RATEPAYERS’ MEETING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 4 May 1937, Page 6

RATEPAYERS’ MEETING

■! The chairman said the object of the ■ | meeting was to discuss the water proij blem and lie hoped they would give the ; i speakers a fair hearing. The water j supply was atrocious; for its size Nel- :! son was entitled to more water than it : ] was getting. j "SLIGHT ON RATEPAYERS” ’ i So far the ratepayers had heard a one-sided view of the Roding river, said Mr Barltrop. He would make no apology to the Mayor for helping to arrange the meeting. As ratepayers they wanted the Mayor to call the meeting, but he saw fit to address i other meetings, and the speaker considered it a slight on the ratepayers. ; (Hear, hear.) The first people consult,i ed should be the ratepayers, and no ! “hole in tiie corner” business about it PAST LOANS i Referring to past events in connection 1 1 with previous loans Mr Barltrop said ■ j that a little while ago they voted for a ; I loan of .£20,000 for reticulation to the high levels. They were assured by those in authority that this was going to solve the problem for the high levels. “I don't need to answer the question whether it has or not,” he added. Some years ago ratepayers voted for a loan for electric light installation. They were assured that they would only pay for the electric current used, and that in a year or two the scheme would be a paying proposition, and that profits accruing would be used for the reduction in the rate for current, but lie claimed that the electric light fund had been misappropriaied—the handling of the gasworks, which used to be I the milch cow, forced the Council to 10b the electric light account of money which should have been devoted to the consumers. What guarantee had they that all the flowery promises which had been made about the water scheme were going to be fulfilled? It had been said that the Loans Board had approved of the scheme. But the City Council did not tell them that the Loans Board did not have to pay the rate. INSURANCE RATES REDUCED Referring to a "little bit of the camouflage which has been going on,” Mr Barltrop said that Mr A. E. Dee had stated that unless the Roding scheme was proceeded with the insurance rates would be increased. The fact was that the insurance companies had reduced their rates nearly 25 per cent. “Did they call that playing the game - '’” (Cries of “No!”). The Mayor had been criticising the pumps in Hanby Park, continued the speaker. Some years ago the Park used to be a favourite picnic resort and they installed a hand pump, and he knew the water in that was not chlorinated. USE THE HOE AND NOT THE HOSE On the question of water for gardening Mr Barltrop said he honestly believed that 90 per cent, of the hosing done was absolutely wasted and did more harm than good. “Get to work with the hoe and leave the hose alone,” he advised He had been informed by an ex-Mavor that some years ago whenever they had a water shortage they had an inspector who used to prosecute vigorously and after the first few prosecutions, the ex-Mayor assured him, the pressure gauge jumped from 50 to 120.

The speaker wondered how many ratepayers who intended voting for the loan had ever visited the Bro ',t Valley. He would like an independent engineer (he had in mind Mr FosterBarham) to pay a periodical visit to take measurements of the quantity of water flowing over the big dam, and how many times it v as not overflowing.

ENOUGH WATER IN BROOK FOR 60 YEARS

In regard to the loan proposal Mr ! Barltrop said he could not understand (it made one think there was something behind it) why they were contemplating going miles out when they had water flowing through the town. The upper weir wall could be carried up another 200 or 300 feet if necessary as a storage reservoir, and the same with the big dam. He challenged anybody to disprove that for nine or ten months there was enough water going over the wall of the reservoir to supply Tahuna. Stoke or Richmond. There was any quantity of water in the Brook to keep Nelson going for 60 years, with increased storage capacity for a month or two in the summer.

The Council had tried to 'put across this stunt,” that the Maitai Valley would be closed it there were waterworks there, remarked Mr Barltrop. "But is the Brook Valley closed? Is the waterworks reserve closed?” he asked. In regard to the chlorination of water he thought it was a "put up job,” and “tominyrot.” If a person was out tramping, he did not worry whether the creek that he drank from was pure or not. AMOUNT FOR HEADWORKS | When the Roding scheme was first mooted the Engineer's estimate was £55,000, not including reticulation and compensation for land taken. "Incidentally,” said the speaker, 'one wonders who the land-owners are and what compensation they are receiving for it.” The Engineer's estipate had jumped up to £96.000. The ratepayers were assured that there was such a volume of water coming down the Roding that there would not be need for any headworks at all. or practically none. Then the Loans Board told the Council that there should be more provided for htadworks, and the Council decided to increase the amount of the loan from £96,000 to £98,000 There was a grant of £25,000 from the Government for the country districts, and later the Council got the Government to agree to grant £IO.OOO to help the city But now they found that the £25,000 was going towards the headworks Mr N. Rout questioned this state- • me nt. i

Mr Barltrop said that it had been

OPPOSITION TO RODING SCHEME CRITICISMS OF CITY COUNCIL’S METHODS SMALL SUPPORT FOR MOVE TO FORM AN ASSOCIATION Criticism of the proposed Roding; river water supply scheme was voiced at a meeting; of ratepayers convened by Messrs 11. Barltrop and F. H. Sharland last evening for the purpose of forming; a Ratepayers’ Association. There was a free and lively discussion also upon other civic affairs, including the transference of money from the electric lig-ht account to the general account. There were between 50 and 60, including; several ladies, at the Marsden Library, Mr H. J. Flatt being; voted to the chair. When a motion for the formation of an association was put to the meeting; thirteen voted in favour of it, there being; no opposition. After addresses had been given by Messrs Barltrop and Sharland a reply to some of the criticism was made by Councillor H. Hurst.

specially mentioned that the £25.000 was for the headworks.

CIRCULAR CRITICISED Mr Barltrop held up a copy of a circular which had been distributed to ratepayers, and asked what right the City Council had to spend money on that sort of thing. He considered it was the money of those who objected to the scheme. A voice: “The case is weak or they would not do it.” Mr Barltrop said that the points in the circular were "so wishy washy” that they did not need to be dealt with. "Imagine each person requiring 120 gallons a day,” he continued. It had been said that this scheme was backed up by Mr F. J. Williams, consulting engineer, but was he here long enough to investigate other sources of supply? Should the ratepayers in the city pay for a water scheme for Stoke, Richmond and Tahuna? Here the Council had blundered badly by putting the cart before the horse. The poll should have been held in Stoke. Richmond, and Tahuna first to see whether they would come in “EXTRA RATE WILL BE £1 OR 30s The city was going to pay, according to Mr Page, a 3d or 4d ra,.e,’ and provide a scheme tor Tanuna wno would pay a 1-Jd rate, said Mr Barurop. Ratepayers should note that the only thing they could take notice of orticially was that the rate struck would be and whatever the Mayor or anyone else said, they could not rely on it being any less than that. (Hear, hear.) Mr Barltrop considered mat the extra rate on residences would oe £1 or 30s at least, "and on bus ness buildings—heaven knows!” he added.

An interjeclor asked how many houses had a rateable vaiue oi £4O.

Mr Barltrop said he tnougui that that figure was “all to pot. "a 1 could not put up better arguments than that I would leave it alone, he concluded.

Mr J. Tucker said that leakage ot . water had been going on and he wanted to know what attempt had been made to try and stop it. in Mr Williams's report, he thougni Mr Williams had furnished that leport upon information supplied to him. Mr L. Cotton said he believed Mr Williams was brought in just to check the figures. THE MEDIUM COURSE Mr Sharland said that they had heard both sides of the case, and he was going to take a medium course. He considered they needed a Ratepayers' Association to prevent waste that was going on. They could not olame the Council, for the councillors received no money and put a lot of time into their work. But if there was a Ratepayers' Association to assist the Council, he was sure it would be welcomed. ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS Mr Sharland wanted to give some idea of what he considered the Council should have done before setting out on the Roding or any other scheme. They did not need an enormous amount ct water for the city. If water was taken from the Maitai it could be supplied to the country districts via Tantragee and the saddle at York’s, but there was one objection: possibly in a very dry season if they took more than twothirds from the Maitai their asset of a river flowing through the city would be gone.

£ Mr A. Nicholls asked what would happen to the Wood supply if it was cut off from the Maitai. 3 | STORAGE TANKS SUGGESTED Mr Sharland said he did not think it would be affected. For 10 months they had more than enough water for Nelson. Was the large proposed scheme needed for two months in the year? There was not only Hanby Park but dozens of other places for pumping, and he maintained that there was plenty of ■ water at Hanby Park It was not a shortage altogether that affected them; it was the distribution of the water. ! The speaker considered the Council should have installed, say at the back of the hospital, a fair-sized tank to hold 500,000 gallons, and they wouid then maintain the pressure in the mains. If the pressure was evened up j it would save a lot of waste. During j 10 months of the year water was running down the Brook, going to waste. The pipe could not cope with it during the day, but with such a reservoir it would fill overnight. He maintained that there was sufficient water for Nelson and Tahuna for at least 10 or '5 years. The Council need never chlorinate at Hanby Park or where there was any gravel formation. Military regulations said that one could drink the most polluted water if it was pass- ' ing through one cham of gravel. At ; Normanby bridge the position was a little different. He did not want those 1 present to think that he was telling them to vote agaist the water scheme, said Mr Sharland in conclusion. They should use their own commonsense. ] Mr H. G. Foster-Barham said that ) those who were advocating the Roding scheme considered that they were the ( only ones who wanted an adequate:; supply. But he had put his views care-! c fully in writing, and he read to the j meeting a statement which he had sent . to “The Mail.” ' 1 . jl SURFACE WATER QUESTION ! 4 Mr Cotton asked, if water was pump- 7 ed from 22 feet, was it surface water? ( Mr Foster-Barham said that nine- - tenths of the water from Hanby Pane ■ came direct from the Maitai stream, and probably a fair amount off the hills. If it was filtering through gravels it was always pure. NOT FEASIBLE TO RAISE DAM Mr Rout asked whether it was feasible to raise the present dam at the waterworks. : < Mr Foster-Barham said that on '.he! i whole he thought not. If the dam was} (_■ raised it would have to be reconstruct-1 D ed altogether. | p

Mr D. E. Cbisnall asked if it was not a fact that Napier pumped all its water with less cost and less restriction than in Nelson. Would not a little additional pumping satisfy Nelson for a long time?

The chairman said that he tnought that most towns that resorted to pumping did so because they had no other means.

Mr Barltrop said that the loan proposal was for £BB,OOO. If that was not out reference to the ratepayers, ansutticient the Council could raise, with other 10 per cent. He quoted from the circular to the effect that the annual cost of a permanent pumping scheme would not greatly exceed the annual costs of the Roding or Maitai gravitation schemes; and said that in another part the cost of pumping for the year was given as £274. Reference was made by Mr Sharland to the fact that Kirkpatrick’s factory, on the low levels, was connected with the high levels main. MR HURST REPLIES Mr H. flurst explained that the firm s factory referred to had now been provided with a main so that it could oe put on to the low levels main. There were quite a numbers of mistakes made by speakers which he could answer as a councillor, but he was present just as a ratepayer

On Mr Rout's suggestion Mr Hurst was asked to reply to the statement. Mr Hurst said he had gone there to get humour, and if he had not had a sense of humour he would have been depressed. He pointed out that' the cost of running a temporary pumping plant could not be compared with the proposed permanent plant.

Mr Hurst said he took exception to the statement that the Mayor was not giving ratepayers a chance of hearing the proposals. There had been four meetings which had been poorly attended. The ratepayers had not attended the meetinges to learn about the scheme, but came that night to criticise. The figure of £4O annual rateable value for an average house was not guessed, but was arrived at by actual reference to ratepayers' cards. There were several cries of "Misleading,” but Mr Hurst insisted that it was the figure, and they could not argue with it. Another thing he took exception to was the question of the rate. The Mayor had explained how the difference between the security rate and the actual rate was arrived at. The security rate on the conversion loan was Is 9 9-16 d. but the actual rate was 9fd The electric light loan security rate was a definite figure, but no rale had been collected on the electric light for many years. The -ecurity rate was the guarantee for the loan. Those things were easily explainable if seen in the proper way. The trouble was that one speaker did not want to see things in the proper way.

Mr F. Doel criticised tne Council fpr taking money out of tne electric light fund and putting it into the general account. A lot of the councillors did not know how to run the city affairs at all, he said. He spoke very strongly about waste of money which ne alleged was going on in the city

MOVE FOR RATEPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION

Mr Sharland said the meeting 'was L called to sec whether they could form 'j a Ratepayers’ Association, not to 1 harass the Council but to assist where- ’ ever possible. He thought they had _ thrashed the water question enough. Mr N. Haase proposed- that an asso- - ciation be formed, and suggested that',-* jMr Barltrop be president, and the D' ratepayers could “train the Mayor anT’o | councillors how to run their business.”, PERSONALITIES DEPRECATED Mr Tucker deprecated resorting to * personalities. They were not present " f for that purpose. * Mr Cotton said they could not blame the councillors, and expect them to know all the little things going on. He seconded the motion. Mr Barltrop . said that it was not worthwhile forming an association anless there was the interest to keep it C going. THIRTEEN SUPPORT VOTE On a show of hands 13 voted for the ; motion and none against. Mr Shanand remarked that the small vote seemed to show apathy. Mr Barltrop explained that the,meet- . ing had been arranged before the “ Mayor announced that ratepayers’. meetings were going to be held » The chairman suggested that those: who voted for the association should hand in their names to Mr Sharland. Mr Sharland said he did not know what he would do with the names. It was suggested that those interested stay after the meeting. ‘if

The chairman moved a vote of thanks ' j to the speakers for calling the meeting ; ; and allowing ratepayers to discuss the : ,r water question, and also to Mr Foster- ;; Barham and Mr Hurst. He pointed out that councillors were not paid, that.,; they spent a lot of time on the work, >: and had reasons for all they did. 1

Mr Hurst asked that his name be deleted because he would like to second the motion. He was glad to hear both sides. It might not be the best scheme, but it. was for the ratepayers themselves to decide. The motion was carried.

At a meeting afterwards of those who i voted for an association it was decided to call another general meeting at ? later date. ■/,