and. lighting, which .were urgently needed. •- . Mr. : wjjhet"thought it wasilike'ohasine fliei the association.asßng the council for flie re-' servoir: • and he, personally, was disheartened with the whole business." Hβ paid his rates, but.he was sure he did not got value for them. Hβ was tod of striving and intended giving Up. ; ■■•■■-.■ ~;, , -.'.• •■■■.:.■■:■' ...:,-.• •;•■:■■ .'•..-•,. . .Another speaker pointed out' that -the city already-had the land for the reservoir, and had receivednt: for nothing. The council had been the condition of the.streets,and .lighting; but Kosoneath had been shelved time and again. To judge of.the-lighting.they only had to look at it. that night.. '.. ■-.., -\. ~,,.■. ...:./. >• .Mr,. Ward, .in. reply to ; a questions stated'that when Melrcise, was. taken-over by ithecitj•, thefo was. a;certain amount .of money to be : spent on the., outlying, districts,-, and--.within. three' years water.and.drainage wa?:.tp .be,given: Further, a je3o,oooloan was.to be;spent in Melrose. Th'e' loan 'was raised and duly .wasted/ ftoseneath's share: was spent , making a motor road round (Evans which-road was certainly: for the' motorists, more, than residents*.- of the ; suburb. This: was. not,.,what, was wanted. -The money' should hays;been spent on the whole district, and.if this, had been done'the.v would not have been .urpng now, for roads, lighting, and .water. He considered thJre was hope for theihigh-pros. sure, water; supply scheme, and it was a good hope.., The.present Mayor,-Dr. , Ne'wmari, in hia election campaign, had promised'to do his utmost .to get.the water -for. the .district, and he (the speaker) believed the Mayor, was willing tfr' day to fulfil me promise, andthere wefe'other members of, the council -whoVwquld ;.support him. What,-wis'needed..was the energy of ;the district to ■ back up -an. agitation. . The ■ apathy shown in ths district was enough to kill anyone interested in the district. ■: . . . . , , The resolution, was .carried, 1 , .and Messrs. Liardet, Bridge,- and Launder were appointed , to represent the association' on the deputation to ■ thocouncil. An arrauceihent was madp whereby certain .residents ■ of ;.Hawker Street - and Shainon Street aroto be the deputation./: