WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1211, 21 February 1914, Page 3

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

At last night’s Council meeting a letter was read from Mr T. Lind, of . Shannon, advising that at a meeting of Shannon ratepayers the following resolution was carried; “That this meeting of Shannon ratepayers is willing to accept the Foxton Borough Council’s proposal regarding the water supply, and will use its best efforts to gel a poll carried for the necessary loan should Foxton decide to go on with the works.” The Mayor said that in view of the letter from Shannon the first thing to do would be to draw up a stringent agreement, to be submitted to Shannon ior their approval. In connection with the suggested agreement with Shannon, he wanted to make one thing clear, and that was there was to be no dual control. The matter of dual control was farthest from their thoughts, and he wanted the ratepayers to be quite clear about this. At the meeting in Shannon

he had mentioned that Foxton was lo be the absolute controlling body. Cr Chrystall said they couldn’t be too careful over details iu combining in with another body, and every point of the suggested agreement should be very carefully considered. Cr Read said he quite understood from the commencement that Foxton was to be the sole controlling body.

Cr Speirs suggested that a committee should be set up to draft an agreement, to be finally drawn up by the Borough Solicitor. Cr Coley was siill of opinion that Shannon should bear halt the cost of the headworks and main to Shannon. He considered it was a lot of rot to go in with Shannon for the sake of saving ,£l3O a year, which would be the amount of interest and sinking fund on their proportion of the cost. The best scheme would be to sell them the water. On the other hand, Shannon was getting the best end of the stick ; they were saving

some .£3,400, and were also getting a bigger pressure ot water. The Mayor still held that it was absolutely in the interests of Foxton ratepayers to allow Shannon to join in on the basis already agreed upon, provided, of course, that Foxton did not lose anything in the way of supply ot water. There did not appear to be any fear in this connection, however, as Mr Suggate estimated there was sufficient water in the stream to supply 5,000 people. Foxton’s offer to Shannon was a sprat to catch a mackerel. The upkeep of the scheme might be large, and he considered it a good stroke of business to bring Shannon in on half maintenance. Then, again, they were also to pay half the cost of a catchment area if purchased. Foxton was safeguarded in so far as the supply was concerned, as Shannon was only to get the same proportion of water as they paid towards the cost —one third. If they paid half they would expect half the water. It was decided on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr Speirs, that a committee consisting of Crs

Coley, Speirs, Chrystall, and the Mayor go into the matter of an agreement with Shannon to safeguard Foxton’s interests, together with the Borough Solicitor, and report to the Council. The Mayor said he bad worked out some figures in reference to the scheme, but these were not complete, and he would therefore bring the completed ones forward at a future meeting, as he did not want incomplete figures to go out to the ratepayers. Cr Barber suggested that under the circumstances they should go Into committee to discuss the matter. Cr Coley objected to going into committee on matters connected with the water scheme. Everything should be done in open Council. If, however, it was the intention of the Mayor to have a discussion on the matter in open council when the figures were complete he had no objection to a preliminary discussion in committee at the present juncture. The Council then went into committee. Mr Chenery Suggate was also in attendance, and on resuming business a resolution was passed, on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr Coley, that Mr Suggate be appointed engineer to carry out the scheme should the poll be carried and the work gone on with, his commission ta be five per cent, if he employs clerks of works as required up to three, or two and a-half per cent, if clerks of work are employed by the Council, commission to be based on the estimate furnished.