The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1927. TWO PROBLEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1927. TWO PROBLEMS.

| The Hokitika Borough Council had two problems before it on Friday night more engrossing than usual. The matter of assuring the water supply came up for consideration again. This question has now reached striking point. That is, the Council has reached a position where it will ho possible to come to a definite decision. A quantity of data has been procured, and a sub-com-mittee is to boil the information down to a precise proposal which is to be placed before the full Council next meeting night. The whole question is dominated by that of finance. The town has obligations already affecting the water supply. Some £2-1,500 have been borrowed for water supply and drainage works already, but the position is considered precarious for the reason that the reservoir is not kept filled, and there is the fear in the dry season of a serious shortage of water for fire prevenion purposes. Actually there arc times when the supply is inadequate for domestic requirements, and much inconvenience is felt thereby in certain parts of the town. Governing the financial aspect is the rating question, for what money is required must be borrowed, and paid for through the rating system. At present the townspeople have to pay an eightpenny rate for general purposes. The hospital rate is 2 3 ,d in the £, and the loan rates total 2.Jd —in all Is 2d in the £ for municipal purposes. In addition the ratepayers are saddled with a further 2d in the £ for harbor works loans. The Council’s limit in regard to further borrowing will bo restricted by the ability or readiness of the ratepayers to pay additional rates. If it were possible to reduce the general rate, and make some material saving in the hospital rate, it might he also possible to provide a considerable sum of money for the water works without any marked increase in tile rates per pound. That is the chief problem before the Council just now to produce a scheme of adequate expenditure f"i the necessities of the case, yet without unduly saddling the ratepayers with a rating burden, which would be objectionable. Another difficulty of the matter is the dearness of money just now. “When the earliest water supply loan was raised the money was obtained over a long period for repayment, at 3} per cent. Those terms will not be obtainable now. Some local bodies are finding it very costly to raise loans just now. but it is believed the Hokitika Council could do rather better than most local bodies for a sum up to a moderate amount. Nevertheless, the money will cost more than in previous times, which means a restriction on the total, which it will he within the Council to raise on a reasonable rating lew. As to. the work specially in sight, there seems to be agreement that a new pipe line in some material other than wood, should be laid from the Forks to the resrvoir. This would he supplementary to the present flow, and it is calculated would enable the reservoir to he kept full. That is the first consideration. It is known that the town reticulation has defects, hut at this stage it does not appear funds would he available to touch it in anv comprehensive way.' and the Council appears to have made -up its mind to do the best it can with maintenance ns tjio necessities occur. As regards a

supplementary water supply, there is an alternative suggestion from exOouncillor Parry for a pumping system to a water tower. This will claim some attention, but it is a matter of finance again. The cost of installation and upkeep would be considerable, and the Council will require to consider the alternative that is relative to the cost of installation of the gravitattion scheme from the Forks above referred to. Altogether this problem is one which calls for a good deal of careful consideration on the part of the Committee and the Council, and the final report will be awaited with interest.