The Press. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Saturday, September 12, 1908. WATER AND DRAINAGE.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 307, 12 September 1908, Page 4

The Press. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Saturday, September 12, 1908. WATER AND DRAINAGE.

o It is to be hoped the ratepayers will not be apathetic regarding the scheme of water supply and drainage, but will show their interest in it by attending the meeting on Tuesday evening in large numbers. Every ratepayer who can attend should do so, whether in favour of the proposals or against them, and if he can throw any fresh light on the matters under consideration, he will be rendering a service to the town by doing so. There is no doubt that both water and drainage are required : the only question for the ratepayers is whether they are prepared to undertake the burden the work would entail. In respect of the water supply it appears to us that this is a work

that should bo undertaken without any delay, for to many of the residents the cost of carting water in a dry season such as last •summer was is greater than the increase in the rates rendered necessary by the work. The water could be more depended upon, too, for its purity than water obtained from the river. Then, again, provision should be made for fire fighting. An evidence of the difAcuity of stopping the progress of a fire without a plentiful supply of water was provided in the main street a few months ago. At that time, too, the' drought had broken and the town had had rain, or ; the position would have been even mow? serious. As to the drainage proposals, though perhaps there may not be quite such an immediate need for their adoption as there is for a supply of water, if they were carried out they would improve the health and cleanliness of the town to a wonderful extent. And there would be the cost of the present sanitary—or, rather, insanitary—service to be put as an offset against the drainage rate. The population of the town is increasing steadily, and the greater the population the greater the need for a thoroughly effective system of drainage. The cost of the full scheme of water and drainage may seem to some people a great responsibility to shoulder, but we hope they will give the matter full and careful consideration before deciding not to vote for the whole work, and consider also what it may mean to the town from the health standpoint. When the residents have experienced the benefits derived from a plentiful supply of good water in the driest season, and a proper and sanitary method of disposing of sewage, we are sure they will not consider tnem too dearly bought by a moderate increase in the rates.