LOAN PROPOSALS.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 925, 25 June 1903, Page 2

LOAN PROPOSALS.

LOCAL BODIES’ CONFERENCE. THE WAIMAT A WATER SOURCE DIS< UsSEU. A 1 it”LT ■ ! y ar.E! i.-.’; meeting of members of local a.-i. -• • i r.‘ oresentatives of the freozsi g w nk- •• 1 at the Borough Council C i-fiiVer- it»<- emiine, the follow* l i.: being : u,- \V. r-ii:p the Mayor, Messts :<i aua,_-.»-. t x. McK.iv, iluoi,-, V\ ! ii; i ru\. oLiri'. Dc i.autv-ur. A, 0. L.vsiiar, Sievwright, Somervell, B ill. Morrison. Trie Mayor was voted to the chair, ami in opening the proceedings said that he ir is not prepared to say what the meeting was tor. Tne matter trail been discussed at a meeting of the Whataupoko Board. He was there that evening simply as a visitor, and he looked to tnose who had been prominent m the matter to address '.tie meeting.

Copies ut the report drawn up by a committee of the Whnoaupulio Board, already published in tire Times, were distributed by dir Lysuav, and it was agreed that it should be taken as read. Mr Matthews was the first to address the meeting. He staled that the object of the Whataupoko Board was to lay before the residents of Whataupoko what it would cost to bring water there, and towards that end me report had been prepared. After the Board met and the report uad been prepared it was thought desirable that tho information collected should he put before the public. Person-

ally he did not ivish to drag into tho meeting anything in regard to the other water seneme that the town had under consideration. He wished Mr Lysnar to put before the meeting full particulars of tho Wuiiuuta source.

Mr Lysnar said that all he could lay before the meeting was tho evidence contained in the report. Tne cost of supplying the suburbs and Gisborne with water from Waimata amounted to £28,278, which included head works sufficient for supplying the three places and freezing wotks and reticulation. Tho cost of pumping would be £ISOO, which capitalised made the total cost of the scheme £43,278. This sum was considerably

under Mr Mestayer’s estimate for Waibi

rere. In arriving at the cost of pumping, the estimate had been prepared on the experience of Napier. Tne cost of pumping at Napier for 11,000 inhabitants amounted to £7OO per year, and it would be about £6OO in Gisborne. With regard to a reservoir the committee recommended that a concrete tank should bn dispensed with and a steel one substituted. A steel tank to contain 650,000 gallons of water

would cost £I2OO. This would contain only 150,000 less than the one Napier had at the present time. For Gisborne and Whataupoko two tanks could be obtained for £2400, and this would last a popula tion of 5000 for a fortnight. In regard to the question of the purity of the water, Mr Lysnar read the opinion of Dr DeLisle on this question. As far as tho quality of the water was concerned, Dr DeLisle had stated that for domestic purposes it was all that could bo desired. Tho cost of such a scheme would he woll within their means, and there would bo no obstacle in the way. The speaker read lengthy extracts of reports on English water schemes to show that water taken from rivers polluted with all kinds of filth could with a proper system of sand filtering ho thoroughly purified. Tho water flowing from a sand filter was as pure as could he desired. In many places in England where all sewerage was drained into tho river, the same river water was used after filtering, and was found to be ail that could be desired. As a rule there was no truce of sewerage in the water after the river had run for ten miles. All fear of tho Waimata wafer beiug polluted would disappear after tho water had been thiough tho course of filtering. Tho filters could he obtained at a very low cost. As to tho question of quantity the Waimata source was admitted to be adequate. Mr DeLuutour said that he was present as representing tho Gisborne Freezing Works, and they were simply buyers of water. Ho hoped that the advocates of both schemes would hurry up and get a supply. The freezing works required 100,000 gallons a day. At present they paid 2d per 1000 gallon, hut they would he prepared to give 4d for good wafer. Ho could not promise that the company would be customers unless they could obtain tho full quantity of water they required. The real object of the meeting he had not arrived at, but ho presumod it was to soo how tho suburbs and town could co-operate in regard to a suitable scherno. He estimated tho cost of the Waimata scheme from the speakers’ remarks at about £45,000, Ho did not soo that he could help the meeting better than by saying very little, as he thought that there had been too much talk already, and it should now give piuco to active operations. He wished to seo the Council have full headway in the proposals they had in hand, which would do more than anything elso to advance the prosperity of Gisborne. Mr Sievwright thought that so far nothing very definite had been placed beforo the public in regard to water and drainage, and good would result from the matter beiog freely discussed. Whataupoko could not, as it was at present constituted go in for such a scheme as suggested. The only solution of the matter was to go in for the amalgamation of the

borough and suburbs. For the town to go alone was simply to swamp the place with rates. To bring the matter to a head he proposed to submit the following resolution, the basis of which was amalgamation :

“ This meeting recommends to all concerned tho reconsideration of tho subjects of water supply, drainage, and sewerage, with a view to united action by amalgamation of Gisborne with Whataupoko, Kaiti, and Titiraugi road districts upon the ward plan with graduated rating in the suburban districts, it further specially roccmmends (1) the adoption of the septic tank iu preference to the pipe sewerage system, as both much cheaper and more I efficient, as well as better adapted to the suburban areas, and (2) that enquiry be made and advice taken as to the proposed Waimata water supply scheme of the Whataupoko Road Board, as it appears entitled to consideration, both for cheapness, good quality of water, and sufficiency in quantity.” iu speaking to the motion Mr Sievwright urged the amalgamation of the town and suburbs. He referred to the success of tho septic tank system, and thought that the Waimata water system was well worth considering. They should make enquiry and take advice iu regard to the Waimata river.

ilr Whiuray, iu seconding the motion, endorsed Mr Sievwrigat'a remarks upon the question of water and drainage. He considered that a better system than the present could oe obtained—one in which there was not so much doubt. The works embodied in the Borough loan proposals were of too problematical a character. Mr Harris wanted to know the cost of filtration. As far as he could see the cost of the Waimata river source was vastly underrated.

Mr Lysnar ogl'd thac the cost of the machinery for filtering plant would be a half-penny per thousand gallons. Mr Harris wanted to know the total cost. It was all very well to get fourpence per thousand gallons from the Gisborne works, but it might cost the ratepayers sixpence.

Mr Sievwright- questioned tbs right of members speaking more than once on the subject.

Mr Miller : Hear, hear,

At this stage Mr DeLautour asked leave to withdraw. He could not vote, as he was not a member of any local body. He then withdrew.

The Mayor said that the motion embraced a good deal, and to read it one would think that no enquiries had been made in regard to the Waimata river. As far back as 1879 a report had been prepared on the Waimata, and he was sure that under the present conditions no engineer would recommend it 3 adoption. In 1879 Mr Black spent several days at the Waimata, and he came back stating that he could not recommend it a; any price. Mr Sievwright : Why ? The Mayor : For a number of reasons—the cost, unsuitability, etc.

Mr Sievwright: I should like to hear Mr Black’s own words.

The Mayor read Mr Black's report, which showed that- objection was taken on the score of want of gravitation, floods.

necessity of constructing a dam, and the i cost, which at that time was estimated at | £12,500. Passing on, the Mayor quoted from the report of Mr Boylan on the same question. It was true Mr Mestayer had not reported on the Waimata source. The Mayor said that the borough was already committed to a scheme, but ii Whataupoko aud Haiti wanted the Waimata they could have it. He denied having interfered with Mr Mestayer's figures, hut he thought they should have a 12in main, and this could he obtained at the cost set down by Mr Mestayer. Personally he was tired of reports, for the Council had airift'ly spent the sum of £IOOO. He did not endorse the action of the Whataupoko Board in opposition to tne declared wishes of the ratepayers, but he was prepared to receive all information. For tho present lie could sec nothing better than Waihirere and lie would try and induce the rute--1 payors to adopt that scheme. Mr Cox said he inui seen many water seiienuts in (lie old country, ami when they talked about stock grazing on the hanks and spoiling the water, he eouid not endorse sueli remarks. In England (hey wotth find double llie manlier of stock depasturing on llie hanks of riven from wlneli several tanks drew then

supply of water. lie had been Gisborne for about eighteen year and he could see no other source

water supply but. Waimata. il w, idle to talk of Waihirere, for the was not a sufficient, supply there I a town of the'size of Gisborne.

Mr Miller was not prepared to su port, five motion. lie believed fl Waihirere scheme would he adopte despite of all opposition. Mr Lysnar supported the mot in

He thought the local bodies slum confer with a view to getting wat which was as badly required in tl .suburbs as in flic town, lie w staggered to hear the quantity

water that one of the. freezing works would require, and he did not see how it was to he obtained from Waihirere. The Gisborne works alone would run away with a quantity of wafer as large as Mr Mestayer had provided for half the community. They did mil. want to stifle industries, and how could they • hope, lo have other industries spring up unless they had water? The opposition to t lie Waimata was mere pique on the part, of a lew persons. .Surely they all wanted to see the place go ahead, and qyery encouragement should he given to industries. Continuing, Air Lysnar said that he iuui again and again tried to induce members of the Council lo go with him tip the river, hut lie could not. get them to do so. Mr Hepburn considered that for factories and .industries of all kinds Gisborne was one of the easiest, places to get water. The Gisborne Freezing Works were, no doubt, peculiarly situated, hut in all other parts of flic town any quantity oT wafer could he got by sinking, although, perhaps, it was not lit for domestic purposes. Mr Morrison wanted to know what the motion conveyed. Did it mean that the Waimata source was approved of ? Cr Whin ray : No ; it merely asks for a report. Cr Morrison : The Council arc m a minority this evening, and 1 cannot. support the motion. The. Wailiirere scheme has been adopted and as far as I can see the only question is the additional charge lor interest. Mr Somervell favored some parts of Ihe motion. 11 liked the amalgamation part of it, and thought, the matter could he easily arranged. (Applause.) One thing he liked about Waimata was the. great quantity of water, but lie was dubious as to the qualify. He thought I lie cost of pumping would he greater than at Napier. One point against Waihirere was the insufficiency of the quantity, and that was a serious matter. The Council and public had decided on the Waihirere source, and he did not think the meeting that evening, or even the Borough Council, could go hack on it.- It they .saddled themselves with too great a burden, the townspeople would go beyond Hie boundary lo escape the taxes. , , , , . Mr Matthews said that lie naif ■heard a ileal about ation, and he thought he might mention that lie was a candidate at the Borough election, and if ‘successful, that would lie an amalgamation of a kind. (Laughter.) . ... . Mr Sievwright, in reply, twitted the Mayor with being wedded to Waihirere as against all other sources for a water Mr Black’s report of JB7O was, he said, too old Co be considered. The world was moving fast,, and fresh conditions were constantly arising. As far as he could see there was no source for a water supply for Gisborne but Ihc Waimata, where there was an abunddance of water, ft was advisable that what was in Hie interests of Gisborne was also of interest to tho suburbs, and in discussing these subjects they should look to the advancement of the place as a whole. After Further discussion, it was decided to delete the second part of the motion, aud a vote being taken the resolution was adopted by six to four.

A vole of thanks to the -Uiairmai terminated the meeting.