ARAMOHO DRAINAGE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVII, Issue 12273, 6 September 1904, Page 2

ARAMOHO DRAINAGE.

DISCUSSED ET WAITOTAR At, COUNTY COUNCIL.

At thd meeting of the Waitotara County Council! yesterday, a letter was J received from Dr. Valintine, Assistant Health Officer, in which the Council was asked to take into consideration some scheme for tha drainage or Aramoho, as the present method of d sposmg of sewage waa a. menace to public health. . . , . The Chairman, in referring to the letter, said the impression seemed to have trot abroad that Dr^Valintiine had given a direct mandate to the Council to go on with a drainage scheme. This, however, was not so. Cr. Walker ssaid it was the Council s duty to take'steps towards formulatng a scheme; it was not the duty of the residents. The Chairman said that, if the tone of the meeting recently held at Aramoho were any ciiterdon, the bulk of the people were against the Council proceeding with a drainage schema. It seemed as if they did not know what they wanted. Ha understood that some of the people were hi favour of a scheme, and that a meeting was to ba held to d> scu&s the matter. Of course the Council would give every assistance possible. Or. Walker then moved that a committee be set up to prepare a scheme. The Chairman sadd that Mr. Dickson (the Couned'Ps foreman) had prepared a drainage scheme similar to that of the borough, and presented it to the m-eiet-inf recently' held at Aramoho- At the meeting Dr. -.Valintirife cracked up Wanganui as being one of tho most sanitary 'boroughs hi the colony, and then condemned the scheme prepared by Mr. Dickson. This was surely very strange, -considering that the Borough draiaage scheme has foseni .copied! The- whoie thing •seemed higgledy pTggledy. _ Cr. Walker: The whole point m dispute seemed to be whether the County Council is the proper body to initiate a scheme. The ratepayers have not time to do tines; the. governing body should do it.

The Chaimnan: The ratepayers are able to say whether they want water and drainage or not. It ©eema to me that a large number do not want it. Cr. Harper: One bg owner of proparty in Aramoho told me that he did not want drainage. The Chairman said the Council should not force any scheme upon the ratepayers; the ratepayers should first deu cide upon what they wanted. Cr Walker said he had been approached by ratepayers on the School road, who had explained their intention- or going on with a drainage scheme. Cr. Ross: So far as I can see, the people of Aramoho are all at sea. From the beginning they have gone ivn contravention of tho Act. This is what should •be done: A public meeting should be held, and the matter discussed. Then a resolution in favour of rating for a scheme should be proposed. If this is carried a petition should be circulated, and, tf a majority of the ratepayers1 sign in favour of a scheme, thai promoters should come to the Council and present the pe>tit:on % . Then \vo. would be in a position to go on. It is solely a matter for the people. Wheai the Council is aipproached in a proper manner we will know what to do./ The Chairman: The Public Health Department can do wonderful things. If they force our hands they w:Il hav-ei to find tha money, and that w/11 relieve us of a great'responsibility. Cr. Walker asked if Cr.; Ross's ■ remarks explained the position. Th© people of Aramoho simply wished to know how to proceed in the matter, and if ,the Chairman would, intimate that the steps .outlined, by Cr. Roes';.- .should' be tak*en, the difficulty would Absolved. ~ The Chairman: Tho '.Press, as -represented here, and they can report what has been. said. -

The matter then dropped