WATER FOR MASTERTON HOSPITAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 253, 20 July 1921, Page 6

WATER FOR MASTERTON HOSPITAL

BOROUGH COUNCIL FIXES RATE. By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. Mastorton, July 19. At the last meeting of the Wairarapa Hospital Board a deputation was appointed to wait again on the Masterton Borough Council, and ask it to reconsider tho decision to raise the hospital water rate from 4d. per 1000 gallons to Is. 3d. per 1000 gallons. ' The deputation attended at the council meeting to-night, when the chairman (Mr. E. G. Eton) recapitulated reasons why tho rate should not be increased. Ho eaid that the council proposed that water should be measured by meter; this would reduce the pressure, a serious matter for the hospital in case of fires, and other contingencies. Some years ago the board had spent £lOOO, in laying a pipeline to the hospital. This was done on the understanding that the hospital should have an adequate supply of water at a reasonable rate. Now tho council wanted to go back on its word. lie quoted tho rates paid by hospitals in other centres, and contended that Is. 3d. was an exorbitant rate to ask. Mr. J. C. Ewington pointed out that both he and Mr. Eton were borough representatives on the board. ’they only wanted a fair thing. Local bodies throughout tho district were complaining of tho largeness of tho hospital levies, and the Borough Council was one of those bodies. If the rate were raised in Masterton, the rates in other boroughs might bo raised also, and then the Masterton Borough would he called upon to pay its share. Some discussion followed among' the councillors, it being pointed out that the board was a good customer of the gas department, paying out .£6OO per year in tins connection. Eventually it was decided, on tho casting-vote of the Mayor (Mr. O. N. C. I’ragnell) to charge the hospital 9d. per 1000 gallons.

Tho automobile business is the largest manufacturing business of finished goods In tho world. This year the total volume of the automobile, accessory, and supply business in America alone will reach .£880,000,000, of which over .£400,000,000 will represent passenger cars and trucks. There is one car in use for approximately every 13 persons in the United States, as compared with one for every 268 in England, 402 in France, 084 in Germany, and 5300 in Russia. Europe has 449,000,000 people, and only 437,000 automobiles. It is estimated that -15 per cent, of the automobiles sold in America are bought by farmers and the 1 inhabitants of small towns. There are about 800,000 motor trucks in operation in the United States, hauling an average of four and a half tons per day each, which amounts to a total of 3,600,000 tons per day, or 360,000,000 tons per year.