THE LYTTELTON WATER BYLAW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7331, 18 February 1902, Page 1

THE LYTTELTON WATER BYLAW.

-'■■■ > ; . — — — ♦ — t— . ■.'..':■ ■-...'■ DISCUSSION IN THE BOROUGH; .'.'■■ COUNCIL, '. At the meeting of, the Lyttelton Borough Council last night Councillor C:. : Cook Sabved 1 the following motion ; of which he 3iad given- notice : at the preceding meeting — " That Clauses ; 9 and 10 of the Watersupply By-law, be suspended.". He said .that ne wished the part of .the by-law relating to meters to be suspended tilL it was absolutely necessary to enforce it.- There was ample water, and the. by-law had aroused considerable opposition among the ratepayers. The borough was. not short of j Wwiiey, as.it could afford to go ia for .a large building and for a new Inspector, who would, no doubt, be ablo to catch anyone ■who wasted the water. Only 4,000,000 gal had been 'used, last month, with eight hours c. day's pumping,, and tf-he supply would furnish S.OOO.OOOgaV if required. He wished to deny a statement that he wai mov- J ing the motion to catch votes for the office 43ri Mayor. He did not intend to stand for , Mayor. ., He .thought that people should be allowed to. use a little water for their gardens. The Council should rather encourage people .to make . these beauty- spots. Hb pointed out that the meters, in such cares 1 , were only required for a few. months, for which the people, if they paid for the meter as proposed, . would; be charged about £6. He agreedi -that it was necessary" 'io ■ pre; wilful waste of the- water. "Gbuncillor, Garrard seconded the motion, pro forma. He said that die did not agree With "the whole of the by-law, though itwas desirable to prevent . waste. The trouble would Have been avoided had the Council, as he had' suggested, considered the by-law clause by clause. -' ■ Councillor Brown said that, the people on the top of the level . sometimes could not get water because those lower down used it on their gardens. He contended that, according to the Act, if any exemption were granted, say to gardens, the ! Council could not enforce payment of the charges for water for other " extraordinary" purposes as defined in the Municipal Corporations Act. , Councillor Webb. thought it would be unwise to come to 'any decision to suspend the; by-law, without further information. The object of the by-law was not to seek revenue, but to protect the ratepayers, and it have a year's test. He movbd an amendment that the re-consideration of the matter should be adjourned for a. fortnight, : and be discussed by a committee of the whole- Council. - ': , . Councillor Brown seconded the amend-, ment. '. , : •; ' ' '■ ■.■■.• ■: .j Councillor W«bb explained that ihe ; wished tiie comanittee of the whole Council to consider the by-law to- see what modifications could !be effected. The amendment was carried, Councillors Cook, Smdtih a<nd Garrard voting agannst it. A rather serious epidemdo of scarlatina lias broken out in. the Merivale district-, four cases have occurred Jin Carlton Mill Boad and its vicinity. The outbreak is ascribed by some to th« state of the sewer connections on tJie north side/of the Carlton Boad, where the mill-race used to run. Two of tiem are in a very bad state, and in hot weather the smell is particularly objectionable.