SEWER LOAN PROPOSALS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1929, Page 3

SEWER LOAN PROPOSALS

SCHEME FOR NEW PLYMOUTH PUBLIC MEETING AT VOGELTOWN. STRONG SUPPORT ACCORDED. Nineteen people, including three ladies, attended a ratepayers’ meeting at Vogeltown last night, when addresses in explanation of the sewerage loan proposals, on the lines of previous addresses, were given by the Major (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) and Cr. R. J. Pentecost. Mr. Z. Cock presided. After the conclusion of the addresses several questions were asked and answered, and a resolution endorsing the loan proposal, which was moved by the chairman, was carried unanimously with hearty applause. In dealing with the raising of the sewerage loan of £172,009, the Mayor said that the loan would be raised in a lump sum, when the market was favourable, but would be lifted in instalments spread over the period of the work. Mr. Ludlow asked why people who now possessed septic tanks, and were paying 10s water rate, should have their' water rate increased to £l. The Mayor explained that 10s out of the £1 was really the interest on the ratepayer’s capital invested in the septic tankand incidental private installations. When he joined up with the sewerage scheme he did not have to go to the expense of septic tank installations, and the “extra” 10s might be.regarded as interest on capital invested by the borough in the sewerage system. INTEREST AND SINKING FUND. In reply to Mr. C. E. Bellringer, the Mayor said that the maximum rate of interest payable on the loan would be 5i per cent. In addition there would be a sinking fund charge of 2 per cent. Mr. Bellringer: You submitted at one of your previous meetings a summary of what the cost would' be to the individual ratepayer, basing your statement on an estimated “average” section of £2OO unimproved value. But there are many business men in town who are being called to pay an extra £5O or £6O in rates. The Mayor remarked that the council’s proposition seemed, quite a failone. The fortunate owner of large properties in the centre of the town was reaping from his property an unearned increment caused by large public expenditure in his town. His profits increased as the daily flow of population to and fro past his door increased. When this unearned increment was subtracted he was really paying no more than the poorest man. (Applause.) Mr. Bellringer: That is all right if one is ai; owner of extensive property ,in the centre of the town, but many men have contracted leases which are a great financial responsibility to them, and. they are not in the position of having any unearned increment as a compensating benefit as a set-off to their increased rates. The Mayor said it was all a matter of business, and the incidence of additional rates should be considered when leases were being entered into. WORK TO BE LET BY CONTRACT. Replying to a further question, Mr. Griffiths said that it was intended to do the work by contract. Assuming that the work would be spread over a period of five years, it was proposed to carry it out as follows: — First year. —Liquefaction tunnel and outfall. Also main sewer east and west. Contracts to be let and work begun on Fitzroy area, Te Henni watershed area, and West End. Second year.—Completion of .practically all work begun in first year and contract to be let and work begun on Dartmoor area. Third year. —Complete unfinished work rrom previous year and let contracts and begin work for Vogeltown and Avenue Road areas. & Fourth year. —Complete unfinished work from previous year and let contracts for Moturoa and Upper Westown areas. Fifth year. —Complete unfinished work from previous year and let contracts for Brooklands Road and Frankley Road areas./" FRANKLEIGH PARK MEETING ADDRESSES BY COUNCILLORS. SEVERAL QUESTIONS ASKED. Ten ratepayers attended the meeting called in the Frankleigh Park to' discuss the borough drainage loan proposals. Mr. N. Allen presided. Short addresses were given by Crs. F. Amoore and J. Brown, after which questions were answered by the speakers and Messrs. F. T. Bellringer (town clerk) and M. James (engineering assistant).. The new drainage system was going to be for the good of the town, said Cr. Amoore. It might be said that those in the centre of the town would .not vote for it. That would be a very dog-in-the-manger attitude. He himself lived in the centre of the town and had all the conveniences there such as water and electric light, arid he remembered that the people in the outskirts had helped him. In return he wanted to help them. As far as the engineer’s estimates were concerned, it had been proved that the engineer was able to do his work I at a good deal less than his estimates, I said Cr. J. Brown. He himself had said in the past that unless they could get plenty of water he would oppose the sewerage scheme inside the council and out of it. Now they had knocked that prop from under him. There was going to be ample water for the scheme. APPEAL TO ELECTORS. He was not going to beg and pray them to vote for the loan. He would leave it to their own reasonable minds. He just wanted to ask them, even if they were against the loan, to come and vote at the poll. In the event of the loan being carried, when would the first rate be pay-' able? asked a member of the audience. It would be struck next May and collected next November, replied Mr. Bellringer. The loan would be spread perhaps over a period of five • years, said Mr. J. H. Frethey. In that case, would the Frankleigh Park area be the last to be connected i

Frankleigh Park would probably be among the last to be connected, said Mr. James. ' If the Id rate was taken off, said Mr. Frethey, it would mean then that Frankleigh Park would not get an extra bus. If fresh buses were warranted by increased traffic, said Cr. Brown, he thought the tramways committee would put them on. For obtaining new buses he was in favour of fresh short term loans.ESTIMATES FELT TO BE SOUND. What would happen, asked a questioner, if the £172,000 was spent before they had the sewerage at Frankleigh Park? ? . Cr. Brown said that moot of the loan money raised before had been spent by engineers on commission. In this case the engineer got nothing out of it at all. It was most unlikely that the cost of the work would exceed the esti-. mates. The work the engineer had already done on similar lines had been well below-his estimates. In the event of the loan being carried and the scheme put into practice, asked Mr. Boswell, when the time came to connect up Frankleigh Park, were individuals compelled to link up with the scheme ? If the main drain passed within 100 feet of a man’s boundary, said Cr. Amoore, he would . have to connect up. If the man found it financially difficult to connect up the borough would assist him with a loan. Even if the properties were not connected, explained Cr. Brown, the owners would be liable for the rate. The speakers were accorded a vote of thanks for their addresses. LOAN IN ONE LUMP SUM. Replying to Mr. W. W. Thomson, the Mayor said it .was intended to raise all tha money at once, but not to lift it immediately, taking what was required as it was. wanted. Mr. Thomson: What is the position for those people who are connected with the existing sewerage system? Will they have any capital expenditure? The Mayor replied that those people connected with the existing system would not have to incur any capital expenditure. Arrangements had been made by the engineer in designing the scheme to make provision for the connecting up of the new scheme and the old one. Replying to further questions, the Mayor said that when connections were being made between the new sewerage system and the house sanitary installations there was nothing to prevent a man doing the trench digging and general labouring work himself, in order to save expense, though he would have to employ qualified drain-layers and plumbers to do the more technical part of the work. Of the total-loan, £103,000 was being spent on wages. Tenders for material would be called in New Zealand and perhaps in Australia and England, but if the price allowed the whole of the loan money might stay in New Zealand. CONCRETE LINING TO CHAMBERS Mr. W. W. Thomson: Will the liquefaction chambers be lined with concrcte? The engineer (Mr. C. Clarke): Yes. The whole of the liquefaction tunnels will be lined with concrete nine inches thick. Mr. Clarke proceeded to explain the system by means of a diagram, and showed how the whole system would be ventilated by special ventilator pipes. By this means air would be circulated throughout the whole system flowing at the rate of about six feet a second, and he did not think it would be possible to open up any manhole and be assailed hy any unpleasant odour. Mr. Cock strongly eulogised the work of the engineer, in whom he said he had every faith, and said he hoped the public would join with him in giving hearty support to the scheme.. Further tributes were paid to the engineer, and the meeting closed with a resolution of thanks to the speakers and unanimous support for the proposal.