THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS. FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1916 LOAN POLLS' AFTERMATH

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 138, 28 January 1916, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times

PUBLISHED MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1916 LOAN POLLS' AFTERMATH

The Official Organ of . The Franklin County Council. The Pukekohe Borough Council. The Tuak'au Town Board. The Karaka Eoad Board. The Pokeno Eoad Board. The Wairoa Eoad Board. The Papakura Town Board. The Waikato Eiver Board. The Mercer Town Board.

" We nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice."

The decision come to by the I'ukekohc IJorough Council last Wednesday to entirely disregard the wishes ol the ratepayers, as shown by th j rejection uf the proposed drainage and water loans at the recent pulls, and to avail themselves of despotic powers in the event of financial issues being capahle of adjustment, thereby brooking no interference with plans they had devised fur drainage and water undertakings, must certainly be regarded as an abuse of the authority entrusted them by the electors. The drainage problem is, however, not so serious a defiance of public opinion as in the case ef the water scheme. JJrainsge, by reasjn of existing shortcomings, is practically of vital importance to the good health of the community, but even in that instance the Mayor supplied the information on Wednesday tiat it was doubtful if the Health Department would approve of autocratic measures being adopted without the ratepayeis being again consulted Ihe resolve, therefore, at all costs to defy the ratepayers and to at least carry through a portion of t'aeir wat;r supply recommendations, and this without the employment of any expert as was pro mised when the loan was submitted, is surprising and undemccratic as well as an abusa of authority. Further, the suggestion that the cost can be debited to the general rate accoant is a far from creditable mode of evadirg the war legislation of the Government that all loans must receive official sanction before the works are entered upon. With respect to the proposal to deal with the water supply we are bound to point out that the result of the two successive loan polls shows that the ratepayers have no confidence in the scheme presented to them, in February of lest year whe:i a loan oi £2BOO to be spread over the Town Hoard area wanutteii b'-> ratepayers voted "for'' and ion "against." In tire recent poll over the whole borough with an outlay ot £b'ooU proposed the voting was "for'' 72, "against"

10; i. A comparison ot the respective licurts would make it appear that whilst the Council's anicndcd proposals attracted the support oi a certain number (ID) of thoM in the outer area, yet Uitso living in the Town Uoard area, who are chkDy concerned in its iinancial corsiderations, retained their oppcsition to and want of confidence in the scheme ss put forward. The weaken-.- of the case fir the Council, is hovuver. in regard to the much abuod "pressure reduction valve" which is saddled with all the icspotsibility for the necessity to corstruct an additional rcs.'rvoir whereby to avoid the leakage r.ovv sjid to be brought about by delects in the pressure valve, The i|iicslion we would «>k

1 : "Are the Council absolutely certain - pressure valv: 13 as defective as it is claimed to

It is contended by the Council that the results of records of the pumpirg at the power house and of water used by consumers and for all purposes 6how a leakage due to the pressure-reduction valve of over five million gallons of water per annum or actually more than half of the quantity pumped. Now, it we rd'er to the report presented by Mr Lcckie Gannon the consulting engineer employed by the Cuuncil preivously in offie\ we rind that be certainly does not testify to Buch an abnormal leakage as is claimed by the Council. Mr Lockie Gannon's remarks thereon are simply as follows:—"The pressure reduction valve has at times got out of order through being jammed by stones, etc., in the pipes, causing a jerky action and doing considerable damage. Wheri it dies get jammed open there is considerable loss of water through the two safety valves in the town." It is thus evident that Mr Lockie Gannon's words cannot be in any way interpreted as an endorsement of the Council's allegations of the loss of such an enormous quantity of water as imputed. We do not say that the Council are wrong in,their estimate, but some corroboration of their figures would be mo:e convincing, and it ia the duty of the Council to secure undoubt.d proof before entering on any fresh oatlay. Facts rather than figures are what are required. We would ask by what method is the amount of water pumped to Ihe reservur based? There are no gauges in existence at the Power House to tell the tale, and the only method of computation is by way of the lifting power of the pump, which cannot be accepted as a truly reliable guide. Ihcp, again, a loss of five million odd gallons of water in twelve months

represents a leakage ot over 15,000 gallons daily, or 626 gallons hourly, year in and year out. One may wrII ask whether the leakage of such an immense volume ot water would not result in a lake being formed somewhere or other, or would it cot at l'ast show on the suiface as an indication that the water was being lust to the community. Such a demonstration of the imperfections of the indicted pressure valve has cot been forth coming and wc, like the majority of the ratepayers, must refine to be convinced that the leakage u as serious as it ib staled to be unless corroborated by substantial proof or evidenca. The Mayor and Cr Koadley were therefore purely echoing public opinion *hen they advocated that people would nut be satisfied unle3s actual convincing testimony of the retirements of water scheme improvement were iurnished by some recognised expert, but on the ground that there was no need to give anv assurance to the ratepayers as a loan was not to be raised the majority of the Council thought the services of a Consulting Engineer unnecessary. We will only refer in brief to the suggestions promulgated as to possible ways and means for undertaking the Council's project. An extra rate of Jd in tha £ was mentioned (thereby bringing the general rate up to its utmost legal limit of 1 Jd). Recourse culd also be made, it was pointed out, to the collection of certain special rateß not now er forced and by devoting such rates to their respective special purposes payments now coming out of the gneral rate would be avoided, thus ingeniously providing means for disbursements to be made from the general rate account in different directions. No matter, however, how arranged the ultimate issue would be the same, viz, that the unfortunate ratepayer would he saddled with additional liability by having to pay extra special rates as well as an increased general rate.