WATER SUPPLY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1285, 13 April 1860, Page 3

WATER SUPPLY.

The object of the petition (o the Superintendent, appended hereto, is to get the " rate question" properly ventilated in Council. For obvious reasons we do not enter at present fully into the question, but offer a few observations, in elucidation of the proposal. One thing is clear, that if a rate be not passed, authorising either the Provincial Government or the Water Company to collect, no money can be borrowed ; as the rate becomes, in fact, the guaranteed interest to the shareholders, or debenture holders — debentures being issued by the Water Company with a guaranteed interest. If th« Company be authorised to levy a rate of £3000 per annum from Auckland and the Suburbs, that would guarantee an interest of 5 per cent, on the capital required— £6o,ooo. The Company, however, would raise £40,000 in the home market on their Debentures, giving, say 6 per cent, interest. The Company would risk the profit to pay the shareholders the interest on the balance of capital required, £20,000, upon the sale of water in country aad town. Auckland and Suburbs, for the annual payment of £3000, would kaye the water brought to their doors, and have the use of a water supply for all public purposes, — fire plugs, flushing drains, watering streets, &c. Parties wishing a supply for domestic purposes would be supplied by the Company at a rate, say not exceeding 3s. per 1000 gallons. This plan, it is assumed, would get over the compulsory payment for the water supply whether used or not, with the exception of course of the small compulsory rate of £3000. This would be about 30s. a home in Auckland and Parnell (as^is). The other plan is rating dwellings at 6 per cent, on rental, shops and stores afc 45., compulsory payment, whether water is used or not. This would yield £5000 a year from Auckland and Parnell, at the present rate of rent.

To His Honor the Supebiktendeot op the Provikce op Auckland. The Petition of the undersigned respecfully sheweth, — That your Petitioners having carefully considered the various means by which the City can be supplied with Water, believe that this object can be most desirably effected by the EsUbbshment of a Public Company, to carry out the Plans proposed by Mr. J. Stewart. And that the Capital required to be raised •will be about Sixty Thousand Pounds. That your Petitioners are prepared to set on foot such a Company, but that before incurring expenses and liabilities in so doing, it is desirable to know whether your Honor's Government will be prepared to lecommend the Provincial Legislature to adopt an Act conferring upon the Company the necessary powers for executing their Works, and for obtaining an adequate return for their outlay. In order to effect this list object, two modes have suggested themselves to your Petitioners, viz. :•— lst. For powers to be inserted in the Act enabling the Company to levy a late upon City and Suburban Property calculated to yield a Revenue of about Five Thousand Pounds per annum. And your Petitions believe that a further income could be obtained from the supply of Water to Houses along the Line, which the Mains would pursue from Onehunga to the City, and from other sources sufficient in all to make up a net return of eight per cent, on the estimated capital. The second mode and the one which in some respects seems to your Petitioners least open to objection is, for the Government to secure to the proposed Company a Revenue of Three Thousand Pounds per annum, in return for the benefit to be derived by the Public from their enterprise, the Company ■gaging for that sum to lay down suitable Fire Plugs at proper intervals in all the Streets of the City, and to furnish Water for the extinction of Fires, for Watering the Streets, Flushing Sewera and for all other Public purposes. The Company would, in this case also, engage to supply Water to Private dwellings, Manufactories, &c., &c, at rates not exceeding Three Shillings per One Thousand Gallons, and would trust to the payments for these and similar private supplies to make up the necessary income. Your Petitioners therefore pray that your Honour will take these proposal into your favourable consideration and will at an early period bring before the Provincial Legislature one or other of the suggested Plans or such modification of either ofjthem as your Honour may after consultation deem most desirable in order that your Petitioners may without delay prepare such a Bill as will accord with the views of your Honour and the Provincial Council, and may proceed with the other necessary preparatory stepi for effecting this most desirable undertaking. (Signed) J. Logan Campbell, " Theoph. Heale, " J. A. GILFILLAN, " Thomas Rossell, " Abch. Clauk. The petition has been referred, on motion of Dr. Pollen, to a Select Committee of the Provincial Council, report to be brought up on Tuesday.

Late last night we were visited by a settler the Wade of several years' standing, who informed us that on Sunday last a party of natives belonging to Maketu, but who have been lately digging gum at Okara, called at his brother's house in that district, giving him friendly warning to leave his homestead, as it •was their intention, in case news should arrive from Taranaki that any of their relatives had been killed by the Europeans there, to take utu on their account, and to join in a rising in the North could any such be effected. It is always possible that a stray party in the North may commit outrages, but we have no apprehension generally about the Northern tribes. Ngapuhi in particular, we are informed, would be well pleased to see W. Kingi's party get a good thrashing.