The Oxford Observer. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY MAY 26th, 1894. WATER SUPPLY.

Oxford Observer, Volume V, Issue V, 26 May 1894, Page 2

The Oxford Observer. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY MAY 26 th, 1894. WATER SUPPLY.

■ •■' It is better to save than to make " We commend this wise aphorisim tq,. the careful consideration of the Members of the Waimakariri Water supply. Board and the first step for them to take to carry out m a practical form the above advice of the immortal Sam Slick is to remove their Office from Rangiora to Oxford thereby savinig the salary of a clerk ahd the expehce of r the surveyor having to journey from Oxford to Rangiora to attend , meetings o^ the Board and the i trouble and expence of having to supply duplicate: tracings &c. from time to. time, it has been i. said by one of the late members of the said Boatd that the reason Rangiora was selected for head quarters, was ".the con- 1 , tractors " most of our readers will agree with us that this is to say the least a very poor reason' for any contractor must come to Oxford and look at the ground and wait on-the surveyor for information, so 1 ' What on earth advantage to tlie contractors can the office at Rangiora , be? we are given to understand that some member of the new Board favours the Cust as, a, ponyement t place for the head-.j office, bu^.tjbiat w.ould not lessen j tlie expences, and after all that ' is the matter from a ratepayers point. pf view. Surely the" ratepayer is not asking -too imich from the members of the present Board who all' professed that their objects Of seeking j Ifll^i^&r* flfc^'tonesfc W ! hjr& ::: 'fti& "save* ' : th'e \ratepajrer£ j pbdlc^t. ' >Tlfe Bank charges, fbr interest on the £2,000 over-

draft something like £180 per annum and as this cannot be wiped out until a Bill is passed allowing the several Road Boards interested to pay the same so long will the interest have to be paid, the saving of a clerk's salary and office expences at Rangiora will go a great way to pay the said interest on overdraft. The prospect of getting an enabling Bill through Parliament is very problimatical, it will meet with strong opposition from a quarter least expected and under the most favourable circumstances it will take over six months before it could pass both Houses and become law. If the Oxford Road Board caunot find it convenient to allow the Water Supply Board the' use of their office, there are doubtless sOine patriotic resident who would give them; the use of an empty Cottage rent free. > ■ We shall resume this subject 'm our next. .