WATER SERVICE NEEDED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15684, 11 August 1914, Page 4

WATER SERVICE NEEDED

SUPPLY FOR SMALL AREA. RATEPAYERS' PETITION.

OPENING OF COMMISSION.

i For. the pole reason that they desired an I j adequate water supply, a number of resi- I dents in a portion of the Epsom district. , adjoining the eastern boundary of Mount Eden, petitioned the Governor urging that that portion of tlio district should be in- , eluded in the Mount Eden Borough. The 1 petitioners explained that they were e: • i eluded from (lie area served by the Manu- ! kau Water Supply Board, the only souks . of supply for the Epsom district, Mid | believed that 'they could obtain a per- | manent water supply from the Mount Eden j Borough. i Three counter-petitions were lodged. J That of the Epsom Road Board set out that the predecessors in title of the peti- i tioners refused in 1896 to sanction a loan 1 for the construction of water races, and j the water supply district was therefore - limited to its present boundaries. Ihe I -Manukau Water Supply Board last year offered to extend its boundaries, provided the ratepayers would pay £i:ls, the cost of j the work, requiring an expenditure of .€6 I 6s 6d per ratepayer. That offer had been ; refused, and the Water Supply Board was j asked to raise a loan for the work, a course wh.ch it had no legal power to adopt. i A commission consisting of Mr. C. C. ! Kettle, S.M., Mr. H. M. "Sheet, Comma- | sioner of Crown Lands, and Mr. B. J. , Esam, district valuer, was accordingly appointed, and commenced an inquiry in I the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. Mr. W. R. Tuck appeared for the petiI tioners, and the counter-petitioners were ' represented by Mr. A. E. Skclton. I J Counsel for the petitioners, in opening, j : said that the Manukau Water SupplyBoard's offer had been refused because the petitioners could obtain no guarantee of an adequate water supply. Mr. Skelton stated that twelve of the petitioners had signed the counter-petition. The commission reserved its decision as to whether the petition was a genuine one. Ilenry Herbert Mitialfe, engineer to lb; Manukau Water Supply Board, stated in evidence that his board could give the additional area a better supply of water I than could the Mount Won Borough, but • his opinion was that the supply for the j whole district was hopelessly inadequate. Samuel Hesketh, chairman of the MannI kau Water Supply Board, raid that his j board was supplying several districts out- | side the gazetted area. If the supply ran i short these outside districts would have to ! Lave their supply discontinued first; He was averse to taking any action of that nature, and thought that if any enlargements of tho district were made they should include >a, larger area, and an effort could then be made to securo a better source of supply. ! Oliver Nicholson, Mayor of Mount Eden ! Borough, said his council did not oppose | the petition. The borough's engineer was j preparing a detailed report on the area concerned.

The commission adjourned until Monday next, in order that this report might be put in as evidence.