The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, June 23, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1262, 23 June 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, June 23, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The meeting of ratepayers addressed by the Mayor last night, in explanation of the loan proposals to be submitted to a poll of the ratepayers on Thursday next, was poorly attended. Possibly the chilly night air prevented many from attending, but those who listened to the address did not appear to be enthusiastic in respect to the water and drainage proposals. If we take the pulse of last night’s meeting as an indication of public feeling, then it is safe to predict that the water and drainage proposals will be rejected, and Foxton will still remain the only borough of its population in the Dominion which has not, at least, a water supply. We have to thank providence for our sandy, porous soil, for with a clay formation and no drainage, the borough would be a prolific breeding ground for disease germs. As it is, every year there is a mild outbreak, which takes its toll of human life. The benefits to be derived from a water and drainage service must not be gauged by a money standard —the health of the community is of paramount importance. Situated as we are, it cannot be denied that water and drainage will be a heavy burden upon such a limited population — in some cases the rates will not only be doubled but trebled, and vacant sections will be too expensive to hold for grazing purposes and capital invested in vacant land will annually dwindle —unless there is an enormous influx of population which is idle supposition, for the drift is to the bigger centres. We have to admit that Foxton is an industrial centre. People of means are not attracted to it and the seaside attraction is outside our jurisdiction. Our prosperity as a centre is wrapped up entirely in the hemp industry, and if the bottom fell out of that, plus the burden of extra taxation, the borough would be bankrupt and a good place to be out of. This is no “dismal Jimmy” story but tire plain unvarnished truth. In face of these facts' —and we refuse to believe that water and drainage will attract population—are our handful of residents in a position to make the financial sacrifice necessary to iustal water and

drainage ? .We advocate water and drainage and are prepared to make the sacrifice, but we desire to be fair and not mislead those who will not think for themselves, and who may be tempted to bitterly reproach us in the days to come. It may be in this instance that in submitting water and drainage proposals, the ratepayers are asked to bite off more than they can chew and possibly it would have been better to have submitted the water proposal first. The ratepayers must make up their minds by Thursday and vote according to their individual judgment.