Evening Post. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1892. THE DRAINAGE POLL.

Evening Post, Volume XLIV, Issue 74, 24 September 1892, Page 2

Evening Post. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1892. THE DRAINAGE POLL.

■ ♦ On Monday the ratepayers of Wellington will bo called on to vote regarding one of the most important and momentous questions on which they have ever been required to oast their ballots. The question is, Drainage or no drainage? On Monday's vote will dopend whether the methods which modern science provides ehall be used to oleanao our oity and remove the pregnant causes of disease and death, so that it may be a healthful and pleasant place of abode, or whether those who have to live in the oity shall be doomed to dwell amidst stinks and miasmata, yearly rendering tribute to the grave in the form of victims from their families, whoso lives will be sacrificed to easily removable and preventable causes. If the decision is against the Drainage Loan we shall not envy the feelings of those whose votes produce such a result, when in future years they contemplate the terrible death-roll, and reflect that on them rests a large degree of responsibility for tho continued fatal ravages of febrile and zymotic diseases, especially the dreaded typhoid. More poignant will be their regrets for ill • advised action should victims be selected from their own family or friendly ciroles. We hope, however, that tho good sense of the majority will save the minority from themselves, and from the possible consequenoes of their own opposition to the adoption of a proper system of sanitary provision. We ask the ratepayers of the City not to be led away by any false issues. The question is really and only, drainage or no drainage? The Drainage Board cry is only raised to confuse the plain issue, and to gain votes by false pretences. Those who raise it are either insincere or ignorant of the actual facts. Some of those who are really inciting the cry are using it wholly and solely as a means of defeating the raising of a loan under any circumstances for drainage purposes. If a Board were constituted to-morrow, they would seek to defeat its objoct, and prevent its action, as they are now doing in the case of the City Council. They laugh at the teachings of scionoe, would have the harbour jontinue to be polluted with the sewage of tho city, and contend that Wellington is healthy enough, and drainage an unnecessary modorn luxury. As a matter of fact a Drainage Board is at present an impossibility. If there was earnestness in the desire for one, the time for action has passed. Those who are now crying out were silent when the subject was first ventilated in our columns more than a year ago. They expressed no opinion when the subject was discussed and the proposal strongly condemned by the Premier on the stage of the Opera House during the election in January last. The eleotors then marked their approval. of tho Premier's condemnation of

a Dr.iimi',"' J)o.ird by electing Mr. M'Lean, wlicijo cause the Premier was advocating when he condemned the proposal. The presont agitators were quiescent when, prior to the hcsiiuii and during the time the preparation of the Bill vras before the City Council, \vo again drew attention to the Bourd question. They allowed the Bill to bo advertised and to pass through Parliament without saying a word in favour of the constitution of a Drainage Boald} bufe now. when the Hill hit a become [*w and the work has been entrusted to the City Council, they begin to howl. It is very doubfful v;hethor Parliament would have sanctioned the creation of a Drainage Board, because there te A feeling against the multiplication of lrioal bodies growing up. but if Metsm. Maekell &. Co. were sincere in their profession of desire to see drainage curried out under a Board, why did they not move in the matter when their action might have proved effective? We bclioro their rfoiife 1-5 simply to prevent the drainage scheme being cairied out by either Council or Board. The demand for a Board is a mere blind. They desire to delay the raiding of the loan in the hope that delay will lead to nltimate total defeat. They know well that it is extremely improbable that Parliament would next session pass a measure constituting a Drainage Board. Next session will be the last of tho Parliament, and a measure of this kind, to which there Would be sure to be «trong opposition, would have very little chanoe of getting through. Even f it were to pass, another year would be lost in commencing the sanitary works. Probably, indeed, the delay would extend to nearly two yearn, because if a Board irere conftittfted it wouM tako many months before it oould be in working order, and be able to do anything practical. In the meantime, scores, if not hundreds, of valuable lives would be sacrificed to typhoid and its kindred. Delays are proverbially dangorouH. Such delay as is now sought for would be fatal. And even if a Drainage Board were constituted, the citizens -wduld hare to pay pretty dearly for it. Tho Board would require offices, secretary, rate collector, &c, of its own, all involving expense vrhich tho Council dftn Save by the dnipldyinent of its ordinary staff. More than this, the Board would bo compelled to levy a special rato to moet tho whole 6i the interest on the loan, and the cost pi maintenance and administration. TB'O Board vronhi require to rtvieo, .29075 fof Interest an<J (.inking fund, .£2OOO for management of tho works, and, say, another .£IOOO for its own office expenses—or in all. some .£12,000. As a penny rate is equal to .£1350, it is evident that tho Board could not do with less than a rato of lOd in the .£. The City Council can meet all the charges with an additional rate of 4d in the <fi, because it can utilise resourtios which tho Board would not have at its command. Are tho ratepayers prepared to submit to an extra sixpenny rate as tho price they would have to pay fofc a Drainage Board ? Wo think not. They Will prefer that tlia drtiinftgti Works shall be oarriod out b* the Council with a fourpenny rate, rather than by a Board with a tenpenny rato. The Council can make up the difference from other revenue. The Board would have to levy tho whole. We now leavo the matter to the good sense of the ratepayers, confident that on Monday they will by their votes removfe the feprtjacn which has so unju«tly> Wo believe, been laid on Wellington, that it is indifferent or opposed to sanitary reform, and content to remain dirty, undrained, and unhealthy. Parliament has now given them the power to adopt tho means necessary to alter and reform all this. Heretofore they havo not had this power. Now that it has been given, wo feel certain that thoy will use it wisely and well by voting for tho loan necessary to carry out a thorough and effective drainago scheme.