DRAINAGE EXTENSION.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XVI, Issue 146, 15 April 1914, Page 3

DRAINAGE EXTENSION.

COUNCIL OFFERS TO IX) "SUITABLE AIIEV IF MAJORITY OF P.ROJPERTYOWN.EItS DESIRE IT. The "recommendation of the Committee of the whole duly came before the. Borough Council last night. It was as follow*:—"That no further drainage lie done without lirst recoiviug a. petition froni the ratepayers in the street or streets to be dune, aind that the income dnom such street, or streets is shown to be Millicient to meet the charges on such work." Affeir the adaption of the recommendation had been formally moved tund seconded, Or .llaiyos said that since the Committee meeting lie had had conversations with a. number of people, and ; no pelrson said they were (sic) tbink'= ing of changing their property to a street where they eoiildget the drainage. If the Council would look at the matter tney would see that the wholo of the town frmi Cm eon Street to Rhodes Street could be pay ably given the drainage, and that would be-drainage. eiUHig.li for "Waimate for a 10-ng liiiio lo come. If one street ivisiv left out because if did not. pay, he thought it would be bad policy. For one thing, if such a street were lQi't without the. drainage the nightsoil contractor would have, to go into that part of tho town, for the sake of ono street. That would not he n, good thing. lift thought if a petition were: got up from the whole of that ami from Queen Street to Rhodes Street and Leonard Street lo the, I'ark, and if the majority wore in favour' of it. tho scheme should be extended to the whole of that block, irrespective of its paying street by street. Or . Evaai< : Then yon would have to consider applications from Jollier streets elsewhere, whetlior it was going lo pay or not. G\: Have-;: The area I have mentioned would cost £I9OO t!> do, and Ihet interest a.t 5 per cent, woiulil I'.o £95 pelr year, and the revenue £l3('i. The Mayor agreed that it would be better to leave out the eonditi).>n as to payableness street by street. Cr Haves' proposal was the better one, a.s it did not tie the Council Ci\ hikster concurred. Then they could deal with each petition on its merits. Gi\ Hayes: As an old lady had re. marked to him, it would .mean that the most populous part of the town would have tho drainage. Or. Evans commented that these tilings wo.rko.l out on pa.po.r had\ a way of not coming up to expectations in reality. There was a deficit of £7O o,n the portion of tho town already drained, yet that was worked out lo show a pivfit. (Jr. Hayes: But that was because people did not connect when they should have connected. Or. Evans: And some or these people in these streets might not connect as quickly as anticipated. Or. Pi'i.ul supported Cv. Hayes' proposal, but- would not like to thin-k any ol tho ratepayers not participating in the benefits of drainage) woitild be come upon thno.ugh the rates for any part of a loss.

Cr .Inkstor calculator! that fcho £3400 already spent on drainage was earning 1 5 per cent. TSesides this, there! wa.s the profit on the water was the. Council's "win." Ci 1 . ITufct contended that as the water supply .scheme was showing.' such a profit, the water charges should ho reduced, and any loss of revenue generally made up through then rates. The oixjeet of the carrying of rating on unimproved values had heen sedulously defeated in this Borough by special chargies of lone kind and another, and now 'thai revenue was being 1 got on a. capital valuation oasis, practically. The Cliei'rk pointed out tha,t the water charges were so low that any reduction would he immaterial. Or. Hayes 'amendment was carried without dissent in this form:—That any defined area he drained if «i' majjiofrity of ratepayers in that area he shown to desire the drainage, and if it will pav the Council to put it .in. Cr Evans asked if, should fa.vorahle' petitions come' in from four out of live streets m any area, and the ratepayers in street C did not want the drainage', although those in A, B, D, and E wteirel asking fofr ; it, would ttuet people in street Cbe compelled to takfe it? ■ Qr .Hayes: I think yes. It ip the majority ©Very time.