THE EASTBOURNE POLL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1058, 22 February 1911, Page 6

THE EASTBOURNE POLL

iTO BE TAKEN TO-DAY. IMPORTANT LOAN PROPOSALS. . At a poll to bo taken to-day Eastbourne ratepayers will bo invited to voto upon a loan proposal of considerable importance. Two questions will be submitted: First, whether a loan of .£9OOO shall bo raised to provido tho borough with a water 6upply alone, or, alternately, whether a loan of .£17,500 shall bo obtained to cover the cost of both water supply and drainage services. At present tho borough is undrained, so far as a sewerage system. is concerned, and for their water supply residents are dependent cither upon tanks, wells, or email private reservoirs, of which a number exist in tho borough. Tho proposals to bo submitted to tho ratepayers -to-day are approved by soven members of tho Borough Council (including tho Mayor), but aro opposed by two councillors. Before deciding to submit tho matter to the ratepayers the council had tentatively entertained a number of water supply proposals, but discarded them after consideration. For a time hopes wero entertained that water might bo" won from artesian sources, and, - later, it was suggested that a supply might be brought into tho borough by a branch lino from tho Wainui main. A third proposal was that a municipal supply should be obtained from a number of small water-courses on the hillside in tho immediate neighbourhood of tho borough. Each scheme in .-n was rejected as being too expensive or otherwise impracticable. ' The .Water Scheme. The schemes which Eastbourne ratepayers will bo asked to adopt or reject to-day havo been framed by Mr. It. L. Mestayer, of Wellington, after personal inspection of the areas concerned. Tho source from which it is proposed to obtain a water supply is Gollan's Stream, which runs through a valloy bearing tho pamo name. Mr. Mestayer has reported that bv building a dam 10 feet high across tho valley two and a half million gallons of water can be. impounded. Ho estimates that under the scheme a supply would be provided sufficient for the needs of a population of five thousand. A Government analyst's report, obtained by the council, shows tho water to bo very pure. ' The Drainage Proposal, In framing a drainage scheme Mr. Mestayer. has divided tho borough into three areas. Sewage in each area would gravitate to one station in that area. Proceeding alternately by gravity and at the impulse of automatic hydraulic lifts it would bo conveyed to a single septic tank at the southern extremity of the borough. A circular issued by the council states' that to cover interest and sinking fund on tho water supply loan of .£SOOO, a rato of three farthings in the £ on rateablo capital value would bo required. Tho combined water and sewcrogo schemo loan of .£17,500 would necessitate a rate of a penny and two-fifths in'tho X. Some of tho Pros and Cons,, ■ Actively supported as it is "by a majority ot the Uorough Council tho proposal to provido Eastbourno with municipal water and drainage services has aroused a certain amount of organised opposition. Opponents baso their bland mainly on tno contentions that tho schemes, however good they may bo, aro premature, and against tho present interests of the borough. They stato that Eastbourno has a permanent residential popiilation of only 500, that tho existing facilities aro sufficient in tho meantime and that it , would be unwise tb burden tho borough, thus early in .its career, with the indebtedness which must bo incurred if the schemes nro carried out. Thoso who support tho loan proposals on tho other hand state that the population of Eastbourno at tho height of tho season is fully 1500 and is increasing with each succeeding season. It is essential, they contend, that provision should bo mado for water and drainago whero a population of this mpgnitudo has to bo catered for. They claim that boforo steps are taken to induce an increaso of population it is desirable to havo water and drainago system that will mako tho increase possible without endangering tho health of the community. Further, they emphasise that for tho benofits provided the cost is relatively low. Amongst these benefits they enumerate a practicnlly unlimited supply of pure water, a lowering of insurance rates consequent UDon the introduction of greatly improved facilities for fire prevention, and elimination of an obnoxious sanitary system and a saving of its'cost. , ' '■•■•• Upon theso ooposed contentions the ratepayers will ndiudicate to-day. _ For convenience of nolling a booth will bo provided in tho city at Mr. J. D. Avory's oflirn, '145 Featherston Streot, as well as at Eastbourne., ■