HAMILTON BOROUGH REQUIREMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2280, 19 February 1887, Page 3

HAMILTON BOROUGH REQUIREMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR. i Sir,—The winter will soon be on us, and it is almost certain we will have a repetition of the inundations of the streets in West Hamilton, known as Hood, Anglesea and Collingwood-streets. The Mayor and some of the councillors have repeatedly visited these streets while so inundated, and were so impressed with the necessity of something, that they proposed resolutions and made speeches on the subject worthy of a Lesseps ; but as nothing has been doqe, I suppose it is forgotten owing to the brilliant projects now on hand, or it may be the matter was referred to that circumlocutory body, the Works Committee. By-the-bye, whoever saw the chairman of works in any of the back streetsof Hamilton West, to inform himself of iany needed improvements ? The extent of his perambulations seems to me to be between the, Company's Wharf and East Hamilton, and from East Hamilton to the Wharf. It would be interesting to know how much that road cost and the amount of traffic carried on. So far as I know, the work could be done profitably by piece work for one-third of what it costs the borough by day labour. As to the traffic, well, that is done by oße team of horses. Now, sir, I don't care who that team belongs to, whether it is the chairman of works or Bill-Jarvey, but I will say, there is too much of the burgessess , cash laid out on that particular road, together with the water tanks, than there is any real necessity for, whilst the streets ;I have named in West Hamilton are allowe'd to remain in the wretched state they are fbr want of proper drainage. In the name_ of common sense, why are not the existing drains in these streets cleaned out and attended to, they would at least take some of the storm water off. Why does not the chairman of works visit them ? I am of opinion that if all the drains and culverts in East and West Hamilton were let in two separate contracts, that the town would be kept in better order and much less expense than at present. The foreman of works gets £100 per annum, and he has a man to assist him who gets about £90, in all £190, and what is'there dpne for this expenditure ? But then, everything is left to the works committee, and that body refers the matter to their gifted chairman, who refers it back again to the council, and so on, until the matter merges into obscurity, and so the matter drops.—l am, sir, yours very truly. • Buugkss. ;