The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, March 22, 1947.

Grey River Argus, 22 March 1947, Page 4

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, March 22, 1947.

As the local body to administer the civic services of not only the largest unit of population on the West Coast, but also the unit most likely to grow in the immediate future, the Greymouth Borough Council dare not ignore the steady growth of its responsibilities. An example is the completion of the sewerage scheme at Cobden, where the inhabitants have increased very considerably in very recent years. It is to be expected that to the extent that facilities are made available tor people to live here, the town, will witness a continuance of this expansion. At the same time the process will not only entail enlargement of existing municipal services and amenities, but will enlarge the financial resources through the utilisation of a greater residential area, and the' consequent augmentation of the rateable value of that area. Therefore the Council was doubtless warranted in its decision this week to obtain excavating and ancilliary machinery at a probable cost of about £3,580. Works in prospect of various kinds will necessitate the use of such apparatus. and compared with the costs and perhaps delays in hiring the like, or compared with manual labour only, the equipment in question should pay for itself in due course. It might be said that there is yet insufficient work to keep the machinery fully employed, but the prospects are that the amount of work requiring excavation will soon be much greater. The possession of the plant will in itself hasten such work, for which there is much scope not only in the largely unused areas contiguous to the lagoons, but in the areas upon the hill margins which are obviously destined to come,, into use for residential purposes. There also may be a call for clearing' in the Cobden locality, the configuration of the municipality belli 4' such that the best must bo made of elevated ground as bei- g more convenient than areas at a greater distance, or outside the borough boundaries. The gas supply is an Important service, and, while, economy is desirable in respect of charges, the commodity itself must be available in the best quality and quantity possible. Demand demonstrates that gas is a commodity the consumption of which locally will be limited only by the supply. .It is likewise everywhere else. The development of the plant is consequently a good investment. At this Juncture the obstacle to expansion is stated to be defective reticulation, with stringency in supply of piping to effect an improvement

in tkc service. It is meantime inadequate, and new demands are being made on it, such that were reticulation thoroughly, efficient, the facilities for production would have to be' enlarged and. improved. A proposal for a new bed or retorts has been held ii> abeyance, on the ground, in part, that they would not improve the supply whilst defective piping remains, and therefore would represent an uneconomical outlay. Be that as it may, the present retorts are by no means perfect, and more and newer ones would be an improvement, the effect of which would gradually bo the greater in the degree that rc ?i tieulation were gradually improved. The piping itself can in any event be replaced only gradually. and it should be. conducive to the maximum expansion if supply keeps pace with increased facilities for delivery. Another pointer to the enlarging needs of the community is the proposal fnr renovation of the Town Hall which is too small and too insignificant for a town of the size of Greymouth. There is room for various opinions as to the extent of the alterations which would be advisable. ]f a larger revenue were assured, enlargement and embellishment on an ambitious scale would be justifiable, whereas in the absence of a certainty that the outlay would bo recouped in any degree, it might be considered other needs of the town have a prior call upon the bulk of the financial resources available.