WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 216, 18 September 1901, Page 3

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

GOVERNMENT refuse td lend amount suggested.

At the meeting of the Borough Council last night, the following telegram from the lion J. Carroll was read In reply to your letter with reference to the loan tho Gisborne Borough Council desire to raise, I regret to inform you that the Colonial Treasurer has notiried me to-day that he cannot entertain the proposal for a loan of sucli a magnitude to one local authority.”

The Mayor said the better course might be to leave the matter stand until next meeting, and in the meantime they might cut down the limit covering expenditure required for live years. The Clerk might report on tiie matter. Cr Hepburn: Better ask what they will lend. The Mayor said that would be done.

Cr Harding : It is only wasting time. The Mayor said that if they wanted water and drainage it was not waste of time. Napier and Nelson were borrowing money in the same way, and they should do their best to get it. Cr Harding said people outside had got the idea that they were nut sincere ; nor were they sincere when they set down such a low rate of interest that no one would lend the money at the sum set down.

Or Lysn ir fade ' to sec how the Waihirere or the Shone syste in of drainage could be out d ,w:i. Tue y were not going to stick at a half per cent, or one per cent, if they had a proper scheme. They should first see whether tho public would approve of such a scheme. They were at present

tied to that scheme, and should get that disposed of. It would bo better to leave the question of interest until they had decided. If they had taken the opportunity to test tie- artesian scheme, it

would have matured by now, and if there was to bo further delay they ought to try that. Jle was quite sure that the Waihirerc scheme would not he accepted. The question of interest would not block them. Cr Harding: It is that we cannot get the money.

Cr I.vsnar: Then why dilly-dally? Wo should go elsewhere for it. The .Mayor said that tho ratepayers had already said that they would not have a vague scheme, every item must be set out. The very course suggested by ( r Lysnar had been taken and rejected.

Cr Miller sitiil thiit there was no use cutting down. They had not a chance of getting tile money at that rate of interest. The Mayor said that he had urged that they should take the ratepayers into their confidence before they had gone to the Government. The position would he much stronger. Things had changed, for the rate of interest had increased. After thn war money should be easier. Cr Harding: I say that money is on the

fine. The Mayor said they must have a definite scheme for the ratepayers. There was nothin},' definite in the artesian proposal. [Cr Miller: Hear, hear.. They must either abandon their proposal, it seemed, or cut down the amount. Cr Miller said they hud progressed very well. Ho would move that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee to enquire into the rate of interest at which they could net the money. Some Councillors had wanted to submit the matter to the ratepayers without naming the rate of interest. Now they found that they could not get the money at ii.i per cent., and they ought to enquire at what rate they could get it. Cr I Larding seconded the motion. They should make every exertion to get water and drainage, and even if they had to pay a little more than at first thought they should get it. lie believed that any reasonable scheme womd he carried. ft might he possible to borrow the money in the district. It behoved every member of the Council to use his energy to bring the matter to a successful issue. Although it would cost them a little they would get a good equivalent. He was disappointed that they now heard so little of the efforts that were to he made when the influential public meeting was held in the room some months ago. Cr Jones favored the resolution. There were two things to consider, an effective supply and the cost. It was all very well for Councillors to come and say that there would be no objection to an increase ; one per cent, sounded small : but it was not a small matter when put on to the rates. He had contended, as lie now did, that they should start in a modest way, and not put forth the full scheme. They could get etlieient scheme within their means and capable of extension, those Councillors who talked ot an expenditure of .£ 100,000 had not gone into the matter to see what it would cost. There was no use putting the scheme before the ratepavers in a way that would kill it at once. Tile Finance Committee should go into the scheme, and sec how it could be reduced. Cr Morrison agreed with Cr Jones. They could not go beyond a .£75,000 loan, ami' must keep the amount within that. Cr Hepburn said it was very well to talk of reducing, but if the upper end of the town were not served the peoplo up that end would vote against it. lhc last scheme had been so reduced that people said that the scheme was only for the few at the lower end of the town. Cr Lysnar did not object to the resolution, but did not see how any good could eom« of it ; it was only dragging a red herring across the scent. Ilow could any Financo Committee ascertain what the rate of interest would be if they had not a decisive scheme ? Private people could borrow money at -hi per cent., and surely the Borough could borrow at -1. l’laee the limit at 4 per cent., and let the ratepayers decide. Cr Miller : Let us give them something definite. , Cr Lysnar: You cannot; the drainage scheme'is not yet decided on. I believe in letting the matter bo put to the ratepayers as soon as possible. Cr Miller: We are all agreed to that. Cr Lysnar went on to state that only those who benetited by water and drainni’O would have to pay for it, but some Councillors did not agree with that view. There should he no more dilly-dallying, said Cr Lysnar, they should go to the ratepayers as early as possible. , Thc’Mayor said that no ratepayer would object to them taking time to try and get I the money at the lowest, rate of interest. The resolution would not mean great delay. As to the drainage they could, if thev thought proper, put the septic system in, but he did not think the ratepayers would object if they left the actual system out. What they wanted to do was to got the best drainage system at the cheapest cost. . , Jr Cr Miller said he did not wish ttf have a hi.-h rate of interest paid, but they should certainly ascertain what amount they could get it at. There was a good deal in what Cr Hepburn had said, and they must be careful that in cutting down too much thev were not cutting the scheme out altogether.As to the resolution not being any good, ho thought it would be effective in saving time. Cr Harding said that he would like to sec the amount of interest cut down as ’ much as possible, but iie thought that thev had gone into that subject carefully. There was no doubt that, as v r Hepburn had said, they should not cut the radius down—they should rather extend than cut it down. No one had given the matter as much time and attention as the Mayor, and he was sure he did not see any wav to cut down the scheme. Cr Jones said that the cutting down had no reference to the radius supplied—it was to the reservoir. They could have a scheme that would suit the population for years to come, and in due course it could be extended. The motion was carried.