THE WATERWORKS RESERVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10165, 27 September 1894, Page 5

THE WATERWORKS RESERVES.

The following !etfcf-r Us been sent to the Premier by the Maori Hill Borough Council in reply to a letter st-nt by thi Mayor of Duuedin to tho Hou. II- Seddon regarding the statements mads by Cr iiiitcUoll, of the Msoti Hill Borough Council, when interviewing tbe Premier is May last: —

In reply to the letter from Mr H. S. Fish, Mayor of Dunedin, ti yonr.elf (a copy of whi'-h *va_ received from yju >-nrier date .lime 21), wa day say that he appear*, to have altogether misconstrued the geneia! purpose of the deputation by con&tdeTiiw it to be iv opponitimi to tbe wquiaition by ths City Cuiuc'l of DuiK-dm of )*nd necessary for w.iterwi>rkn purposes, whereas the real purpose ..-as to th.'-w the injustic which exists hy region of ?.ui-h hn-.i being emnpt from local taxation. Sir link -.-. vit-.'s that "there is only COn acres of such iMid Within the borough of Maori Hill." Nov.-, us the urea of the horou«h ia about 3700 acres., it is ob» sun-.- that the council U deprived of revenue from nijotit one-nixth of its 'area by reason of sucb rci'.-v.'S being exempt from rates without any compensating reduction in the length of roadways on thai account. Theu Mr Fish writes that "the tiateuieut that the supply from tlie Waitati has beeu permam-ntly abandoned is again quite contrary -to fact." I'he deputation in not a>r:.r^ that such a statement Svastnade; but rather that, after the land bad teen reserved for that purpose, it was decided to take the water from the Nilverstreim instead.

1 Again, Mr Fish writes that it i.i "absdnt'-ly incorrect" to say that "the City Council w»> Going to take money fioro its water account to enable it to reduce tbe city rates," and ia the •very next paragraph admits what is practically the same thing—viz., that it is proposed to do so to obviate the necessity of increasing the rates. Now, what does euch a proposal really mean other than that the City Council is to h« allowed to run a commercial concern at the expeuny of the local bodies within whiue districts the w..terworkt an situated, so that it might, by luakidg a profit, l>: enzbled if not to reouce the rutey, at all events to prevent the rates from b.ingrriised? The roiiticU ventures tt/think tin-! ioju.-tiee of such a .tutn of things will present i'p. If to your mind at, nnre Further, Mr "lush -writ's il is " juirl«»Uing in the extreme" to nay that then* were "10303 to 111. waterworks to keep na which nirant expense t-i the borough," aud "that :ii« only access to the ■watcrwoiki i* over a itn'v^te roadway," rfc, and "probably the council doc.» not fe-m a cart over, "this rcadway, or the public road leading to it, six times in the cuuipk of 12 months." i>.o«-, as a matter of fact, there are public-formed roads leading to tbe reservoir buth from the c.st cm! v.vf.t, aud tile reseryoir pu-i'-rty Is bounded on two sides and partly oa a third by publin district, 10 ids, miking a total length «--f viearlv two mites "f a-.-tual frontage. Mr T'isii may *:s'.i' to argue (hit the roads botindiuij thy propiJ'ty are not formed. Certainly they aro not f.'rinu'i, benauae the council in not hi 3 position to bvar ttwcxpeuMi by rea-on of ita.being deprive.! of half the mvcuue t-f the frontage to there roads 0.-i u.:e.n:nt of tb« re.-c viir property being exempt fron, rutee, and 30 pr'tr.-ite' owners of land fronting these roads Miifer th.injuatice of having K»ctii'»l!y to pay the wlmlcost of formation au'i ii.'iiriieiiaHco or hein^ eeprived the use of formed road* to their )<i(>/'"' ties. Then tha n-seivnir px.perty i_ used as :i recreation ground fo^ the inhabitants of Dum-i',-: and suburbs, who flock there iv lniium-da on holidays, ami vehicle*, ive conntautly yacsing t.-. and from the loervni* aV>tig the borough riM'ls ; so that, even if the City I'vuucitdid not send a single cart over the roitrt, tnere is still a eimsid.ivabletrafiic caused by t';u' i/roi)-:.riy being held air. reserve by the couu. il. Tin; council de.-iriu to Bay there was no intention t..> aot in tintajoni.*wi to Ihe Dunediu City CouiiCtl beyond .1 wish vo have justice done to tbe )'..-ro:igh of XUori Hill by being enabled to collect a reaaonablo revenue from tint waterworks reserves.