DRAINAGE CONNECTION.

Northern Advocate, 22 February 1911, Page 5

DRAINAGE CONNECTION.

Under the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act the Borough Council has power to assist the ratepayers to connect with the drainage scheme by raising a loan without any cost to the ratepayers as a whole. The method usually adopted is for the Council to borrow (say) £1000, and advance to ratepayers sufficient to pay the plumbers for the sanitary conveniences and the cost of the connections; thus enabling the householders to get the work clone at the lowest possible cash price, and also allowing the plumbers and tradesmen to handle their money without delay. Upon this loan there is no need to take a poll, as no ratepayer who does not take advantage of the fund is called upon to contribute one penny, either in rates or in any other way, although for legal purposes a rate is offered, hut not necessarily struck as security. Suppose the house connections cost £10, £ 15 or £20. To pay that amount of cash would be fairly severe on the average resident. The Council can advance the money out of the special loan fund and take repayment over a number of years. Interest not to exceed G per cent, can be charged; but the rate is usually less. To the actual amount borrowed by the ratepayer is apportioned the cost in ratio of raising the loan, the book-keeping, the banking, and all other charges, so that those using the fund get money cheaper than they can get it privately; can get cheap cash work done; pay the whole of the charges; pay by easy instalments; owe money to a local budy instead of to a private creditor; and those who do not use the loan, but are rich enough to pay without assistance, do not contribute one penny.

A number of ratepayers have expressed the opinion that now that the drainage is nearing completion such could be done. There could be no objection to the money being obtained, as charges in connection with the loan are levied entirely upon those using the fund, which, spread over a number of people, should be comparatively small.