DRAINAGE BOARD ELECTIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12565, 20 January 1903, Page 7

DRAINAGE BOARD ELECTIONS.

[Advt.] j

TO THE RATEPAYERS OP DUNEDIN ' AND SUBURBS. As a candidate soeking the support. of the ratepayers ill above election, I think it only right, that I should lay my views before them. Needless to say as a citizen I have taken a, keen interest in the workings of the Drainage -Board since its inception, believing' as I do that no work has ever been inaugurated having a wider or more personal application to every citizen of-Dun-edin and euburbs than an effective drainage and sewerage' system. • The Drainage Act.of 1900 confers large | powers oil the board, and these powers | contingently involve heavy responsibilities • upon the members thereof in whoso custody , the rat-epayers have placed their confidence. . It therefore behoves the citizens to see ! that the representatives they elect to 1 the board 'are men who; will keep a - careful aye on the financial aspect of tho question i in so.for as it affects the ratepayers in tho . matter of taxation, and at same time I return men who are capable of intelligently , and impartially- considering any profes- > sionnl reports and; recommendations sub- | mitfced; ' . As- regards the latest appointments of i consulting engineers, the courso adopted aefms to me in the light of existing circumstances to ba wholly injudicious, and should be rescinded* If I am lightly informed, there has as yet been to, the . board, no sufficient data for criticism. At • anyrate, I consider it is a first duty of the board to. insist on their I 'officer providing comprehensive plans and specifications | covering the whole of tho drainage area, showing how oaeh district is to be dealt with and, approximately, At \vhi|t cost. Then it would bo time enough to deal ( with the question of an independent- report, ,

At tho present juncture it seems worao than' useless to appoint these consulting engineers, 1 entirely deprecate the manner in which the board nt present deal with their chief officials, which caainot, if continued, but prove inimical to the interests of those having to bear the burden—viz., the ratepayers. If the board has lost confidence in their engineer, there are surely constitutional and decisive means of dealing with tho matter instead of adopting steps which render the position of that officer intolerable, while' iit the same time he is supposed to be chief and confidential advisor to. the board. I do not arrogate to myself the knowledge to pass an emphatic opinion on any of the schemes suggested, and would prefer to roly on the recommendations of trusted officers, when properly formulated, and thai safeguarded by an independent professional report. Another- question which should receive the careful consideration of the board is that of the differential rating proportionately with the services supplied in the different areas. Fresh legislation might be neccssary, and I should endeavour to the best of my ability to have it adjusted on an equitable basis to all concerned. Objection has heen taken to my candidature, as well as to that of several others, on the ground that we have an interest in the Waipori Electric Power Company, and that wc* intend to uso our positions on the Drainage Board if elected to further the interests of the compaaiy named. Such an imputation is unwarranted, and is evidently made in tho interests of some of the other candidates. It is difficult to see tho connection, because it will bo a considerable time before the Drainage Board requires anything in the way of power. The Waipori Company is a commercial undertaking, and if it should bo in a position to supply motive powor for pumping purposos to the Drainage Board at a cheaper rai© than any other source, it is hard to see where the sin lies in the board taking advantage of it. I can only assure my friends that I would scorn to uso any public position for my private gain, and must leave tho matter there and be judged l»y resii'la. In offering my services to tho public I am aware that it will entail a considerable amount of work, and absorb nearly the whole of what little spare time I have, but I do it at. the request of a number of citizens and in a purely public spirit. The rest I must leave to the ratepayers on tho 21st inst., but they may rest assured that if they honour me with their confidence my best services will bo given to them in the way I have indicated above.—l am, etc., John Lotoojt.