THAMES WATER SUPPLY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4300, 5 August 1921, Page 1

THAMES WATER SUPPLY

BOROUGH COUNCIL’S ATTITUDE TO COUNTY COUNCIL’S OFFER. “COLOSSAL IMPERTINENCE.” Negotiations have been in progress for some time between .the .Thames County Council and the Thames-Bor-rough Council with a yieW to .the* Borough Council purchasing the watesupply outright from the County Council. The Borough however, cavilled at the offer.

The County chairman (Mr 11. Lpwe) commented very scathingly a: Wednesday’s meeting on the attitude of the'Borough Council. The County had offered the Borough, for a total consideration of approximately £6OOO, assets and service worth £104,700. This was a payable service, for the overdraft on the water-race account had been reduced by £5OO since the negotiations had commenced. The offer practically amounted to a gift. The clerk, Mr H. T. G. McElroy : And they wanted a bonus also, in addition to the gift. (Laughter.) Cr. Lowe went on to say that the attitude of the Borough Council was one of sheer effrontery, a colossal impertinence. He moved that the County Council’s offer to the Borough Council be withdrawn. Cr. J. McCormick seconded. —Carried unanimously.

In the course of further discussion Cr. Lowe said the Borough Council had the impudence ’to ask, in the event of the disposal taking place, for an extension of the catchment area, which would mean an enlargement of the County non-rateable area. The water supply mattered very liittle to the County ratepayers, but i-t was a matter of life and death to the residents *of the Borough, the summer supply in the Borough reservoir being “not worth that'!” concluded the chairman, snapping his fingers.