THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1907. THE DRAINAGE OF THE BOROUGH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8559, 19 October 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1907. THE DRAINAGE OF THE BOROUGH.

Writing in July last anent a meeting of the Masterton Borough Couijcil, we remarked: "It was evident frorh, the tone of the discussion that the Councillors are not to 'rush wildly' into Jtny-. scheme; at the same time it seems,„to us that they are determined to g'ft-Mly into the question, and that they-will not be afraid to advocate necessary • expenditure in regard to what is,the most important matter in municipal affairs--a proper and adequate drainage system.''' Certainly the Council cannot be accused Of having acted with undue haste in > regard to this urgent question, and onev v which is actually of vital importance'to. the residents of lh,e town, but we regret to find that for some months pastthe Council have done nothing at all in reference to the question of extending and improving the drainage system. * * ■ . * * * * A policy of masterly- inactivity will not do. If the Council are going to do their duty by "the burgesses, they must go fuHy into the question', and that without further delay, and they must not.be timid in advocating necessary expenditure. As we have indicated,Mt is now a considerable time since the Masterton Borough Council promised to lay/before the rat epayers a scheme for completing the drainage of the Borough. Expense has been incurred in obtaining an exhaustive report fiom a qualified 'engineer. That repoit was gene into very fully by the Council and the Public Health Department, and both ratepayers and Department were promised that' a proposal would be placed before the ratepayers, and the District Health Officer was invited and consented to 2ome to Masterton to explain the urgent necessity for action, and to strengthen generally the hand of the Council in their efforts to obtain the ratepayers' consent to the carrying out of a -work that simply must be done sooner or later—and obviously the sooner the better. *" * * * • * * The Council were aware of the whole position they recognised the gravity of the situation, and were prepared to do everything that a local body, fully sensible of their responsibility, could

be expected to do. On the sth of September last the Borough Council, in solemn conclave, decided .that the resolution previously passed, that Mr Dobson's scheme be placed before the ratepayers, be GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT TO. The whole of the Council was turned into a committee to further the proposal. The Mayor explained that, though the Council approved of their engineer's scheme, at the same time the ratepayers would be given to understand'that "outside expert advice" would, also, be obtained.

In place of "immediate action'* there has been inaction,and the Council appear—judging from the amount of business dealt with at recent meetings—to have quietly dropped the drainage problem. The position of the present outfall works is unsuitable, and the works themselves are inadequate, while the same remarks apply to the sewage farm. The area of the so-called farm is much too! small—it consists of only six acres—and the land has been utilised to such an extent that, in the interests of public health, it id imperative that it should be given "a rest," if not abandoned altogether. The drainage question is one ef very great seriousness, and the Borough Council should immediately'call a meeting of ratepayers and take them fully into their confidence. ,: