WATER SUPPLY LOAN

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 873, 20 July 1910, Page 3

WATER SUPPLY LOAN

RATEPAYERS APATHETIC. METvE HANDFUL ATTEND MEETING. Tlie apathy of the city ratepayers in the matter of loans for important undertakings has become a byword in - Wellington. It was strikingly instanced at the Town Hall last evening, when about fifty ratepayers, assembled in the Concert Boom in response to tlio corporation's invitation to attend the statutory meeting of ratepayers convened for the purpose of hearing and discussing tho proposal to raise a sum of .£IOO,OOO to Ije expended in. the work of duplicating the Wainui wafer main. The proposals have already been fully explained in The Dominion. The Mayor (Mr. T. M. AVilfprd, M.P.), presided, and there were also in attendance members of the City Council and the executive stall'. Outlining the proposals, his Worship said that the scheme of duplication directly affected the interests of residents in the outlying districts of the city, for upon tho completion of that scheme depended the satisfactory completion of the suburban sewerage and water supply systems. Further, tho raising of the existing water pressure fo'r fire-extinguishing purposes was a very pressing necessity— they had the lessons of recent serious, conflagrations .in tho city to give point to that necessity. Part of the scheme proposed included provision for so im- ■ proving the nitration appliances that the sediment and discoloration which ' had been complained by residents in many parts of tho city 'would be a thing of the past. He moved:— ".That this meeting, of ratepayers approves the proposal of tho Wellington City Council to borrow (by way of special loan within.the meaning of the Local Bodies Loans Act, 190S, and its amendments) the sum of ,£IOO,OOO for the purposes hereunder set forth:— The work of duplication of .' the ,inain from Wainui reservoir to the city; the provision of a distributing ■ reservoir and the construction of bridges over- the • ' Wainui-o-Mata Hirer' .£BO,OOO The extension of the reticulation of the city and the ■diversion of tho existing main to new Hutt River bridges "" 20,000 .£IOO,OOO .' As to the means of raising the. loan, explained his Worship, the. Government had previously indicated, when approached for loans for tramway purposes, that advances for. water supply schemes and other works of more immediate necessity than tramways would receive preference. The Government'should be taken at its word in that respect, and if the rate- | pavers sanctioned the raising of the loan, steps would be taken by the corporation to obtain the money from the Government in such sums as were from time to time required. Councillor Ballinger seconded the moMr. T. Dwan asked whether there would be a rise in the rates. His Worship replied that the. rate to be struck would represent 3s. on every dC»SO of property on the unimproved value. Mr. Ihvau strongly objected to any proposition which Involved an increase in the present burden of the ratepayers. Kents were falling, and there were at least 1000 empty houses in the city. .J±e thought that they might very well wait for'- another year. He would certainly., ■vbtfi against the proposal. Tho Mayor pointed out that there would bo no extra rate this year. With the extension of tho water supply under the proposed scheme, the ordinary water rates payable by those who would then be connected with the water supply system would help I-o pay the interest on the loan. Tho council, under tho law, Vas obliged to pledge,.to ; give an,wider-, taking, that a rate would, if necessary, be struck to moot the interest on the loan. But it. might never bo required to impose the rate—it did not necessarily ■ follow that because the council actually pledged the rate, that that rate would be struck. The rutc for tho lust tramway, loan had never been struck, although it had been pledged. Mr. Dwan then raised the question of installing a universal meter system. Theru was an enormous amount of waste going on. Mr. W. H.'Morton (City Engineer) replied that such an installation would cost something like ,£30,000. In answer to another speaker, the Engineer ex-, plained that the proposed scheme provided for a supply of 12,000,000 gallons per day. Tho average consumption per clay worked out at 63 gallons per head of the ' present population. ' Roughly, the new scheme.would meet the requirementsof double tho present population of the city. In reply to a question by Mr. Eeich, the Mayor said that in 1901 the City Engineer had reported that the existing mains should be left for five or six years —a report based uipon the condition of the old Hutt Eoad. .Since then,.the Hutt Boad had been reformed, thus disposing of the difficulty in tho wny ot an improved water supply. Inter alia, his Worship pointed out that the estimate prepared by the previous City Engineer was double that set down by Mr. Morton. Referring to tlie "burst", which had occurred on the existing main, Mr. Wilford said that the duplication scheme would avert such accidents by relieving the pressure. The motion was then put and carried. A poll of ratepayers will take place on a date to bq announced later..