The Daily News, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1903. THE MANGATOKU STREAM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1903, Page 2

The Daily News, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1903. THE MANGATOKU STREAM.

The question of the diversion of the ! Mangatoku stream by m«aog of a tunnel on the west side of Qaoin-street into the sea under the railway line instead of allowing it to run its present course through the most important and thickly populated portioa. of the borough of New Plymouth endangering the health of the inhabitants is one ef the most important questions the Borough Ooun.il has to deal with at the present moment, It is a question which can be dealt with now to the great advantage of the inhabitants, but if this' opportunity is allowed to pass, the! Council can never get into as favourable"! a position again. The reason of this is j that upon the diversion of thi-s s'raam' depends very largely the general scheme of drainage, but if the drlinage | scheme is put down with the streimin j its present course one greit advantag) of diverting it will be ,'osfc and its { future diversion will not then admit of I the scheme which would be adoptel now being taken of. At the Council meetirjg on Monday the question of the owners contributing to the cost was discussed, but we hope the Council will not allow the question of a smaUcontributioa from the adjoining owners to deter them from, carrying out a work which will be of j incalculable benefit, from a health stand-' point, to the whole borough. As it now I runs, this stream mus 1- , in time, ba-l come a faver trap, and microbe bi eed-1 ing ground, and its diversion must be! so beneficial to the health of the Botougb, as a whole, tint the question of cost thould tever bi allowed tow!and in the way. From a fiuaucial standpoint also the scheme ha°, we understand, much to commend it. The cot of ths diversion is roughly but! a saving will be effected in the cost of the drainage scheme of £I4OO, while' it enablessome alterations in ihesch-me to be effected, which as stated above, are v<ry desirable. There are other] advantages, we understand, which also' reduce the cost, and the frontage to j Brougham-street, which, with the I creek filled ir, will be available for a i building site, would probably be worth all the money tbs diversion will cost, i We sincerely trust the Council will lose no time in taking the neoessary steps to carry out this extern ly desirable work.