WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 67, 21 March 1911, Page 3

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

XO THE EDITOB.

Sir, —I must thank Councillor Parker for attempting to put me right in the conclusions' I came to in my first letter by admitting that they .were right, saying that this was the position on the old rate of interest, but now 'we have been offered the money at one per cent, less. Of course it is not quite the same. Councillor Parker would like to know where I get the £25 or' more for necessary connections. I will tell him that it comes from a leading plumber of this town, who should know hitf*' business. Councillor Parker says that in my second letter I proceed further "and refer to I the half-rate ■ and no-rate-at-all rate- ! payers, by asking who will make up I the deficiency. . If Councillor Parker 1 wishes fo be honest over this portion lof my letter he "will admit that it , was himself who told me that a | large number would only pay a halfj rate and some no rate at all, and when I asked him how he would make up the deficiency he told me that it would have to be taken out of the general rate. Councillor Parker' says the law is clear on., the subject that all properties must be within certain distance to be ratable, and following this he say's that therefore/ on completion of the scheme and when the tetal cost is expended, all sections would be within the ratable area. I think there is one thing the ratepayers should remember— that is, that those who have sections that are not built on will have to pay rates on this loan. Councillor Parker says -that it is the business area which will be the heaviest ratepayers. No doubt this is quite correct, but still the working man with his quarter acre and house will have to pay-his share, and if he has the connection, which I understand will be compulsory, he must either find the necessary cash to pay down for such connection or pay interest on same and then pay water and drainage rate. If lam not right in this will Councillor Parker kindly correct me and explain to the ratepayers the exact position, and let them know in a plain way what they will hrive to pay if connected; also if not connected. When Councillor Parker makes statements about valuations will he please see that he is correct and not nearly double the valuation of his own property, or only "half value the Waterlea estate. ■■'■•■ LAURITZ. HOMES.

TO THE EDITOB

Sir.—l wish to enter a - protest against the manner in which the "swashy" stuff from the Borough ditches is left to decorate thet roadsides' for weeks at a stretch. In the, absence of proper draining facilities householders residing near the ditches allow certain of their offscourings to empty therein. It is a" question whether such procedure is comparatively safe 'so long as the ditches continue ■flowing, but when the offensive matter is pitched out and left on the bank a decided menace is the result. Such is the case in Kinross Street at the present time. The microbes have been left to take wing into the mouths, noses, throats, and skins of every person in the vicinity. The tougher skinned may. resist invasion successfully; but the more delicate and the children have a bad tima with sore throats, eruptions, mumps, etc. lam informed that there is a good deal of septic trouble about just now. I would like to find out what the rates, etc., we pay our doctors, druggists and undertakers would capital-, ise at; yin other words, what mortgage they represent on the Borough. PLAGUE RAT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—The letter signed "W..T.E." in your Thursday's issue is both courteous in tone and pertinent in inquiry. I should like, therefore, to reply that though our proposed water supply is largely a facsimile of the Sydenham system, I am not suffi* ciently acquainted with engineering calculations to estimate the difference of cost of working electric motors and

gas-producer engines. I would point out, however, that under the latest devices the producer at the principal pumping station in Christchurch (116-h.p.) was working on .6 of alb of cbka per horse-power per hour, and pumping 51,000 gallons, perhour. The different cost per individual in Sydenham and in Blenheim would not be great (in both instances the plant, power, distribution, and working expenses have to be provided) though possibly the greater density of population in Sydenham might favor that "place. I merely mentioned that the yardlman at Sydenham attended to the pumping machinery for the purpose of showing that the machinery will run, with ordinary care, even without constant supervision of certificated engineers. Of course, the city of Ghristchurch has engineers who can ■attend to any defect, but as a matter of fact the engineer visits the byden ham station only at intervals. The "expert supervision" necessary to oversight of our engines would possibly amount to £50 per year more than the supervision at Sydenham. "With regard to the fears of my friend Councillor Adams, I ,honestry do not think the incidence would be any harder on the ratepayers' here than in Ghristchurch. Mr Adams mistakes the population of the city, .which is 56,000, not 70,000, ami I can assure him there are very large areas in Linwood, St. Albans, and Sydenham-that present a spai>ity of population quite equal to Riversdale, Southsid'e, or Hutcheson Street:'' Mr Dobson mentioned' probably .having to provide for 70,000 in tho near future; but that included some population outside the city. The cost of drainage to the city to 1909 was over £300,000, and the water-supply l presumably would scarcely bo less, so that though ratable value is much greater, and ,financial turnover mufih greater,' there is equally larger prime.jcost and working expenses, and., .best testimony of all, the people are so assured of benefit that there is no complaint, and that will bo our experience some, day —lot us hope soon

E. H. PENNY.

TO THE BDITQE. Sir, —Although absent from your town temporarily, I; jfrave watched and read you:* 'paper■■■'• with interest and siatisfa ction, especially the letters arid articles both ' for .and. against the drainage and water loan. ' I notice chiefly that the persons who are raising the strongest objections are people who have large propertied interests in or about the town, and are. thinking of their own nest, and thereby want to stop until property has trebled- in value, and. then they will unload; on the unsuspecting working' man, who will liavo to put up with squalor and; stench until Mr Landlord sells out and goes to the European Continent for a trip. Now, as regards the cost and the genei*al appfeal as to where the money is coining from to pay-off the loan: Let every household pay what it is pacing now in nightsoil fees and high insurance, and when the drainage and water schemes are in,': then hand the nightsoil fees to the Council. There must be a drop in the insurance rat«, wlien. the high-pressure water runs through the- town; .then hand* the amount you benefit by to the Council, and add, say, twopence per week for the added pleasure you have derived by the schemes1, and I think that it does not matter whether all the Councillor^ are ironmongers, builders, or butchers.. I think that when they reckon these amounts on the wholeof Blenheim they will have no need of financial worry. As regards the storm-water washing the sewage out oft the ventilators, etc.,' in time of flood, I wish Councillor Adams ha<i been in .some parts of Wellington duringth© recent heavy rains. Wellington has not condemned the drainage yet, and they have had a sample when Blenheim was bone dry. So I regard the wash-back argument as "piffle," because there is not a sanitary engineer in the world who would run storm-water and sewage in the sanio drain. As regards Mr E. H. Penny's? visit to Christchurch and'to the various pumping stations, I wish he had visited a smaller scheme which is much nearer his own door. I refer to the Petone and Ngahauranga settlements, near Wellington. Petone decided to instal a gravitation water service, and consequently erected i. reservoir some miles away up in the Horokiwi Gully, andl succeeded in getting a very fair pressure. They installed a caretaker, who, .in conjunction with another man, was con-1 stantly employed working around ths dam, examining the pipes, and keeping the place in repair. So much for that part, keeping in mind the whole cost also. Then the long-headed Wellington Meat Export Company got; permission to lay pipes along the Hutt road, and into Petone to a section in tho very centre of the flat where they erected a pumping plant, and then they started their engine and pumped the water from the centre of Petone into Ngahauranga, four miles away, while Petone went miles away to the hills for their water. 1 iam informed on good authority that the Petone water becomes discolored in heavy weather, while Ngahauranga has always the beautiful artesian wate? at its disposal. This, I consider, is one good argument in favor of a pumping station. The Meat Export Company has a man who is kept at tho engine-house looking after the engines, and a nice easy job it is: so if you are inclined to ascertain which is the best, I think that these little boroughs ought to give a good idea as to which kind of water scheme is the best, gravitation or pumping. I

I hope, Sir, that by your valuable aid in allowing public discussion through ' your columns, Blenheim may become a sweet and sanitary borough. SANGUINE. Wellington, March 20.