The Mayor and the Water Nuisance.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3193, 1 May 1889, Page 2

The Mayor and the Water Nuisance.

At the Mastcrtpn Borough Council meeting on Tuesday a letter was read from Mrs 0, McEwen, complaining that the nuisance caused by the water from, the ■ channel runniug in Queen-street flooding her back premises had not been abated, and threatened legal proceedings. The Mayor said nothing could be done unless a fluming was put across the bridge in Queen-street, which would cost the Council some £6 or £7. . Cr Dixon asked if the committee considered they had completed their work. ' '■ ■ - The Mayor said that the money subscribed had been more, than swallowed up by the timber bill. The duty of stopping the water from running into Mr Moßweh's land was the work of the' Council,

Cr Hessey said the nuisance complained of was caused by the extra water coming down, and lay at the door of the Committee, It was not a work for the Counoil to. carry out; The Mayor paid the repon tho water ran through at the bridge was through the defective" work and want of repairs." He had at his own expense put "a fluming .through on tho other side, and tho Council ought i to do the same on the upper side.' Cr Gapper pointed out that no! complaint had been made of the ordinary storin water. The agreement with the Committee should have contained .a clause compelling them to abate all nuisances, and it would h&ve been included had not his Worship promised that no nuisance should be created. lie thought it unjust aiicL cruel to the ratepayers to'permit the nuisance. The Mayor promised that he would, in a month from the time he brought tho water down, carry it right through to the mill stream. -

■ The Mayor said he was opposed in every way by the Council. The ratepayers would not stand it moch longer. A remedy. was proposed to divide the Borough into ;'. three wards, but he was.not inclined to take.action iu that direction. Instead .of the Committee coming, to Council as mendicants they might j have pome there as. their master's and have them out;' If the Council did-

not see fit toVlo the necessary,work it's watr:' uo -.- b,Mineßa^p£;\ ! liiß;V' , -Tlio : Insp93tor r of-'Nuisarjees : h upon/the stinking: in the creek, andhe (the Speaker) had sent Jom, astream of wator.to flush and ilear it,and wbat did the Council I ')fe return ?: The/ offered nothing but opposition, *i wasiujwproptsedtß take ihe matter • into anou er Court. This to just what .he wanted.

'_Cr Perry said all that waswanted was that Mr Kenall should dp what lie promised and complete Lis work; As Mayor,'he ought to be ashamed of himself. : The Mayor; You put your shame in your pocket. I've got my own opinion about you. What have you done for the town. Or Chamberlain said as far as the Council was concerned they, had uever opposed, the water supply. All they asked was a right to the water and that Mr Kenall had refused. Ho had no hesitation in saying the work carried out in Masterton was a dis-

grace.' The job was ridiculed on every side, and people were asking what they were about to allow it, The Mayor said whatheheard was very different. The people asked him whether the Councillors weie insane that they opposed such s highly important thing, It had answered all his expectations, • Or Chamberlain : And is very ornamental too, •".:'.' The Mayor said they had saddled the .ratepayers with a steam fire engine that was useless for want of water. Let them get the question before another tribunal where more would be said, He would like, to see some of them put their hands in their pockets to the extent he had. He had spent 1 more than he ever thought he would _ have to in bringing down the water, and the Council iucreased the expense by their persistent opposii tion.

Cr flessey said it was useless for the Mayor to reiterate that the Council opposed the water scheme, He knew well enough if he had! given them a legal right to the water they would havo brought the water in without a penny expense to Mr Renall. The streets and footpaths had been tomahawked about in a most disgraceful manner, and the job he had turned out was a disgrace.'

The Council was not against tho water scheme, but only against the slipshod manner in which it was being'carried out. They were willing to spend a reasonable amount of

money, on the work, provided they got a reasonable right to the water. That Mr Benall refused to give. • As to putting in afiuming at his dictation they did not know but what he

might out off the water immediate!

afterward. As long as he did his duty he had nothing to fear from the ratepayers or the threats of the Mayor. . The Mayor said he could not trust the Council. Years ago he had given land upon certain conditions,'

and the Council had not completed their part of the bargain. Or Gapper said the Council would have completed their part of the bargain, if the Mayor had shifted the cottages on the road, two years ago. The Mayor said there wero 89 chains they could have done, instead of that they had spent the money elsewhere, illegally. . He was not prepared to be, done a second time.

Cr Chamberlain drew attention to the fact that they were wandering from the subjeot.

Cr Fitton moved, that notice be given to the Water Committee .to abate the nuisanco within? days or the Counoil would cut off the water at the railway gates. . He would be sorry to see the 'money already expended thrown away, but-it was i the only thing the Council could do to abate the nuisance-complained of. The Mayor, said the Council could put in the fluming. .' ' Cr Hessey seconded the motion. .Cr Dixon thought, if the matter was put before the Committee that the cost of tho fluming would be only L 7 they would put in in. At the same'time he did not see why the Caunoil could not spend that sum on it. Cr Carman thought the Works Committee could put in the fluming and' charge the Water Committee with the cost. The Mayor said if they did they could not reoover it. Cr Perry said the Council had nothing to do with the matter. The damage was done by Mr Eenall. The Mayor to Or-Perry: If you have any faitlrin yourself I'll resign the Mayorship and put in my bond for £IOO and you do the same, and you and I will go for the offioe and the stakes and see who will win. (Laughter), I look upon you as the worst citizen in Masterton.

Cr Perry said his Worship was too fond of a joke.

Cr Carman moved as an amendment that it be an instruction to the Works Committee to carry out the •fluming at the point where necessary at a cost not exceeding £5, : ' 'i'he Mayor seconded the motion.

Cr Gapper said if the amendment was carried no two councillors could be found to sign a cheque for the work, as it was not a legal expenditure.

; The Mayor said the Council gave the Committee power to bring in the water, and they had done,so. It was through a defeot in the Borough j bridge the nuisance was caused, and it was the duty of the Council to\ repair those defects, The amendment was put and lost on a division, Ayes, Crs Dixon, Carman, (Men, and the Mayor, Noes, Crs Fitton," Hessey, Chamberlain, Gapper, and Perry, • The motion was then put and carried.

A letter from Mr W.-G. Beard as solicitor for Mr Perry, calling upon the Council to abate the- nuisance caused by the overflow of water on to the footpath in front of his shop in Queen-street, caused a repetition of'tbeprovious discussion. During the argument the- Mayor was very severe on h\B brother Councillors. He expressed Ms surprise that the ratepayers could return six such representatives. ■' Or Hesaey suggested that the best way out ■ of the dispute would be to tako the right through Mr ltonall's land uuder the Public Works." Act', to ■ which the Mayor retorted, '.'lt will cost you more money than you have got, youtry it." Ultimately it was resolved that a letter be sent to Mr Perry asking him to stay proceedings for a week, .-.-.':