WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1938, 11 February 1919, Page 2

WATER AND DRAINAGE.

COUNCIL .FAVOURS ARTESIAN

SCHEME. At last night's Council meeting Cr. MeMurray's notice of motion “that the Council consider a water and drainage scheme for the borough” was brought forward for discussion. The Mayor said that about six years ago (he Council wont exhaustively into the question of a water and drainage scheme tor the borough, and eventually two schemes were placed before the ratepayers —urn* the gravitation scheme from rite Shannon bills, and the other an artesian scheme. The relative estimated costs were: Gravitation £31,(JtiO, artesian £18,795. Both schemes were turned down. Cr. Coley said that although gravitation was the most satislaetory scheme, he had a Ist) been doubtful if there was sullieient water in the stream in the hijls to supply I'oxton's wards.

The Mayor said it was out ol Hie question to go iu (or a scheme at once, as (he cost of materials was at present prohibitive. At Hie last* poll the gravitation scheme w.as the. most popular, hut iu view of Hie great increase in flie cost of pipes, etc., he considered this was now out of Hie question. Personally he favoured the artesian scheme, and on looking through the municipal .hand-book he found that 2(5 towns and one city had artesian supplies. He was confident lhal the borough was quite able to afford a combined scheme at a cost up to £25,000. It had been said that .Foxton was one of Hie heaviest rated boroughs iu New Zealand, and he had heard this so often that he was beginning to believe it himself. However, he had gone into the (piestion, and from information obtained from Hie Municipal Hand-hook it was proved that Foxton, instead of being one of the heaviest rated boroughs in the Dominion, was really one of the lowest. The only boroughs where the rating was lower than Foxton per head of the population being Greytown and VTaihi. He quoted Hie following Jigures in support of his statement : Total Rate Popu- Kates per head. Town. latiou. ColT’d. £ s. d. Foxton 1772 1920 1 1 8 Whangarei 329-1 9598 218 ”'3 Taka puna 2750 '9109 3 7 0 Hamilton 5077 1475-1 2 12 0 Te Awamulu 1004 3397 3 5 0 Wairoa 1530 3353 2 3 0 Inglewood 1190 2522 22 0 Stratford 2713 4913 1 10 0 Eitham 1711 75590 22 0 Hawera 3375 7934 2 7 0 Ta Shape 1927 4125 2 1 3 Mart on 1050 3738 2 4 0 Levin 1030 2790 1 11 0 The average rate per head in the twelve towns was £2 9s od, against Foxton’s £1 Is Bd. Of course, most of the towns mentioned had water and drainage schemes, hut if a water and drainage scheme in Fox tor., doubled the present rate, Foxtou would still he well under Hie average of the above towns. He considered the Council should fix upon a scheme, gel it revised and brought up to date, and then when prices of material got hack to something iu Hie vicinity of pre-war rates (hey would he iu a position to immediately place same before the ratepay-

Cr. McMurray said he was gillie of the opinion that the artesian seheine was the best. A water and drainage scheme was an absolute necessity, and must; be installed it' the town was to progress as it should do. Jt was decided to communicate with Mr Climie, C.E., with a view to getting his artesian scheme revised and brought up to dale.