WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 141, 17 June 1913, Page 8

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

, [to the editor.] Sir _Ifc gave me great pleasure to j listen to the interesting and instructive addresses at the Town Hall last evening on this very "important subiect. lam not at present a ratepayer, but I hope in the near future to become one. With that end in view. I recognise the burdens that 1 win ■ have to bear in common with my fel- i low-citizens, having regard particularly to the additional rates that will" be levied in connection with, the proposed water- and drainage works. 1 sincerely hope that the ratepayers will recognise the importance of this matter and vote in such a way that must result in a lasting benefit to the community generally. Councillor Carr has been criticised for his alleged obstructionism; but I think we should all feel very thankful that we have on our Council a man who will devote so much time to the affairs of .the Borough and place before us the lignt oh the other side of the question. It is in this way that our Councillors are enabled to look carefully before they leap, and T think they can be justly credited with having done so in. this oase" NEWCOMER.,

[to the editor.] Sir,—Mr Parker has mentioned my name, amongst others, as a recent buyer and seller of land in. Blenheim, to illustrate that there is no stagnation in land sales caused by his heavy loan proposals. Fortunately lam in. a position to assure Mr marker 1 have not bought a square inch oi land mside the Borough during the half ot the past debade. On the other hand, I have been unfortunately unable, to sell, although prepared, to do son at reduced prices 4 having been blocked by this wildcat borrowing scheme. Everyone knows, except perhaps Mr latter, that as taxation^ increases, values of property m,ust decrease, so if Mr.Parker's party wins the poll tomorrow every ratepayer's hc^me will only be worth half what it is to-day. "While on this borrowing question permit me to correct another of Mr Farleer's inaccuracies. He states there are 1350 ratepayers in Blenheim. lo he strictly correct the Borough roll shows 1326 voters as ratepayers, but of this there are 503 duplicates by husband and wife rights, so that the actual number of property-owners who pay rates is only 823. Where does your large increase of «ratepayers come in Mr Mayorf I sincerely trust, for the welfare of Blenheim, that pro-perty-owners, will vote, solidly against Ihe proposal at to-morrow's j*«l.