FEILDING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8786, 13 April 1907, Page 2

FEILDING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

Last night Messrs West and Harford candidates for election to the Borough Council, addressed a well attended meeting of ratepayers. Mr Pirani presided. Mr West, enumerating the works that had been undertaken during the last year, said it had been an important period in the history of the borough. The first question of the new Council would be the laying down of settling ponds and filter beds. Though a comparatively simple work he would advocate giving sole charge of it to a good consulting engineer. If that were done he thought in a short time the borough could dispense with the services of a permanent engineer, and appoint a good overseer capable of extending the sewerage and water supply systems and doing any necessary office work. He condemned the system of allowing wooden buildings to be erected in the brick area. Hewas in favour of building a swimming bath and recommended that the gas works should be taken over or new ones built in preference to erecting electrical plant, which would not provide as gas did for cooking stoves. Mr Harford began by reviewing the financial position of the borough. He complained that lack of business capacity at the head of affairs had prevented the completion of the settling basin in connection with the water supply before the beginning of winter. Though the loan was available on February 20th not‘even an application had been made for the necessary land to the owners of the property on which the filter bed is to be placed, and it was but a couple or three weeks ago an engineer, Mr Hay, had been asked to supervise the work. Such was the policy' of drift which had prevailed in the Council’s business. He would strongly urge the erection of a cool chamber for the storage of meat, butter, etc. There was a credit balance of £353 on the abattoir account and a chamber with all necessary appliances could bo built for £7OO. He advocated offering £5300 to the Gas Company for its works, spending another £BOO in order that all the buildings could' bo connected, when lie asserted gas could be sold at 7s per 1000 feet. If the company would not accept the offer then new works should bo erected at a cost of £13,000. The speaker advocated the building of swimming baths and the. finishing of the footpaths, raising a loan of £IOOO for the purpose. The meeting concluded with votes of thanks to candidates and chairman.