PROPOSED DRAINAGE OF BOROUGH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10039, 13 July 1910, Page 5

PROPOSED DRAINAGE OF BOROUGH.

ENGINEER'S SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT. DISCUSSION AT BuROUGH COUNCIL MEETING. A special meeting of tbe Masterton Borough Council last evening considered a report of the Borough Engineer upon the proposed sewerage of the Borough in conjunction with a report of a committee of the Council, dated June 2nd. There were present,—The Mayor j (Mr J. M Coradine), and Cra -J. j Pauling, T. G. Hoar, W. Morris, J. | C. Ewington, F. W. Temple, and J. Prentice.

In a supplementary 'report the Engineer stated:— "The Council will recall that Messrs McGregor Bros., the owners of the proposed outfall site selected by me, have expressed a disinclination to voluntarily consent to ita acquisition, and that I was instructed to ascertain whether a site which Messrs McGregor Bros, would be willing to dispose of was suitable for the purpose of the proposed scheme. I have now an opportunity of looking into the matter and have to report that the material of the site suggested by Mews McGregor Bros., together with its elevation, is as suitable for the purpose of tbe scheme as the site selected by ma before men* tioned, and I accordingly recommend ,the acquisition of thereabouts forty acres of lar d (in part about 27 acres unstamped) bounded on one of its sides by the Ruamahanga Kiver. The adoption of this site in lieu of that first selected, seeing that Messrs McGregor Bros, are wilfing to sell at £37 per acre, including an easemeat over 14$ chains of pipe line and a right-of-way from Gladstone Road over tbe Makora Creek to the site, as also a right-of -way over the pipe line, will avoid arbitration proceedings which would undoubtedly ensue upon the compulsory taking of the site first selected, and which/ proceedings might amount to a considerable aum; the measure of which is indicated by the resistance of the owners to the acquisition; and there is further to be considered the amount which might be awarded to the owners in excess of my:- estimate of £4O per acre. The additional cost to the scheme by adopting the second *ite including stumping, filling in old water courses, and river protective works north of the site, I put at £6OO, so that of the fac- j tors before recited are taken into { consideration there appears to be little or oo difference in the ulti- I mate cost of either sites. I

Speaking in regard to the report, the Mayor stated 'that while attending the Municipal Conference in Wellington recently he had interviewed the Premier in regard to completing the drainage of Masterton, and Sir Joseph Ward had informed bim that be would be pleased to see that the money was granted, and the loan put through. The Council could not get the money on the old terms, said the Mayor, but they were the best available They would get the loan at 3J per cent., with a one per cent, sinking fund, extending over a period of 36J years. No better terms than these could be got anywhere Reverting to the proposed scheme, he said he saw no use in continuing discussion of the matter after that night. He, ' himself, had perused report alter report and had discussed scheme after scheme for the past five years, and other Councillors had no doubt done the same. "The position has got to be faced, and faced before long," said the Mayor. "A less modified scheme will not complete the'drainage of the Borough." He moved that the report of the Engineer be adopted, and such steps be taken as was necessary in connection with obtaining authority from the ratepayers for the loan. •

Cr Morris seconded the motion. "After seeing the success of the drainage in Masterton, no one wants to live outside the drainage area," he remarked. He was of opinion that Councillors should give the matter their careful consideration, and should not take up the question halfheartedly. If the Council were going in for the loan, every Councillor shoufd work for it, and not let them think they intended to support the loan, and then on the day of the poll work against the proposal as some Councillors had done in connection with Ihe last loan. If this condition of affairs was going to obtain it would be b.tter to knock the whole matter on the head straight away. Cr Ewmgton said he was not going to support the scheme. He was against it tooth and nail. He had previously always supported drainage ropoeals, and worked hard for the last loan; but he was against the present proposal for two strong reasons at least. The time was not opportune yet to put such a gigantic scheme before the ratepayers. To harness the ratepayer with the additional heavy rate which would be brought aoout was more than they could stanc at present. Times had been bad in Masterton; there had been a serious slump; and the town was still feeling the effect of it. The population in the last two years had dwindled down by about one thousand. Large firms in the towu k such

|as Messrs Coradine and Whittaker, and C. E. Daniell, were employing less hands than they did two years ago, and woik was not so plentiful. "Therefore, in this condition of things," said Cr Ewington, "I maintain that the time is not suitable and it is not just to ask to sanction a loan of such magnitude as the present propoisal." The Council would find that there would be strong opposition from those residing within the drained area. If the loan was carried a man who was now paying 7s drainage rate would have to pay 21s. Then again he opposed the scheme because no provision had been made for water. This was a very j serious item, and it would cost an j unknown amount to put in mains where there were none, and increase the size of those already in. No drainage scheme was complete unless it included provision for water. He was firmly of opinion that the Borough Engineer's report should be confirmed by some authority. "When a proposal such as the present one is brought down involving such a large aum of money," said Cr Ewington. ,| "I maintain that we should have the j best advice obtainable on the matter, j We must protect the ratepajß:s' money. If it were our own money we were spending on drainage, we would get the best opinion possible, and we should be aven more careful with the money of the ratepayers." Cr Ewington criticised the Borough Engineer's scheme at considerable length. He complained that no details had been made available. There should be a detail plan. He asked the Mayor if a detailed plan had been supplied. The Mayor: "I've essn plans which I consider are all that are necessary."

Cr Ewington, continuing, said that , no bouse connections bad been inclcd- [ ed and this was an important matter. He considered that it was "sailing pretty close to the wind" when in a scheme involving £30,000 only £1,200 was allowed for contingencies. With regard to the outfall, be did not consider the proposed one was at all suitable. Nature itself had pro-, vided one at the junction of the Waingawa and Ruamahanga rivers, and this he considered the most suitable outfall. "I'm going to oppose the scheme in and out of the Council unless confirmed by a recognised authority, and it is shewn that the time i« now opportune for raising the loan," said Cr Ewington in conclusion. Or Pauling contended that Cr Ew- j ington bad not asked for the confirmation of Mr D. Dobson's scheme. Cr Ewington: "I deny that statement." Cr Pauling: "Did the reports of Messrs Laing-Meason and Dobson include water?"

Cr Ewington: "Mr Dobson had been asked in reference to the question of water at the time when his report came before the Council, and he had stated that there was water in the streets concerned."

Cr Pauling, continuing, said that at present ratepayers have to connect the sewerage to the centre of the road. The Borough Engineer deserved the congratulations of the Council on the route he had taken. He considered the report of sufficient excellence for him as a Councillor and a ratepayer to support. Cr Prentice said he. would support the proposition. In their Engineer the Council bad a gentleman who was well able to carry out the scheme. The majority of the Council were quite satisfied with Mr Mansfield's abilities. Mr Mansfield had received letters from ratepayers congratulating him on various works carried out in the Borough. The present scheme was a complete one, and the Council would not in a few years have to do more draining. "A point has been made of the seriousness of the additional rate," said Cr Prentice. "We should be proud to have a clean town. If the rate was double it would be a mere nothing compared to the benefits derived from a public health point of view." Cr Temple said he was not going to pull tthe scheme to pieces because he was only a "common garden variety of individual." He maintained the scheme was too big and too unwieldy, and not just to the ratepayers. A few years ago there had been a loan of £1,500. Since then the population had not doubled, yet they had now a drainage proposal for £30,000. When the additional tax put on the shoulders of the ratepayers was taken into consideration the Council should pause before taking the final steps. He would be willing if at a future date a scheme for £15,000 were biought up to support it. He was not opposed to the drainage, but to the amount of the loan. He would support an amended scheme.

Gr Elliott said he was opposed to the scheme. "Queen Street alone will kill it," he remarked. "It is expecting a lot from human nature When you ask a ratepayer in Queen Street to pay an additional £6 per year for 364 years to benefit somebody in Kuripuni. He would support a modified scheme. Cr Hoar: "What is worth doing at all is worth doing well; that's my opinion of the scheme. As there are two Councillors absent I contend that the scheme should not be put to tha meeting to-night, as the absent

Councillors should hava an opportunity of voting on it." He moved as an amendment that the matter stand over till the meeting on TueEday evening next, the Engineer in the meantime to to bring down a report as to the cost of supplying water in the streets where the drainage is to go, and where there is at present no water. Cr Temple seconded the amendment. Mayo, bri fly replied. He sa d he had every confidence in the Engineer to carry out the scheme. Speaking as a practical man, he could not see how they could do with a smaller scheme.

The amendment was eventally carried.