WAIMATE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8293, 23 September 1903, Page 1

WAIMATE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY

(From Our Own /Correspondent.)

A meeting of ra.U'payi li; \v;is lii'ltl ill St. Augustine's Church on Monday to consider a proposal to take a poll on ilie question of t.i King steps to obtain a water supply lor the borough. There mis a. representative. meeting of 150 persuns piesent, of whom over 120 were ratepayers. The Mayor occupied tlie chair, and with him on the platform, were iCouucillom Coltinan, lnkster, Jiarelay, Morgan, Jones, Miller, Francis, and Freeman. and Mr Ak hurst (Town Clerk), Air ilarchant (U.K.), and I)r Finch. The Mayor csuid the proposal was to raiso a loan to meet all expeiioiw of works, material, and nccesi'iry legal exjiensrs which would be incurred. The Council in recommending the sum mentioned wa.s careful to have a substantial margin above the estimate of £9BOO, to meet extras, contingencies,. and legal uxjionsis. 'in,- sum proposed to be. borrow ,-d v.'ae, to be pa id back with, interest in 'II years at 3-J per cent. The matter liad been disriiM-;. d m Ihe I'reM-i, in the. Council, and amount mc residents for some time. past, and the present meeting was called ilium to decide whether the Council proceed to have a poll taken or not. Jir Pinnell said his rates had been (steadily increasing in amount during 1 the hint four years with a water rate. He and many other small ratepayers had provided on thoir ficctions sutUcicnt water supply for the use of .their families, and lie considered the propcsil too lieavy a burden for a large number of ratepayers. Mr t-i. Manchester asked, if (lie bush ware clear, d above the source of the water supply, would tiie supply be. seriously diminished. Mi-'Marchant, at the request of the Mayor, said lie- did not anticipate any diminution of water supply ill consequence of the bush being cleared. in answer to a. question, the Mayor said that all who have been in Waimate since the bu.sh wa.s cleared down to the town would agree with him tlr.it there and been a large diminution in the creek water.

11l Answer to Mr T. llaruy. Mr Marchanti said lie had no doubt of UK' sutliciency ol' (he estimated cost to meet (Me expenditure on proposed work:', material. acquisition of neocssary land and rights, and isupply of water to the few persons living below Iho proposed intake. The ilayor, in reply to a question, suiil no apprisich by the Council had bjen mado towards having co-operation from the reside nts of the country whoso houses arc ill close proximity to the town. In reply to a. question by Mr Molloy, as to what course would lie followed in case tlio sum borrowed wa.s exceeded 111 carrying out. the work, the 'Mayor said lie cnnsidsivd tlio margin by wliich file celim-ite (£9800) waft exceeded by the proposed I'.ctn (£11,500) wan quite suflicienl to meet, ;uiy extras or emergencies likely to o: c;i;\ I lie Hill now pending by which it was proponed to limit municipal loans to 32 years an interest to £4 percent, w.ts nui yet p:isv.d as law. If the loan were raised under im new Hill when enacted it would not raise ill.' annual racing more than £sl on the borough.

Mr G. Dash was in favor of a wab r supply, but considered the I)m;>neor'.*: report as submitted was no', satisfactory on points of amount, of supply of wa'.tv and the suggetjtion as to ill ligation .'I u ;ui;s waK-r fur motor purposes. ,

.Mr Mareham stated, in answer to annlher ralepavi r, thai £iCt) •! y< :»• wa.s esl-invtb d as the cost of maintenance.

Tlie Town Clerk r.vjvrtnjil the financial, effects of i he wat-r r<'e,. on <bll. r.-nt. otaws of ratepayers. T:ie <■ om- i. ; rai:-i;ie; the loan was t-siiimTUd at £s';;;, and was provided for in the 'Co.uneiiV propo>al for the loan.

Mr Bftimer'lian am! ml|.-vs <|Ue.*uoils as to the etfeet ol n u . \v:KiT supply on lire insurance premiums. •Mr Nicol spoke i-f the groat use to the (own of the water,opplj ior < ivaniery, laundry. and other purpose:;. Dr iFinch, in aiiMvtr to question.", s]iok<' in a genera) way of the sanitary and economic effects of a good supply of good water. Dr Barclay also spoke of I he importance of a water supply for (he health of tho community. Messrs Priest, fjoacli, and Atwill also spoke in favor of the proposal. The Mayor said the question had now been looked at from various; points, and ho would ask the meotinji to move an 1o whet hot a. poll should be taken on tile proposal an laid before the meeting in the Kngineer'.s report, and the 'Council's suggestion a» to the amount of loan.

It was proposed by Mr (!. Munchei.tilr, and seconded by /Mr J. (lout ell o, that Hid taking of a. poll on the water supply qufMion be. postponed until the householders in the immediate vicinity, but outside the boundary, be approached with a view of trying to gain their co-operation in I he proposal. Messrs Hardy and Banncrman proposed that, the poll lie taken for or against tlu> water supply propoicil. It was resolved that a ballot be taken of tlte votep of the ratepayers present at themeeting; and Messrs Akhuret (Town Clerk) and 'Morgan were appointed to carry out I ho vote by ballot. The result was thai 78 ralepayers voted for taking the poll as soon as possible and 31 against, live votes being informal.

The lM ay or declared that the ratcpnycm present, by a majority of <l7, had decided, to have the poll for the water .supply taken, and announced that the Council would 1a Ico steps to carry out this resolution at the earliest possible date.

On the motion of Mr Dash, it was resolved that the 'Council be asked to give particular!-; of the requisite rating in the borough to meet, expenditure and interest on account, ol' tho proposed water supply, and that circulars to this effect be provided for tin' ratepayers before tho time for taking the poll.