TAXING SANITATION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2400, 15 January 1909, Page 4

TAXING SANITATION

AVe havo had a number of complaints during the past few clays of the action of the Borough Council in deciding to impose ah annual tax of £1 upon every person having a septic tank on his property. It would bo interesting to know in what fertile brain this iniquitous proposal was first conceived, but it scorns to have just “cropped up” at'the Council meeting, and the City Fathers, whoso finances are in an exceedingly depressed condition just now, apparently jumped at the;chance of raking in a few pounds to the- general fund-. But, seriously speaking, the position is both unjust and entirely illogical. Tlie Council as a body owes it to tho ratepayers as a duty to provido a proper system of sanitation. For reasons which can be explained without any reflection on that body it has failed to do so, and the onus thus falls upon individuals to do without drainage or to provide for it at their own expense. The average person does not make any provision, and the result is a state of affairs which is .a menace to the health of the community.' A few who

value health and cleanliness, and who can afford it, have at considerable expense instituted the septic tank system for their own use. It is these people whom tlie Council proposes to tax, and tho injustice is so apparent that we should hope the motion passed at last meeting in that, direction will shortly be rescinded. It is simply intolerable that a private person should be penalised for taking up the work that should be done for him by the Council itself.