WATER AND DRAINAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1929, Page 10

WATER AND DRAINAGE

STRATFORD BOROUGH’S SCHEME. HOW £ll,OOO WILL BE SPENT. “Many years ago Mr. J. Sturrock, Hawera, acting as consulting engineer to this council, reported on a scheme to provide a comprehensive drainage system throughout the borough,” said .Cr. S. A. Ward, chairman of the works committee, in addressing members of the Stratford Borough Council on Monday evening on various aspects of the pro- . posed new sewerage and water loan involving £ll,OOO, Which has now been adopted by the council. Cr. Ward explained that Mr. Sturrock’s scheme was being carried out in the present instance with the exception of Swansea Road north of Regan Street and Pembroke Road east of Cordelia Street. These two streets could, lie said, at some future date, when ■ necessity arose, be drained with comparative ease by a system of siphon. - At the present time 385 houses were connected with the sewers, but the new proposals would make the service available to a further 300, thus bringing the total, to GB5 houses, representing most of the hopes in Stratford. The cutting-out of the small portion as already explained from Mr. Sturrock’s. schehie, would mean .the saving of £4OO on the capital cost, and this sum would more than cover the proposed extension and improvement of the water service.

EXTENSION OF SEWERAGE.' '. “The drainage scheme' now tabled will ultimately serve every part of the borough, but the suggested programme is to carry out the work so as to do the greatest good to the largest number of ratepayers first, continued Cr. Ward “Thus it is proposed to serve first that prtion from . Pembroke Road on the north to Romeo Street on the south, and Swansea Road in the east to Hamlet Street in the west. Later, when the new railway station is built, the sewerage can be extended according to plan along Broadway South, and y so take, in these new buildings.” Dealing with the proposed improvement 1 the water service, Cr. Ward explained that for some years complaints had been made regarding the lack of pressure in the western outskirts of the borough, particularly in Brecon Road north and Opunake Road. Under the existing system, water for domestic use readied these areas from Broadway and gravitated along Regan Street to Brecon Road, and from Broadway along Opunake Road. Because of the nature of the land, this system caused a .big pull and a lot of friction in the pipes which, with the cßmand occasioned by the side streets, meant a very low pressure at the more distant points of connection.

GREAT WATER PRESSURE. The suggested improvements would entail a pipe being taken off . the main in Page Street to carry the water along Brecon Road north to Pembroke Road, and in Brecon Roau south to Opunake Road. Hence a big improve ..ent would be made in the pressure as supplied to these streets. As a further means of increasing the water pressure generally, it was also proposed to link all the present dead-ends of services and transform the existing and incomplete service, into a complete circuit. The immediate result of this work would become apparent in a far more constant supply of water, greater pressure and better facilities for. extinguishing fires. Cr. Ward went on to say that the water service should be completed within three months and the sewerage within 12 months. . The work could be carried out by the present staff with only a few additions in the forr i of labour.

“It will be a mistake,” he said, “to let an impression get abroad that work will be available in Stratford because of the new. loans; such will not be the case.” In .conclusion Cr. Ward paid a high tribute. to the. skill and ability of the borough foreman, (Mr. L. B. Davies); who, he said, had devoted a great deal of time and thought to the schemes. Cr. D. J. Malone extended congratulations to Cr. Ward upon his report, which showed that the chairman of, the works committee was keenly interested in the duties of his office. Ratepayers, he said, could look with confidence on the scheme, more especially as the system of finance (as explained by the May_r and reported in yesterday’s issue) would entail no increase in the general fates. The fact, said Mr. Malone, that so many people had been so long without these conveniences should commend, the present proposals very strongly to ratepayers.

KING’S THEATRE, STRATFORD. “ABIE’S IRISH ROSE.” Anne Nichols’ stage play, “Abie’s Irish Rose,” has been transplanted to the screen by Paramount and equipped with quality sound, featuring four important sequences with talking. A beautiful musical score has been prepared for the picture by J. S. Zamecnik. The picture will be shown finally at the King’s Theatre this evening. Charles ‘Buddy” Rogers, Nancy Carroll, Jean Hersholt and J. Farrel MacDonald carry the important roles with a superb supporting cast featuring Ida Kramer and Bernard Gorcey, who appeared in the ori ginal stage show in its remarkable run of five and a half years in New York “Abie’s Irish Rose” is not a farce comedy, nor is it a heavy drama. It .is a cross between the two, a cross section of life itself, told in a series of dramatic scenes to which a touch of comedy lightness has been added occasionally. The four talking sequences are features of the prod>ic tion that will long be remembered. Nancy Carroll’s singing and dancing with “Buddy” Rogers at the piano, is one of the highlights of the production. I Jean Hersholt, in an intense dramatii sequence, will startle with his emotional acting.