WATER SUPPLY LOAN.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 805, 21 January 1903, Page 2

WATER SUPPLY LOAN.

THE MAYOR'S MOTION. At the Borough Council meeting last night the motion of which the Mayor had given notice to raise L-SOOO of the loan money for obtaining the source for a water supply at Waihirere was brought up. If the motion wore canid he anticipated

that they could make an immediate start in the matter. The whole of the detail plans hail yet to lie prepared As to \Yaihirere, he was there on the 10th with I>r JJeLisie, and tliey were satisfied that there was quite sufficient water there. Every engineer who had inspected the site was in favor of it. So far as they knew, it was the best source they could get. The season had been a very dry one ; they had had only half the rainfall of the usual average. Cr Lysnar : What was the tlow V The Mayor : There were 30,000 gallons a day running there then. AVith the fact before them he thought they could decide on this as a suitable site. He desired the Council to make a start. If they could not raise the loan at 4 per cent, they must go back to the ratepayers to increase the amount to 44 per cent. ; he believed

the ratepayers would agree to that, but not if they dilly dallied in the matter. His motion simply had reference to the water supply. He hoped the Council would carry the motion and let them make a start. Cr Whinray said, having delayed Mr Cooper's proposal, they should also delay this for a fortnight until the other was determined. The Mayor thought they must provide for the payment of Waihirero. Cr Whinray said the Natives for some reason were making strenuous objection. The Town Clerk said that as soon as the £lO 10s were paid the title would bo issued.

Cr Lysnar said they were going to have a lot of trouble over that yet. Cr Harding seconded the motion. He said they had a little while ago heard about “ honorable ” proceedings, and they should not go back on what they had done.

Cr Whinray thought that as an act of grace they should postpone the matter until the other question was dealt with. Continuing Cr Whinray said that for the last two years they had the most healthy place in New Zealand. Cr Harding : Then wo don’t want water ? Cr Whinray : Wo do. There was not the urgency to push the matter, to borrow at a higher rate titan authorised meaning the doubling of the rates. They should not push these things in view of the new developments. Cr Bright said the Council had applied for authorisation to do certain things at a certain sum, and they were now faced with the position that they must again get authority for the increased rate of interest or moderato tho scheme. The motion would not be keeping faith with the ratepayers, committing them to an unfinished work or that would cost about £BOOO more. If they found the terms and conditions must be varied, they should go back to the people, and not strain the Act to obtain the power. He would always vote against any moneys being raised in the way set forth. Cr Jones said there would be no straining of tho Act as they were bound to the rate of interest. He believed that in a short time they would got tho money, and if they had to pay a little more for the smaller amount they would bo saving much valuable time. He believed the people would prefer to go on rather than lose twelve months’ time. As for Mr Cooper’s offer, there was nothing to prevent them if they accepted that, refraining from proceeding with the other work, They should take Waihirere without delay, as the place was progressing so rapidly they would find tho value going up. Cr Lysnar said the Council bad done some funny things in regard to water, but in face of tho great doubts regarding Waihirere and the Finance Committee’s report that they could not get the money at the present time, they would be doing a direct wrong to the ratepayers. At tho publio meeting the ratepayers were told that if they did not get the money at 4 per cent, they would come back to the people. If they went on as they proposed they would be more than doubling the present rate. They now proposed to increase the rate of interest to 4£ per cent. Cr Jones : Not at all. 1 Cr Lysnar said they had been refused the money by every financial institution, and they would never get a financial institution to lend on Waihirere. Cr Jones: They have offered it, at a higher rate. Cr Lysnar said he could find nothing to that effect in the correspondence. As to tho Mayor’s statement that 80,000 gallons were running over. Why, there was more ’ water than that being used in the Gisborne 1 Freezing Works, i The Mayor : Salt water. Cr Lysnar said they could get more 1 from the condensation of tho steam. • They would be 150,000 gallons a day short. Cr Jones : What about the reservoir ? Cr Lysnar: Reservoir I Bunkum I It is a dam in a rotten gully. (Laughter). If (there was no necessity, as Cr Jones stated, to spend this money at once, why commit themselves and spend that £lO (for survey lien)? They should first decide on the other proposal. After the ratepayers had slept on the proposal for twelve months go back to them. The Council had slept soundly. Cr Whinray : It’s the best sleep they ever had. (Laughtei.) Cr Lysnar : They sleep so soundly that they snore in their chairs. (Laughter.) Cr Harding : They must when some Councillors get up to oppose it. Coming to deal with tho figures, Cr Jones said Cr Lysnar had still that old comma troubling him. Cr Lysnar : Perhaps Cr Jones has a comma showing a greater supply than His Worship says. Cr Jones: I say, as I have always said, that it is not the present daily now we would have to depend upon, hut the average flow, storing it in the winter. Cr Lysnar said he had simply been showing that on the Mayor’s figures there would be a great shortage. Continuing, he said they could get in England a steel tank, 80 by 20, with a capacity of 700,000 gallons, for £1250, or erected £2250. Councillors declared that there was a mistake in the figures. Cr Bright thought it would come to 800,000 gallons. Cr Lysnar said at any rate the Napier gasworks had a steel tank of 700,000 gallons capacity for ,£1250. The speaker went on to allude to the Waimata scheme, which the Mayor retorted had been condemned by every engineer. Concluding, Cr Lysnar said the ratepayers should be consulted before there was any increase in interest. Cr Hepburn said he would support the motion, if it was only to get Waihirere. Even if Mr Cooper’s proposal came to anything they would in time want a larger supply, such as Waihirere. Cr Mason said Cr Lysnar had made one sensible remark that the Councillors had been in a sleepy state over this matter for twelve montul. T he : V had started well, and it was time they were beginning to make a further move.

The Mayor said they had slept on ths matter quite long enough. Two years ago Councillors had been elected for the purpose of obtaining a water supply, and if they went on like this, what excuse could'they make to the ratepayers ? If it was only to take Waihirere they should proceed, Nothing better had yet been brought forward. Cr Lysnar: You never give anyone a i chance.

The Mayor said that Cr Lysnar only brought condemned schemes, such as the Waimata, which had been condemned by Mr Black *when it was unpolluted, and yet Cr Lysnar wanted them to adopt it now when there were sheep all aloDg it. He wanted them to give up the pure Waihirere for—broth. (Laughter.) The hospital had to beg water from the brewery, | the freezing works had been put in sore straits for it. Cr Lysnar : They have got more than there is at Waihirere. The Mayor said they had been badly in need of water, and Cr Lysnar said he was ready to make a wager. The Mayor: I am ready to get water. Continuing, His Worship said that the ether day a little boy had gone to a place md asked for a drink of water. Th*

people could not give it; the boy went and drank some rubbish, and was in the hospital to-day.

The motion was carried. For: Crs Harding, Hepburn, Jones, Mason, and the Mayor. Against: Crs Lysnar, Whinray, and Bright.

Cr Lysnar said they would never get the money, as no financial institution would lend it.