WATER SUPPLY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2365, 1 November 1881, Page 3

WATER SUPPLY.

A public meeting was held last night at the Oddfellows' Hall, for the purpose of co=. Bidering the question of the proposed water supply. A scheme, particulars of which hare already been published, was adopted by the City Council, and the meeting was convened in aecordanoe with the Act in order to give the ratepayers an opportunity of discussing the question preparatory to recordiEg their votes for or against the proposed loan. There was only a moderate attendance of ratepayers. The chair was taken by his Worship the Mayor, and the members of the Council and the town olerk oeoupied the platform. The Chairman explaiced the object of the meeting. It was to oonsider the question of raising a loan to provide the city with a high pressure water Bupply for the purpose of extinguishing fires, flushing the channels, and watering the streets. The meeting was called in pursuance of the Municipal Corporation* Act. The amount proposed to he borrowed was £20,000.

Or. Vincent read portions of the report of the_ water supply committee, explaining the main features of the proposed scheme. The total estimated cost was £13,440. They would all agree that a water supply was necessary, and he did not think it would be possible to get a cheaper scheme than the one now submitted.

In answer to a question, the Chairman stated that there would have to be a majority of one-fifth of the votes in favor of the scheme before it could be undertaken. A ratepayer asked why, if this scheme was so much cheaper than the previous one.it was necessary to come to the ratepayers at all for money ?

The Chairman explained that the coit of the waterworks would be considerable, no matter what their extent would be ; and it was necessary to obtain the sanction of the ratepayers. It was proposed to borrow the loan for a period of fifty years. The Oourcil had not received any guarantee from the insurance oompanies that they would lower the rates, but it was only natural to infer that they would do eo when there was a better water supply. Mr Olarkson said he would give the mestisg some little information as to the contributions of the insurance companies towards the cost of extinguishing fires. There were twenty insurance companies in Christchurch, with property insured to the value of £2,195,335, and they only paid to the Council £250 a year in support of the Fire Brigade. The City Oounoil paid £325 a year in ealaries to officials and other expenses, the total sum contributed by the Council towards the maintenance of the Brigade being about £IOOO a year. He wag a ratepayer, and, like themselves, felt very muoh the taxation that he saw looming in the distance. No wonder people were going away from Christchurch. The oppressive rates had driven them away to Sydney, and if this wenton muoh longer they would lose all the capital and. nearly all the people from Christchurch. He did not believe the insurance companies would bwer their premiums. The City Oounoil kaew perfectly well that £20,000, or even £60,000, would not complete their scheme. Bo doubt their intentions were good, but hb felt oonvinced the ratepayers would object to this proposal for further taxation. Before they promised their vote at the next Mayoril election they should ask the candidates whet'aer or not they would support this scheme. He did not think it right that those ratepayers who would not benefit from the water supply should be asked to pay towards its cost. Ihe City Council should have appointed a deputation to wait on the insurance oompanies and ask them if they would reduoe their rates when the water soheme was carried out. He himself was a shareholder in an insurance company, but thought the rates were too high. The National Insurance Company had recently deolared a dividend of 30 per cent., which it had got out of the pockets of the ratepayers. He hoped they would go to the poll and vote against the proposed taxation. The Chairman thought it right to say that the Council had always endeavored to get as much as they could out of the insurance companies. Or. Thomson said it would be well if he explained a few items in the report which had not been touched upon by Or. Vincent. The reason why it was proposed to borrow £20,000 when the estimated cost of the scheme was only £14,000, was that the £6OOO would be used in carrying the water to the belts in all directions. The area that would he supplied by this scheme embraced two-fifths of the rateable value of the property in the city. The fire brigade cost £IOOO per annum, which was taken out of the general rate. Of that sum the Insurance Oompanies coEtributed a fourth. The Insurance Oompanies had been repeatedly asked to increase their allowance towards the fire brigades. The fact was that these companies looked upon the water supply as injurious to their business, because the effect was to lower the premiums. In Lyttelton they fell 12J per cent, after the water supply wsb" provided. That meant so much saved to the ratepayers. It wduld be neeeßssry to strike a rate to pay for the interest and sinking fund. A three halfpenny rate over the city would bring in sufficient to meet the interest and sinking fund exclusive of the revenue that would be received. Thero was no other City Council in the oolony who had spent less than the Christchurch Council h&d done on their own comfort and on buildings. There was no doubt that the people in the outskirts would be contributing more than their share, but this was more apparent than real, beoause it was intended eventually to carry the water beyond the presont area. Mr Oliver thought the meagre attendance should be an indication to the Council that they had better withdraw their scheme. He would move the following resolution : —"ihat in consideration of the general in the trades within the city, together with the extraordinary amount of taxation, both general and local, with which the ratepayers are hardened at the present time, this meeting deems it extremely undesirable for the City Council to prooeed further in the matter of raising a loan o£ £20,000 for the purpose of carrying out the water supply scheme at present before the Ohristohuroh ratepayers." Mr Willis seconded the motion. Or. Gaff laid there was one advantage in connection with the proposed water supply, whioh had not been dwelt upon, and that was the sanitary improvement that would be effected by the flushing of the channels. This was an advantage whioh it would be impossible to over-estimate in connection with the health of the city. Sufficient importance did not seem to be attached to the saving in insurance^