WADESTOWN'S WOES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5846, 13 March 1906, Page 7

WADESTOWN'S WOES.

(To tho Editor "N.Z. Times. ,Sir,—Your interesting article appealing in this morning's issue on this matter will no doubt have gome considerable weight in waking people up to a fconso of—well, something above torpidity. What; puzzles me in reading your article is ‘'how on earth did your correspondent get to Wadestowu r” His description starts from "round the road past the Orange,** and from that vantage point lie lapse** into a bowery description of tho beauties of the scene. I thoroughly agree with him in every item of praise, of the beauty of the scone and surroundings, hut I succumb when lie concludes with "anything bordering on tho offensive seems to b© a 1 hundred miles away." I am satisfied, then, that your contributor did not walk up tho Wadcstown road, and as that road is tho only means on earth of reaching beautiful Wad&stown, I would like to know if lie slept while his car was exerting its energies on the cobble stones intended to form tho road. To return to serious complaint, my desire i« to draw attention to the frightful state of the road from a pedestrian’s point of view; and, considering that 25 per cent, of the residents have no other moans of conveyance, and that the vehicular traffic is so slight—there being no through traffic—it is due lo the residents that the road should at least bo fit to walk upon. Repairs have recently been made by tho promiscuous scattering of loos© cobbles on the road, which, apart from being at all necessary is an abomination to those compelled to walk to their homes, to say nothing of the absolute danger of sprained or broken jinibs. In view of tho stirring up your article is hound to give the Onslow Council, and while the wants of tho borough are prominent, I think it might boot' very great benefit to the residents of "Wadestown if tho authorities would spend a little more common sense upon the repairs to the main road, and remember that in the absence of footpaths thejq should place tho road in such a condition that it is possible for a pedestrian to walk .upon it.—l am, etc., CIDO REDE. March Gth.

ONSLOW BOROUGH COUNCIL DEFENDED. (To tho Editor "N.Z. Times.”} Sir,—ln fairness to the present Council of tho borough of Onslow, I desire to make a few comments upon your leaderette in this morning's paper, and upon your article on page 3, having reference to matters of sanitation in the Onslow borough. It seems to mo that the writers of the articles in question have preferred rather to go into matters of ancient history than to consider the subject aa it rests to-day. It is not my intention to refer in any way to deeds of either omission or commission of tho three last preceding Councils of tho borough of Onslow, but I do propose to lay before the citizens of Wellington and the suburban residents a few facts relating to that which the present Council has done, and is doing, to ameliorate existing conditions of life in its midst. The only inference to be drawn from your opening statement is that, in this particular question of drainage, the present Council has been guilty of undue procrastination, and tliis is tho point to which I would, for the present, confine my remarks, and endeavour to show that the writers have apparently not followed the proceedings of the Council, and ai’e not in possession of the facts relating to its recent action as to drainage matters. Personally, X am glad that past Councils have not seen the wisdom of throwing away public money in establishing a most expensive, inefficient, offensive, and insanitary system of excreta removal.

The present Council was elected in April last. Its first business meeting was held on the 13th of y lay last,, when a letter from Dr Vulintino was suhmit- , Within a week of this date it was decided to inform tho Health Department that tho Council had under consideration tho question of a drainage scheme in preference to one for the removal o,t nightsoii, and tho Council's sanitation Committee immediately got to work on tho details of a scheme and opened up negotiations, with the KailTT.T .Department ami others interested. V\ ithmn!. month this committee came to its tmai conclusion as to drainage, and made a senes of recommendations to tho Council, amongst winch were the appointment on the whole question and other resolutions necessarv tor tho submission of the matter to the w„ P , a - V6 J s - ai M leading up to the absoif +i PP*-, the necessary works. At the first meeting thereafter, on July Bth, the Council adopted these recommendations and appointed an engineer. It will ho noted that, this stage nvas reached in less than two months from first meetin e of tins proAt the following meeting, on August Jr re- so anxious was the Council to urge the matter forward that it passed a resolution requesting tho engineer to refnc the <- F ? SSl , bl< ’; fiotwilhetand■invfhiF/ Ml that J 1? had not then had any thing like sufficient time 'to make the necessary inspections, surveys, and plans of tho districts, nor vet to give |“f. consideration to five subject. Unfortunately, tho engineer was seriously unwell for some considerable time and was unable, in consequence to bring down liis report as soon as he tw uv done. It is true that, although it had previously allowed the subject to remain in abeyance for a period of two years, the Health Departmenfc again wrote tho Council’, and m reply was informed in October, that an engineer was engaged in preparing a repor? the question of drainage. Un the 11th of November the engineer s report was received bv the Council and referred to the Sanitation Committee, committee met within a week thereafter (18th November), and made its recommendations to the Coun--5J a i! n9 /£? these recommendations was that The City Council of Wellington bo asked upon what terms it would allow the drainage of the Goldie’s Brae district to be connected with tho citv sewerage system The committee further met on the Ist of December and discussed the scheme in detail with the engineer. At the Council meeting immediately following, on the 9th December, the committees recommendations were adopted. On the 16th December the Town Clerk of ■Ti was written to, in accordance with the committee's recommendation. As no reply had been received at the following meeting upon xhe 13th January the clerk was instructed to again write tile City Council. At a meeting of the bamtation Committee on the Sth t ebniari, it was reported that no. reply had yet been received from the City Council, iho . committee, therefore, recommended its Council to appoint a deputahon to wait upon tho City Council, the Onslow Council adopted this recomment ation ami on the 11th February the loan Clerk of Mellington was written. asking when this deputation would be heard. It was heard at the last meeting of the City Council, on tho 22nd February,'but tho Onslow borough is not yet .in receipt of tho City Council’s answer in the matter.

Now, Sir. your readers have a detailed record of the action taken bv the pre--501 1 \ Council on this subject, nncl will bo able to judge whether it and its committee have acted expeditiously or otherwise, and I am quite sure it will bo only too glad that its business expedition in this matter should bo compared with that of any other local bodydealing with a question of such importance and entailing such cost. Well within two months from tho first meeting of the Council, these proposals were in tho hands of a specially qualified engineer to report upon, and within a month of the receipt of tho engineer’s report the Borough Council approached tho City Council, and it must perforce await the City Council’s pleasure. The last paragraph in your article on page 3 is amazing beyond degree. To suggest that- any body of business men should lay . before the ratepayers, with any possible chance • of carrying it, a pni-t'of aschemo without being able to say what the whole will cost; and what tho borough’s liability will' be would.

in my judgment, bo tho height of folly. From the particulars* which I have given above, tho impartial reader will observe that the words in your article;— "'The Council continued to surreptitiously consider until .September 22nd last, etc,” aro as far removed from fact as they possibly can be, .It is of course a simple matter to write about the “habit of procrastina-

r.idoring cap." (whatever that is) "ami gelling to work," about “humiliating reading," and about the application of legislative compulsion if greater expedition be not shown; but it seems to me, Sir. you could not have written iu this strain had you inquired at ail into the other side of tho question. 1 trust, with you, that the City Council will give every assistance to the Onslow authorities, and that as speedily as possible, and 1 am glad that you also emphasise and yo-echo that which I stated to the City Council on tho 22nd ult., viz., that an insanitary district on the ousidc of the city its a danger to the whole community.—l am. etc., E. S. HOUNTIiWAITE. March 6th.