OPUNAKE NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1929, Page 13

OPUNAKE NEWS.

EUCHRE PARTY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The euchre party in aid of the hand

funds was held in St. Patrick’s Hall on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance, and a very pleasant time was spent. The prize winners were: First, ladies, Mrs. Magee; second. Miss Whittington third,, Miss DeCastro: consolation, Mrs. J, Manor; travelling, Mrs. R. Malcolm. Men’s prizes, first’ Mr. S. Sorrenson; second, Mr. Lawerence; consolation, Mr. L. Crofekey travelling, Mr. H. Gilehnan. A tasty supper was provided by the ladies. MOTOR CAR ACCIDENT. A motor car .containing the members of Coburn’s orchestra in returning from the Tataraimaka ball on Thursday morning capsized on the roadside two chains on the Opunake side of the Heimama bridge. The occupants had some difficulty in getting from underneath the overturned car. A native who was given a “lift” was hurt and taken to hospital. Some of the members of the orchestra received nasty cute and abrasions. The car was badly damaged. The accident occurred soon after daylight. The car went elean off the roadway. The orchestral instruments were also badly damaged. "Mr. Hooper’s son, about 7 years of age, was taken to hospital on Wednesday evening suffering from injuries received through being knocked down by a motor cyclist on the Waiau Hill. A meeting of Opunake ratepayers was held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening to consider Mr. Wolley’s report on water and drainage for Opunake town district. The chairman of the town board (Mr. A. J. Brennan) presided, and stated that the board desired to get an expression of opinion of the I ratepayers on the report before commift’nv thrnn to furtlmr expenditure. '

Mr. Wolley. read the report submitted to the board. The cost is water, £12,000; sewera/re, £12,7000. The engineer stated that Opunake was . admirably situated for drainage, as the cost per capita per head averaged about £25 per head, the lightest cost of any scheme he had anything to do with. The average cost of other schemes was about £4O per head. So favourable was Opunake situated that he considered it would be a crime f< <r the ratepayers to turn down the development of water and drainage. Dr. Mecready of the : Health Department, stated that Opunake was one of two b(sck spots in the Taranaki district f om the. viewpoint of town sanitary •' /iprovements. ■' He had seriously considered instituting preventive measures regarding large assemblages at the beach, unless some system of water and drainage was introduced. Pure water and a good drainage system were the best preventives for virulent outbreaks in disease. He was of opinion that the Opunake beach was one of the best seaside resorts he was acquainted with, and the town of Opunake was centrally situated for a b’g shopping centre. But without the essentials of water and drainage the town could not expect to develop. He was pleased the town board had taken the matter up. In reply to Mr. Rogers, Wolley was positive the rate for fire insurance would be decreased as the result of instituting a system giving 1001 b pressure to the square inch. In reply to Mr. J. Feaver, senr., the chairman said the rate was based on the capital value. Mr. Rogers said he would like to have had more definite particulars of costs, for the householder as well as for the ratepaver. Owners of tenements could

pass the cost on, but it might increase the rent to a prohibitive amount, In reply, Mr. Wolley stated that water connections averaged for piping 4d per foot, taps 2s 6d each, or an average of about £6 to connect up with the main. The rate would be about £8 on a property worth £lOOO. The chairman said they could only assume that. the cost on a flat rate would be about 2Jd in the £. Checking Mr. Wolley’s figures it worked out similarly at about £8 on £lOOO valuation. In reply to Mr. Bowman, the engineer said the Waiau stream would not provide the elevation nor the purity for a good water scheme. In reply to Mr, Hughson, he said the Oaonui was the only other source to supplement the Waiau. Both streams were from the mountain and the water was pure. The dost of connecting up with the drainage system would bo about £lB 10s 6d. In reply to Mr. Munro, he said the town had a prior right to half a cusac of water from the Waiau, which waa considerably more than was required in the estimate of 70 gallons per day for each household. After further questions, Mr. Bowman moved that the time was inopportune for the inaguration of a Water and drainage scheme. This was seconded by Mr. Kirkwood, and declared lost. Mr. Brennan moved that the town board be asked to take the necessary formalities to place the loan proposals before the loan board and then submit the following proposals to ratepayers: (1) Installing a water system for the town; (2) Installing a sewerage system. This was seconded by Mr. R. Hughson and carried.