BOROUGH WATER CHARGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 48, 27 February 1915, Page 4

BOROUGH WATER CHARGES.

[To The Editor Stratford Post.]

Sir,—l understand that it is the intention of the Borough Council to constitute new by-laws in connection with the charges for the water supply of this town, and I feel sure if the ratepayers will for a moment give consideration to the increase of rates that this will entail they will protest against such an unjust system of taxation. The proposals are, in the first place, to charge all who have flushed out offices 20s per year, and secondly', outside water taps 5s per year for the first two taps,, and 2s 6d for each subsequent tap. Now, sir, I submit the ■proposed system is directly opposed to the expresse'd will of the ratepayers that the rates of the town should be collected on the unimproved value. Under the proposed objectionable system ratepayers are to be discouraged from making their properties valuable and a credit to the Borough. Instead of our City Fathers encouraging ratepayers to beautify the town with flower and vegetable gardens they are in effect discouraging such a worthy objct. It is an acknowledged fact that one who has a half-inch pipe cannot secure any more water at a time by turning on half a dozen taps than he can by using one. Therefore the' tax is necessarily a water tap tax and not a tax for the commodity. The whole thing is a ruse to increase the rates of the town without striking a direct rate. In reference to the charge of 20s per year for out-offices; This is a matter that requires serious consideration. At the present time the whole Borough is rated for drainage purposes and only a portion of the ratepayers are .deriving a direct benefit from the expenditure. Those who are out of the drainage area have not only to pay the drainage rate, hut also for the removal of nightsoil. If the Council gave their assurance that it would undertake this work, the cost to be borne by them, and the amount collected from the suggested tax should-be credited to that particular afccount to relieve those who are at present paying a donhie rate, one would not object. This is not so, and according to the Council’s action, the present unsatisfactory system is to ho allowed to continue.

The ratepayers who arc prepared to spend to improve the conditions of the town are to be penalised hy the imposition of an extra rate, while the speculator is holding for a prospective rise in value created hy the industry of others, and does not contribute one iota to the value of his property. When the ratepayers realise that this move of the Council will mean an increase in rates from 20 to 50 per cent, they will resent this most unfair system of raising money to carry on the works of the Borough. The matter is one, in my opinion, for a public meeting to deal with.—l am. etc., R. MASTERS. Stratford. February 26, 1915.