The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3634, 6 March 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 1883.

There have been one or two petitions before the Municipal Council from residents alon°- off-roads asking that they might be brought within the limits of the water extension supply. These petitions have been referred from time to time to the public works committee, and they do not scorn to "•ct any further. The fact of the matter is the committee have been unable to recommend the Council to grant the request of the petitioners, for the simple reason that there is no money to give effect to it it they did Two mistakes appear to have been made in respect to water extension: The first was that it did not contemplate putting mains dowii every existing thoroughfare, and the second was a misconception with respect to the cost. These mistakes are easily enough explained. The area on the hills to bo supplied, with water was limited

to the amount of money at the disposal of the Council: and, secondly, incidental expenses and a slight extension of the area to be supplied absorbed more money than it was a t first intended to spend, or rather, we should say. more money than the Council had to spend. A very limited capital necessarily limited the power of the Corporation to make the water supply complete. Thus, thoroughfares that in the not distant future will bo important have had to be left out of the scheme. For instance, the upper end of Chaucer road, the Burlington, Havelock, Selwyii, and other roads will, under present circumstances, derive little or no benefit from the water extension works. Until indeed the extension supply is in full work it is impossible for the Council to ascertain with accuracy tho quantity of pipes that may remain on hand, or to estimate the cost of extending the mains. It is obvious, however, that the whole of the borough cannot be satisfied, and the Council, in the somewhat improbable event of having means at its disposal, will be most unpleasantly situated in determining who shall and who cannot have water. On the completion of the scheme now on hand a full report of the Avorks will be drawn up by the engineer, accompanied by a statement giving estimate.-; of the cost of the extension to all parts of the borough. With this information before it tho Council will be able to decide whether it is possible to extend the works at once, or defer their consideration until some of the assets of the Corporation have been realised. With the exercise of strict economy the Corporation ought to be able to "pull itself together in the course of two or three years. On the other hand, if every petition for the outlay of money is to bo granted, debts and financial difficulties will have to be met by increased tax.-ition. We do not suppose for a nYs"nTeTrt~tuTTt — thlT ratepayers desire fo add to the burdens they have already to carry ; and the Council, being well assured of the state of public opinion, is not in the least likely to authorise expenditure that cannot bo met without an increase of the rates. It is very hard upon property-owners who cannot participate in any of the benefits that other parts of the borough derive from the expenditure of the loan. All things, however, must have their end. The end of the loan has been reached, and the exact extent of the credit of tho borough is known. It would be the height of folly, therefore, if the Council pledged itself to any undertaking that, involving an outlay that would exceed the income, would necessarily increase the debt of the borough.