WATER RACE.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 14728, 5 August 1921, Page 5

WATER RACE.

THE CONTROLLING BODY. DISCUSSION AT COUNTY COUNCIL. At tho last meeting of the Thames County Council a letter was received from the Town Clerk of Thames in reply to' the council’s offer regarding the' water race. The Borough Council agreed to take over the race, and the overdraft on the race, and outlined certain other conditions. "■ The chairman: I move that we withdraw our offer. This is practically an insult to -the intelligence of any one:' We have practically offered to give it to the borough. They were to get it just for wiping Oft our overdraft and refunding the money advanced. But I might say we are not increasing our overdraft on the water race. We have wiped off £SOO (Since we made the offer. To my mind, the thing is not worth discussing, and I move we withdraw our offer.

Cr. McCormick: I second that. I wonder if they would take it. if we would give it to them. The chairman: You have given it to them. But they will pay for the excess water they use. Cr. McCormick: This has been going on for years. We can prove that they have used an excess, and we shall have to go on with it.

The<» chairman: We have withdrawn our offer. The thing is in the position it was before. We are still charging them for excess water. have not altered that at all.

Cr. McCormick: But they would have had the excess water to ’’Their benefit Had they taken it over.

Cr. Faithful: But how can. we carry on a thing we cannot finance ? Cr. McCormick: We will have to take the money out of the general account. We could probably ask for a commission, but we will have to carry out the contract.

. The chairman: We had better let the matter rest where it is. rossibly they think we were being compelled to part with it, and we can clearly show that they were mistaken. It can be made a moneymaking proposition, but we ought to provide a fund in case anything goes wrong.

Cr. Faithful: Morally we would have a good claim.

The chairman: Morally and legally are two different things. We are bound by our contract.

Cr. Faithful: We are not. Tho chairman : We are.

Cr. Faithful: I bog to differ, and I think you are wrong. We have a claim. What about asking for a Commission 1 The chairman : It is life and death to the borough, and I am astounded at the attitude. If it had been in my time I would Have jumped at it. It is a trust that should be held by the borough. Their summer water supply is not worth a snap.

Cr. Faithful: Who would have to pay for it ? Tho chairman : We would, and if we could not raise the ,unds, the borough would have to help us. The motion was carried.