THAMES WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15821, 19 January 1915, Page 5

THAMES WATER SUPPLY.

LONG-STANDING DISPUTE.

BOROUGH AND COUNTY.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

[bt TELEGRAm.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ', Thames. Monday. The commissioner. Mr. Short, appointed by the Government ■• hear evidence with regard to the long-standing water dispute between th© Thames Borough Council and Thames County found] commenced his sittings to-day at Thame*. Messrs. E. ' ( iend.»n and P. Armstrong appeared ,fcr the Borough Coiincl and M <:•««. 8. Mr\'<airh and J. H<- li: i>en for the County Council.

Mr. Clendon said that the question was a complicated one. There were 5712 inhabitants of the borough, which reaUv required only one water supply, vet Iber* wore two, viz., the borough rare in tho Waikike stream, which, however, was inadequate during the .-urnmer. end tho county race in the Kauaeranga. The latter race was handed over to the council bv the then (;. .vornment :n 1879 under an agreement by which the County Council was to be paid £2500 and to supply the borough with water for firo erticpuishmg purjwses and to supplement the dofficst;supply when necessary. A further sum of £1000 was paid to the County Council on account of the domestic supply. -A::reci n-ents were afterward.? entered into by which the County Council were to supplv 30 gallons per head of the population to the borough.

Another agreement, said Mr. Clendon, was made between the two bodies in 1911 by which the borough was entitled to receive 60 gallons per head for the county residents to whom they supplied in summer month*, and to take ail excess waterthrough a meter, Although they had pre.' vioosly been charred five-eighths of a penny per 1000 gallons for this the county bad no-.-.-raised the charge to Is per 1000 callons. Another cause of complaint was that the County Council claimed the right to supply part* of the borough wilh water, and. they wero doing this at a lesser rate than was charged to the Borough Council.

The commissioner stated that, in his opinion the best solution of the difficulty was for the Borough Council to boy out the County Council, and if the two conncils could agree the gold mining right* could be reserved.

Mr. McVeagh stated that the balancesheet of the water race account had not shown any profit for years, and the "County Council had been benefiting lb* borough at its own expense.

The sitting was adjourned in order that a conference might take place between the two local bodies. The conference was held this afternoon, but no settlement was arrived at, and the commissioner has resumed his sitting. The inquiry is likely to take some time, as there is a considerable quantity of evidence to be taken on loth sides.