Wairarapa Daily Times. ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1894. A WATER LOAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4635, 30 January 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1894. A WATER LOAN.

SECOND EDITION

We do not regard the question of a water loan for Masterlon as altogether settled. The Borough Council in November las! took a poll on a pro - posrd loan of £30,000. The voting in its favour was 197, and against it 77, As non-voters .counted against the proposal It wai not carried. The Borough Council refused to put a rrqiifflt for a small loan of £15,000 before the burgesseß, and we have reason to believe that the latter would tmve been carried. We claim that public opinion as manifested by the vote of £30,000 loau was distinctly in favour of a water and drainage scheme, but we questioned at the time the expediency of trying to foree on the ratepayers bo large a loan. As far as\we were able to judge, tho public desired a more modera'o schemo, nnd the Borough Council were not in touch. with the ratepayers when they stood in their way. We do not know whether the Council as now constituted would support a loan of £15,000, but if the publio aro in favour of it ffe can rea« eonably expect the civic lathers to

comply with their wishes. It has been proved that from svory point of view a high pressure water supply from the Waingawa will advance the interests of the town. It wi)l reduce fire insurance premiums by a third, promote health and comfort, provide a trustworthy beverage in lieu of surface wells, enable'evfry settler to irrigate his premises and furnish a

cheap motor power for machinery. The rate required to defray lean charges will be a light one, and in comparison with the benefit certain to be derived from an efficient supply the burden will be but nominal. Everybody admits that sooner or later Masterton must have a high pressure water supply, and most people recognise that there is no reason why th°.y should not have one now. The Borough Council has stood out against it, because ono or two of its members are formers, who reside on the outskirts of the town, and do not experi* ence V:0 necessity for such a supply. Even these might ba fairly asked to reconsider the question ou the broad ground, that whatever benefits the centre of the town must also to a large extent assist the suburbs where they reside, : We consider that only the consent of the Oounoil to submit a £15,000 loan ia needed for the burgesses to carry it, .Reliable plans have already been prepared by a competent engineer, and as yet no one has challenged thorn in any way, The time baa arrived, in our ppinion ; when some pressure should be brought tq bear upon fhe Council to do its duty to the burgesses by .submitting a proposal for a moderate loan,