Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4523, 14 September 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1893.

It is with great regret that we I- notice the manner in which the proposed loan for water and drainage w being brought before the public, The '' £30,000 asked for by the Mayor is simply fatal to the project, as even the most enthusiastic supporter of the scheme could not consistently recommend the borrowing of auuh a sum. It is true that Palmorston North haa borrowed a similar amount ' for corresponding purposes, but Maßterlon is a smaller town than Falmerston North, and cannot measure with it, It s?ems to us that £20,000 would be ample to cover Mr King's proposals, and that, if it were not, they could readily be modified ' to that in these matters we could cut our coat according to our cloth.' Bu>, • when we come to enquire what burden '■ a £20,000 loan would place on the * ratepayers, what, revenue would follow the wiiterpipts, what saving there 9 would be in insuranco, and on the present expenditure in (lie removal of nightsoil, we find that as yet no data aro available for consideration, no effort has been- made to work out the financial aspect of the scheme, and that a grave injustice to the ratepay--1 ere is being perpetrated. The Council i has employed an engineer to prepare '

' plans and estimates, and the rate' payers will doubtless hove to pay foi tbo work done, but in the absence o: necossary data the plans are simplj worthless to the public, It is under stood thftl the Council is inimical tc the sohenie, and is presenting it tc the publio in suob a form that it muni necessarily be rejected. If we stand 1 alone in the matter we reiterate thai tbe Council is misleading the ratepay< erfl by putting a scheme before them ir an impracticable form, It is. the clear duty of the Council to appoints committee to obtain all necessary data wbiob tbe burgesses may require. Wt object to the project being made so big that the ratepayers cannot swallow it, or being thrust holus-bolus into their mouths without proper explanation. It may be that the town can afford a cater supply and not a drainage scheme, or it may be that a modified combined scheme would be in the best interests of the jc-jffy buf wbpn wp look for guidance pn these pojnts to the iWough Council we get absolutely none, As a matter of common honesty, the Borough Council should either pre.? sent the project in a maturo and proper manner to tbe ratepayers or pay the cost of the otherwise useless plans and specifications out of their own pockets, The Mayor, of course, is a consistent supporter of tbe project, and will doubtless do what be can to bring it to a satisfactory iasuo, but without loyal support from the Council it is absurd to suppose that he can carry it through.