A MUNICIPAL DEADLOCK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 56, 9 March 1915, Page 5

A MUNICIPAL DEADLOCK.

WATER TAPS TURNED OFF

THE COUNCIL RUNS DRY.

PROPOSED NEW BY-LAWS LACK

CONFIRMATION.

FLOOD OF ELOQUENCE LOOSE AT THE COUNCIL TABLE.

DEPUTATION OF RATEPAYERS.

The ordinary meeting of the Stratford Borough Council last evening was remarkable for the turn which the business took. The main subject engrossing the attention of ratepayers for some days past was the terms of the new by-laws relating to water and drainage, and the charges proposed in connection therewith. Realising, unless something was done to alter the opinion of the Council, that the confirmation of the by-laws which had to be done at the statutory meeting last night would go through, a deputation of oO or 60 ratepayers attended the pieetiug. They were crowded into the small building now doing duty as municipal offices in the Fire Brigade Station. That the utmost success attended their efforts will he seen by the following lengthy hut also necessarily curtailed report of the meeting which lasted close on three hours, when the proposals were eventually held up. Just whether such a turn of events is in the best interests of the Borough or not is a question not immediately of concern to this article, and the discussion thereon may be resumed later.

The first business of the meeting was to receive the deputation. The Mayor asked the deputation to be brief, and he pointed out that any question might be asked of Mr Fookes borough solicitor, who was ■present. Mr H. Wilson: We have nothing to do with Mr Fookes.

The Mayor: lam only pointing out that you may ask Mr Fookes; you are not compelled to. Mr R. Masters, to whom had been allotted the duty of spokesman, said the deputation was present to enter a protest ‘against the system of taxation which it was proposed to place upon the ratepayers in regard principally to water taps and W.C.’s. They understood that the Council had met to confirm the by-laws which would increase the charges in these directions. As the Council would note, the deputation was a very strong one, and it represented the feeling of the town as a whole. The deputation also felt very strongly upon the fact that the Council could pass by-laws without letting them know exactly what was being done. The Mayor: The matter was advertised.

Proceeding, Mr Masters said they objected to the rating on the capital value. A poll was taken some years ago when it was decided to rate on unimproved values, and the steps now being taken by the Council were contrary to tire wishes of the people when the poll was taken. The proposed charges were against the principle which they were then in favour of. The second reason was that there was no necessity for the tax as far as the water rate was concerned. The water account stood in credit as was shown by the balanee-sheet. The profits had accumulated to as much as £938, and at the end of last year, even, the amount was £426. The Council was wrong in principle in taxing them by such a scheme. If they wanted to raise money they should do in the pro. per way, and not put the charges on those w'ho use the drainage system and water taps. As to the proposal for. 5s for the first and 2s 6d for each tap after, they contended, it was not in the best interests of the town that it should be put on. It was desirable that people should be encouraged to beautify the town, but instead of that the Council were penalising them for making the town attractive. The fourth reason of the protest was they considered the tax unjust and inequitable. They felt that the Council was using the people to get more revenue to spend in a certain direction. They did not look upon it as a water tax at all. for the reason that the charges made wore not towards that end. The • individual paid £1 for the W.C. and I hotels paid £l, but with a reduction lof 10s for each succeeding W.C. The I water tax to bo equitable should be £1 on each, as quite as much, if not more water was used in the hotels as by the individual—(Applause). In 'Auckland, he pointed out, the taxation was in the opposite direction, being an increase for the hotels which were £3 each W.C. Then as to the laundry tax— Cr Richards: Do yon suggest we should have higher taxes? i Mr Masters: “We do not believe in any tax at all.” They must all realise that more water was used in a laundry or factory than in a private house. For power by a Pel ton wheel I'd per 1000 gallons was chargedthen a private house should be at l)d too. He hoped the Council would go into the matter and give it further consideration, and that they would drop the whole thing.—Hear, hear, and applause.

Mr H. Wil son, in supporting Mr Masters, said they were already rated for the water they used. When the last loan proposals were brought down thev were assured no rates woulci be struck, and that they would be selfsupporting, and that the water used for commercial purposes would pay for everything. But a rate had been struck and now they were to be further' saddled with rates. If they thought it was necessary for a water rate they would have no objection to pay it, but they felt convinced it was not for the purpose of water, but for squandering in another direction. Cr King: I take objection to the use of such an expression; no member of a deputation should he allowed to | use it! '

Mr Wilson : I will withdraw the remark and say “to spend” the money. In my remarks, I may say, I voice the opinion and feelings of the deputation to-night. •

In reply to Cr Richards, who wished tq get at the idea of the deputation that the charge would be rating on the capital value, Mr Masters quoted the case of a man with a bare section, and had only a W.C. connected with the drainage, and asked — would not the tax be on improvements ?

Cr Richards. No, the tax would be for the water used. Mr Masters maintained it would be o’i improvements. He said that if a. person could not see that he did not know much about unimproved value. Cr Boon asked if the deputation was aware that the water rate was charged on the annual value?

Mr Masters replied that he was quite aware the Council had made a profit of £126 out of water, and he did not think it Avas right to charge the ratepayer any more. Cr Boon interjected, and Mr Masters replied: “It is what I like, not Avhat you want.” Mr Fookes explained that the Avater rate was collected in quite a different Avay from the ordinary rates of the Council.

Mr Masters: We are being taxed on improvements.

Mr Fookes said there was no argument about the matter; the Council could not collect the rate upon the unimproved values. Cr King said Mr Masters made a great point about the Council wanting to get aAvay from the present system, but they had been taxing on unimproved values all along. Mr Xewton said the tax iioav being, proposed was simply penalising the people of the town who wanted to beautify their premises. They should do their leA'el best to boost the town along, and help the man Avho was making the surroundings of his place nice and attractive. He .personally had four taps at his residence, and he Avonld bo prepared to plug them up rather than have to pay money raised in the manner proposed.

The Mayor: Do I understand that it is not so much the W.C. charges as the water taps? Mr Masters: Everything. The Mayor: Do you consider that £1 per annum is a fair tax for the pan and the water W.C. should go free ?

Mr Masters: We don’t want any tax at all—(Applause). Cr Richards pointed out that those people within the drainage area with W.C.’s by paying the tax would be helping to put in the improvement for those unfortunate people outside who now had to pay for the removal of nightsoil.

Mr IV. V. Wilson asked why he should be taxed another £1 per year seeing that he had put in the septio tank system at his residence at considerable cost to himself.

Mr Masters said that personally he would be quite willing to pay £l for tire VV .C. if he knew that the money was going to he set aside by the Council for the extension of the sanitary system.

The Mayor; That is the case. I have stated it before. Crs. Fredric and Masters said that was the first they had heard of it. Cr King said it was distinctly stated that the money accruing from the charges should be set aside to extend the drainage system. It was earmarked for the purpose. The Mayor; If that had not been the case, 1 feel sure the Council would not have carried it. Mr Masters: Why have the Council not spent the profits in previous years? The Mayor: The reason is that the money had been spent in the general account. It was a paper balance—not a balance in reality. There was really not sufficient revenue to carry out the work requested by ratepayers, and the Council had taken this step to try and meet their wishes.

Cr Masters said they would extend the sower as the money was available, but still they would be benefitting the inner area, not' the outer.

Cr King; Nothing of the kind. We have to start from where the sewer is

at present. Cr Richards; Has it not been considered at the Council table that the Council should take over the nightsoil contract, and undertake the removal of the nightsoil? The Town Clerk: There is a resolution to that effect in the Council’s books. To satisfy Cr Thompson who was not clear on the matter the Clerk read the terms of the resolution. The Mayor at this stage pointed out that he did not .> o t any general dis-

mission. Ho pointed out tluit the money had been ear-marked lor tlio purpose of sanitary extensions. At Hie same time, lie wished it understood lie did not want to burk discussion. Mr Newton said he would he quite prepared to pay for the pan system in preference to the scheme before the Council at the present moment. Cr Frodrie: Would it he binding on any subsequent Council? The Mayor: 1 take it that any Council would act on it.

Cr Frodrie: A subsequent Council could alter it and pay the money in other ways. Mr Masters thanked the Council for the hearing accorded the deputation, and expressed the hope that they would not put any taxes on the ratepayers at all.

Cr. Frodrie doubted that he had seconded the resolution in regard to the charges accruing for the purpose of sanitary extension, and the Clerk read from the minute hook showing that Cr. Boon had moved and Cr. Fredric had seconded a motion earmarking the money for drainage, water and sanitary purposes. The deputation then withdrew.

The Mayor, addressing the Council, said ho was entirely against excessive charges for water. When first elected, he pointed out he reduced the water rate from 6d to dd, and later the balance to credit of the water account had been transferred to the general

fund, and tlio following year it had been found necessary to put up the rate to 6d again so as to obtain the necessary revenue to carry out the work under that head. The water charge was not a water charge in reality, but for sanitary purposes for the reason that the Council could not strike a sanitary rate. Loan proposals had been put before the ratepayers, but they had turned them down. They had the option to carry it, as the proposals were put in separate issues. The deputation, although they realised that it was not actually a water rate, did not realise that it was a fair thing that a sanitary rate should be struck. That resolution undoubtedly was carried by the. Council because the money had been earmarked for sanitary and drainage purposes. He believed it would not have been carried unless the money had been so earmarked. A proposal to charge 10s instead of £1 for W.C’s. had been discussed by a full Council, and had been thrown out as it was considered' not to he fair to those having the pan system. It appeared to him there had been a great deal of misapprehension in regard to the charges, and if the true position had been known there would not have been so much objection to what had been proposed. He admitted alterations in the charges could he made advantageously. In his opinion there should he a minimum of ds, whether there was one or 20 taps, and he would support such a proposal. Cr. Fredric: It is absolutely unreasonable.

I lie Mayor: There were .several rates that could ho struck, viz., hospital, lighting and library, but they had not' done so. They did not want to do so if they could, help it. Tint they might have to do so to provide funds to carry out the work thoroughly. At the •same time he told them that it was absolutely impossible for the town to go on and do the work out of revenue. The time was coming when the rate-

payers would have to accede to money being borrowed. Two matters, in his opinion, in this respect, were water and I drainage, but the time was coming tor a loan for street improvements. These should be done out of borrowed money, and if they could not get it that way they would have to get it somehow. As to the framing of their by-laws on these present matters, they h id taken the Wanganui by-laws for a guide, in these hotels paid £1 and 10s for W.C’s., and so did private places. They had not gone out of their " ! bY Stratlord to benefit the hotels. ith regard to the rating on unimproved values, he admitted it was so. Although the borough was rated on the unimproved value the amount was laid down by Statute to be equal to 1 jcl on the capital value. The point he wishc dto stress was that the amount ol rate struck was really arrived at through the capital value. He considered the by-laws as they wore drawn up could with minor amendments, and ought to go through notwithstanding the delegation. Ci'. .Masters said that Stratford required a loan badly. They were tinkering with the drainage, and making a few who were using the flushed W.Cs. pay tor the extension entirely, if they raised a loan for the purpose of spreading it over the whole of the borough they would get the drainage. Now a few who were using the W.C’s. had to pay for the extension.

I ho Mayor: We will pay so that they can get them.

Cr. .Masters: It will he at the expense of a few. Some paid £3O or £ 10, costing them £2 in interest, and others paid nothing. It would he better to drop the thing and they would he soon forced to go in for a loan. Cr. Richards said they must remember the inherent antipathy of all people to pay rates. I have that antipathy Co King: And so has any other man with any common sense. If ] had mv way and a man came to my place to collect the rates 1 would shoot him at sight if it wore not for the law! (Laughter). Cr. Richards referred to the freehorn Britishers’ privilege ol growling at being taxed. Hut there was also (lie basis of justice and equality. Then tlic* people were not conversant with the proposed by-laws. For himself i.e hail never felt very strongly on the matter, hut the Council had threshed the matter out and he did not think they should go forward one day and

barkwiird the next in.-st hoc-au.se freeborn Britishers objected to boiii”; taxed.— (Jiear, hoar,” from Cr. King). Is it just and e<initahlc, continued Cr. Richards. They should do what they thought right and just, not paying too much heed to what others were doing on the matter. He wanted the people clearly to understand that the people living within tiic area favored hy the installation of the drainage had a great benefit in being able to use,the w.c.

Cr. Thompson; They have to pay to put it in. Cr. Richards said he had not overlooked the fact that those people living further out who had put In septic tanks had to pay £1 per,year, but he thought the privilege of the W.C. was well worth £1 per year, and for his part he would pay £1 a year to keep the man who rumbled along at midnight with a lantern, away from the vicinity of his place! Mr H. Masters, as well as many others did not object to this tax. The Council should come to its decision with a sense of its responsibility. Water taps wore not necessary for the beautification of the town. A groat deal of water was wasted. There were four taps in his garden, ami lie did not use them, but if he had to pay, well, then, he would cut them off.

| Cr. Mori son agreed with much of | what Cr. Richards had said. As to the jW.C’s.. it was a fair and reasonable I charge. He moved in regard to the ' ater taps that there be a charge of

Seconded bv the Mayor, who said he

considered it was a fair concession to make to those with more than one tap.

Cr. Fredric said it was an absolutely wrong proposal. The matter had been threshed out before. Those who had an acre of ground required more water than those with an eighth of an acre. They would be going back instead of forward. The large landholder was getting a concession at the expense of the small. Crr. King: Because he has a garden ! Quito right! Cr. Masters referred to stables, and said it was not right to charge them ss. Would, /he asked, the Council be agreeable to have the tap running continuously for 5s per year, “They would have to stand and hold the hose,” interjected Cr. King. Cr. Masters laughed, seeing the inference, and added: “If they catch ’em!”

“We’ll catch ’em,” said the Clerk

Cr. King said it was all very well for Cr. Morison, who was an expert on the water! lie has a very big garden, and can do with 20 stand pipes, and then it would not bo watered to please him. It would be 10 acres and 10 taps, not one acre one tap! “I sec,” said Cr. King, “the election is drawing near. Mr .Morison knows how to cotton to tie people in the borough. I must trim, he says. Now, Cr. Morison never raised his voice once against the charges. But he says to himself, since there is a hubbub, I will make myself clear with the people and get as inanyj votes,,,as I .can and so he gets on to the;hose taps.”

“Tact, did you say?” continued Cr. Kino;. “They’ll see through it—take it from me.” Five shillings for fifty taps is absolutely ridiculous! Surely Cr. Morison must think so himself! This is tact so as to get in with the ratepayers, but it will keep him out!” Cr. Richards said the question was .vhether they should charge for the hose taps or not. He did not agree with the resolution. Ho did not agree lieve that 10 or 20 taps should be the same price as one tap. Cr. Header considered the proposed charges were iniquitous. Unfortunately he had not l>een present when the business was threshed out.

Cr. Morison’s motion was then put to the meeting and lost, the division list reading:— For: The Mayor, Morison, Header, Thompson. Against: King, Masters, Boon, Frcdric, Richards. Cr. Morison then moved that 2s 0d be charged for taps from \-inch pipe and 5s for J-inch, irrespective of number.

There was much discussion, principally on the question of whether the by-laws allowed 5-inch pipe, several Councillors asserting that they had this size despite the fact) that the clerk said the by-laws made no mention of 4-inch.

The motion was lost. Cr. Richards moved that tho charge be 2s (id for taps. Seconded by Cr. King.

Cr. Fredric objected to any charge at all. They were just trying to raise money out of what was already being p iid for. If they wanted nip re money they should charge for commercial

purposes. Cr. Thompson moved us an amendment that all charges relating to hose taps be deleted. In his own „.placo there was one tap, which had not been u :ed for years, and his landlord would have to pay for that under the proposed charges. They should look iii£o the quantity and quality of the water at the intake. He believed if loan proposals were put before the ratepayers and explained properly in the Town Hall it would be carried. The Mayor: I placed the position before the ratepayers in the Press, i Cr, Thompson: That does not appeal to them in the same way. There is a threat being made that if the proposals are forced through the loan will lie turned down just because of the water taps. Cr. Thompson assured the Council he was not speaking for election purposes. It was very unfair to say that. He was definitely opposed to 2s i»d being charged per tap, and he would go further and oppose the lot. On being put to the vote the motion was lost, the division being; For—Thompson, Fredric, Reader, Morisou.

Against—The Mayor. Boon, King, Masters, Richards. Cr. Thompson then moved, and Cr. Fredric seconded, that all charges bo deleted.

I The flood-gates of eloquence were again opened, and at 10.15, despite Cr. Frodric’s protest at the late hour, the talk was more direct and forceful than ever. The voting on the motion, which was also lost, was: For—Masters, Thompson, Reader, F.eone. Again.-a.—The Mayor, Morison, Richa.us, Boon, King, Cr. Thompson them moved that the waole of the proposals bo held over until the election of a new Council. Seconded by Cr. Reader. Alter Councillors had had another round of speeches the motion to hold the matter over was lost by four votes to five, the division reading as on the previous motion. Cr. Boon referred to the position ci the man who had put in a septic tank —no provision had been made tor him, Mr Fookes explained that that was not water, but sanitation. Cr. Masters said that the people who built their own septic tanks should be exempt. Cr. King did not think so.

Cr. Boon moved that those having their own septic tanks or water closets should he charged 10s. The Mayor, in seconding, said he would like to point out that this was a water charge in disguise. They wore really getting at the ratepayers for a sanitary charge. " Cr. Fredric objected to people with septic tanks being let off at 10s. Cr. Thompson said lie opposed the motion, it was inconsistent. -

His Worship pointed out that the charges to lie made would be used for sanitation. .

Cr. Boon said that some wore opposiig the suggestion merely for the sake of opposition.

The motion was lost. Cr. Fredric moved that all commercial premises be supplied with water by meter.

Cr. Masters: “At what price?” Cr. Fredric replied at 5s per 1000 gallons. (Ironical laughter). “If it does not suit thorn to pay 5s let them cut it off. I think it a very reasonable price.” Cr. Masters moved and Cr. Thompson seconded as an amendment, that motive power be charged at (id per 1000 gallons.

Cr. Fredric said “Wc don’t want to supply them with water. Wc want thorn to cut themselves off. These people might take the water at (id.” The amendment was carried.

THE GREAT FINALE. The Mayor, in moving the resolution that the proposed amendments be adopted, said that every Councillor had had an opportunity to vote, and if anyone had not voted it was his own look-out. The time had come for every man to show what lie was made of. Cr. Richards said that if there had not been a majority in favor of the amendments the matter would not have reached its present stage.

Cr. Boon said there were a few ohSections when the matter was first nought forward. The Council was unanimous that those by-laws should oc inserted. It would almost appear liat the opposition was due to the fact that they were on the eve of an election. After ail their work they found the Council turned down proposals it had voted for.

Cr. King said he knew this would happen. Cr. Fredric said ho had objected to the by-laws in every way. Cr. Morison said he had consistently voted against a portion of the by-laws. Was it reasonable, he asked, that he diould vote for them as a whole? Cr. Thompson said he had raised his objections long ago. It was iiow that all should live up to their convictions. A division was called tor, the ayes being: The Mayor, Crs. Richards, Boon and King; and the “Xoes” ; Crs. Thompson, Morison, Reader, Masters and Fredric. ihe Council then adjourned.