BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 73, 19 November 1912, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SPECIAL MEETING ON LOAN PROPOSALS. Tho Borough Council held a special meeting last evening to further discuss loan proposals. Present: the Mayor (Mr. VV. P. Kirkwood), Councillors S. Ward, N. J. King, J. H. Thompson, J. McAllister, R. McK. Morison, J. W. Boon, and T. Lawson. After Messrs. Robinson and Cnrmtopher’s report, a copy of which appears elsewhere, was read, the Mayor moved, and Councillor Thompson seconded; “That the drainage scheme as outlined by Messrs. Robinson and Christophers ho adopted, and that the sum of £SOOO be placed on the loan proposals to carry out this work. Councillor Ward spoke against favouring special areas, if the scheme was going to make some ratepayers shoulder the bills of others, without getting anything in return, he would vote against tho motion. He referred especially to the congested areas in this instance.

The Mayor: Where are your congested areas? Councillor Ward: Brecon Road. Councillors: It’s not congested! Councillor Ward: 'they should have the drainage. Councillor Morison was in favour of holding the matter 'over at present. It might oe that the scheme would cost £6uoo, and it might cost £7OOO. The main thing, however, was to see that the scheme could be added to in the future.

The Mayor: Hear, hear! Councillor King drew attention to the fact that the connections from the sewer to boundaries of property had yet to be provided for, hosting probably another £ISOO to £2OOO. The Mayor remarked that it was quite beyond the power of the Borough at present to finance a scheme for draining the whole Borough, Councillor King stated that he was of the same opinion as Councillor Ward—namely, that it was unfair to rate people in congested areas unless they, too, had the benefits of the sewers. He mentioned Orlando and Juliet Streets, south of the bridge, as cases in point. Councillor Thompson said that there were portions of the north-western district, in Pembroke Road,. Hamlet Street, and Olivia Street, in a similar position. He thought the £SOOO proposed was insufficient, but he could no„ favour, nor would the ratepayers car■fry, a loan for the drainage of the whole Borough. “Try the ratepayers with it, and they’ll chuck it out,” concluded the Councillor. The Mayor stated that he would not press his motion; it had been moved merely to put tho matter in ordsr. Councillor McAllister was of .the opinion that it was more than ever evident that a general drainage scheme was an absolute necessity. The localities just mentioned were certainly congested arfeas, but he reminded those present that next year there might bo other areas even more congested and requiring drainage. He favoured obtaining authority to borrow for a complete scheme for the Borough, the system to be put into effect as required. The trouble was that any loan for a partial scheme blocked tne way for a further loan for many years. He claimed that the Council should borrow enough money to obviate the necessity for again approaching the ratepayers with a drainage loan scheme in the event of other streets becoming as closely built on—say, as Juliet Street North. They must remember that each loan raised made the next one harder to raise, for the people who had these conveniences themselves were- not anxious to add to their rates in order to allow “the other fellow” th,e same facilities/ The'Mayor: It seems that this loan is going to get somewhere in tho vicinity of the dimensions of the loan recently raised by the Chinese Government. I don’t know whore it will stop. I believe that it would be advisable to go in for a bigger scheme, but my fear is that you will so overload the loan scheme, that it will be thrown out by the ratepayers. Replying to Councillor Ward, the Mayor said the Council had power to levy special drainage rates over a special drainage area. Councillor Ward remarked that it would bo quite unfair to ask the whole of the ratepayers to foot the drainage bill, and only to drain certain picked areas.

The Mayor: Then how came it about that the ratepayers in the past voted for the loan and rated themselves for the drainage we have to-day P Councillor Ward: They’re paying it with bad grace. Councillor Boon stated that in his opinion drainage was absolutely necessary in the area mentioned in the report. He believed that in addition to the £SOOO proposal the Council should raise money for boundary connections with the new scheme, and to complete the whole of the available connections with the old scheme. For £6OOO or £BOOO the Council could meet the drainage requirements for the next ten years. The Mayor then withdrew his motion. The Mayor then quoted the following report by the Overseer in September last:—“The following are the most congested parts of the Borough which can be sewered into the present sewerage system, the number of houses being recorded in each locality:—Fenton Street East to Swansea Road, 22; Swansea Road South to Fenton Street, 7 ; Hamlet Street South of Page Street to Ophnake Road, 7; Pembroke Road from Broadway to Portia Street, 4; Hamlet Street North from Pembroke Road to Seyton Street, 9; Pot"ia Street North of Regan Street 11; Miranda Street at North of Regan Street 17; Seyton Street west of Broadway, 8; Broadway South to top of hill, 13; Oloton Rond, 10; Juliet Street from Lear to Celia Street, 9 ; Orlando Street from Lear to Celia Street, 5; total, 120.” The following motion was carried:— “That that portion of the Borough mentioned in the Overseer’s report of September 16th, 1912, bo connected with the drainage system with additions to include all that western portion of the Borough bounded in the north by Pembroke Road, south by Opunake Road, west by Hamlet Street and also Cordelia Street and Ariel Street between Lear Street and Celia Street; and that the engineers be asked to bring down plans and estimates for the scheme.”.