THE COST OF SEWERAGE CONNECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3588, 30 July 1912, Page 6

THE COST OF SEWERAGE CONNECTIONS.

MEETING OF RATEPAYERS DISCUSSES THE MATTER. ~

SUGGESTION TO REVISE BY-LAWS

SYSTEM OF COUNCIL EMPLOYING PLUMBERS UPHELD.

The inclement weather doubtless militated against the attendance uemg greater at the meeting of' ratepayer held in Townley’s Hall last evening for the purpose of considering several borough matters, hut there was nevertheless an attendance in the neighborhood of To ratepayers. Mr J. C. E. Turner occupied the chair, and at the commencement briefly explained", the purposes of the meeting. He said that the Trades Council, at its last meeting, received a reply to its representations from the Borough Council and decided to refer it to a meeting of ratepayers. The Trades Council had also decided that the present would be the last occasion on which it would convene a meeting in connection with sewerage -connections. The matter would now he left in the hands of the ratepayers, on account of the fact that some citizens had expressed the opinion that there was too much Trades Council about the matter. In addition the subject of Wednesday’s loan polls would be brought up for consideration. Proceeding Mr Turner said he had received a copy of the Wellington City Council’s by-laws upon which it was said that the Gisborne by-laws were based. But there were some glaring differences. One in point was the sewerage by-law. In Wellington a person bad to connect when the sewerage came within 50 yards of his property and in Gisborne the distance was ICO yards. Mr D. W. Coleman was elected chairman of the meeting in. place of Mr Turner, who did not wish to retain the position throughout the moetMr Turner read the following letter from the Borough Council on which the meeting had been called :

“I am directed by the Council to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the" 24th inst. containing resolutions passed at a meeting of ratepayers in. regard to house sewerage connections, and to state as follows :

“'(1) That it has now been definitely ascertained that a larger sum than £l2 per connection cannot bo advanced out of the £IO,OOO loan to applicants for assistance to put in their sewers.

“(2) That the Council cannot restrict applicants having more than one connection to one advance of £l2 only as this would be against tlie terms mion which the poll for the £IO.OOO ioan was carried.

“(3) That the Council has decided to put on a small staff of plumbers to execute the plumbing work for those proo-erty owners who prefer the Council to do same in lieu of a private firm. “(4) That in future where the £l2 advance is asked for, the money shall be expended in accordance with plans and specifications approved of by the Engineer and no advance shall be made unless the work has been previously arranged through the officers of the Council.”

Dr. Collins, who occupied a seat next to the Chairman, said that he would like to hear a good-humored expression of opinion regarding the letter, and as far as was in his power, lie would answer questions asked and would throw as much light on the matter as possible. Proceeding. Dr. Collins said that it was now quite plain to everyone that £l2 was not sufficient to allow for each ratepayer to connect. The decision about the £l2 was come to under the administration that then existed. The Engineer, Mr Marchaiit (so well known to them) quoted Timaru md another town lie could not remember, as examples of the cost of connections. Air Mar'dian+ had said that £l2 was ample for the connections. The speaker and others in the Council wanted a greater amount allowed, but were defeated. He would suggest three separate means of solving the problem, as follow:

(1) That a meeting of plumbers and others interested to adjust the by-laws so as to bring the cost of work to its minimum. “Some people,” the speaker added, “say that the by-laws are too stringent auu tliat may be right.” (2) That the Council should run its own staff in competition with the plumbers and have competitive prices. “The plumbers,” it was added, “criticised our action in this matter.” (3) That the Council raises another loan. “I would like to point out that we cannot raise another

loan for house connections, but wo could raise another loan for ‘sanitary plumbing.’ ”

i Dr. Collins, continuing, said tliat if i the loan were carried they would still be under the regime of the plumbers, for the Council would still have no ■say in the matter of competitive prices. The ratepayers would have to stand solely and wholly by the prices fixed by the plumbers. “And gentlemen,” he continued, “you are faced now with the necessity for _ raising large loans, .for roads, electric light, waterworks, etc., which you will have .to pass. If you do not pass them, it | will mean a loss of money to you. j Would you, then, advocate a further ' loan for sanitary purposes. solelv and j wholly to meet the charges of plumbers in this town P Would not i it be better to alter the by-laws and I reduce the cost of connections to the • minimum, reduce the burden from the ! ratepayers as much as possible, and j then institute our own system to level I clown competitive prices?” | The issues suggested were, in short

(1) Reconstruction of the by-laws, j (2) The raising of a new loan; and i (3) The serving of the ratepayers j by its own servants doing the work. ) After a heavy fight, he got a resolution carried to put on plumbers for | tho work. They had had vested in- • tcrests to fight in the Council. ! The result of the letter from the ’ ratepayers was a notice of motion to the Council that the resolution should be rescinded, moved by Or. Brown. If the full Council sat, the motion would probably stand, but if not .the resolution would probably be rescinded. Dr. Collins advised those present I to discuss the matter and form definite resolutions on the matter.

THE DISCUSSION. Mr G. 35. Paul said that tho unnecessary size of fittings and tlie consequent extra cost was what was complained of. Ratepayers were told that the Gisborne by-laws were an improvement on the Wellington by-laws'! Why did Gisborne want to be better than .Wellington or London?—(Laughter). Two-inch waste pipes were being fitted 011 wash tubs and in the case of liis house 2s worth of white metal was being used to wipe the joints. In London a l)m. waste pipe was used for tubs a:-:d yet Gisborne needed 2ins. The Chairman •expressed the opinion that the Council had evaded the real questions asked by the ratepayers’ meetings. Nobody asked for further loans out of the £IO,OOO loan.

“It is,” he said, “the Council’s way of hoodwinking us!” Mr Smith said that the only convenience to the ratepayers if a further loan were carried, was to get the money from the Council and to repay it with interest. The cost of the connections .would have to he reduced. The model Gisborne by-laws were drawn up by experts and an expert would always do his best, while the question of cost would probably never enter his mind. They were model by-laws and tho ratepayers had to pay for this. It cost more to get many things into Gisborne than probably any other town in Now Zealand. Ho thought ratepayers should push for cheaper connections. 111 his own.case, a short lead from a bathroom, had cost 25s for fitting a trap which, ho considered unnecessary, whereas the cost would have been 4s 6d without it. If such things were not necessary they should bo struck off the by-laws. Mr Richards asked in brief what would be done for those not in a position to pay if the by-laws wore amended so as to make the cost of connections within the £l2, or whether the Council would make some move to relieve the financial stress of this class of ratepayer?

Dr. Collins said he was speaking personally and not expressing tho Council’s view- He gave the advice that they should reduce the cost of connections by amending the by-laws. It was certain that the Council would ■not drive those ratepayers in straitened circumstances. Any extra, loan, he added, would be a supplementary loan on the same bn's is of tlie first Joan. They could only raise a new loan in terms of a sanitary loan. The besr decision, ho hold, would be for the revision of the by-laws, or the raising of a fresh loan on a different basis for a different purpose. He was willing to support .the extra loan if they wanted it, but he did not think it was the right course. It would bo infinitely better to first minimise the cost of tlie connections rather than raise the loan. Mr. C. Taylor moved that tlie Connoil be requested to revise tlie by-laws, with a view to minimising the cost of the connectionsMr. A. S. Richards seconded the motion pro forma, with tlie additions that, if tlie Council deemed it necessary. it should take steps to raise a further-lean ; and that, if the demands upon the Council warranted it, they should endeavor to put on an efficient staff to do the work. Mr. Taylor would not consent to the alteration, and Mr Smith seconded the motion, which was carried, there being only one dissentient. EMPLOYING PLUMBERS. Mr. Smith proceeded to deal with the subject of the Council employing plumbers, and said that he was of opinion that the plumbers taken on bv the Council would be retained, meantime, and the system thus tested Dr. Collins said it was because of a test that lie moved that plumbers should be employedMr. Smith moved that the meeting endorsed the action of the Council in employing two ill umbers, and should initiate the scheme as scon as possible. The motion, was seconded.

Mr. G. H. Bartlett questioned the wisdom of employing two plumbers, because be did not consider them capable of coping with the probable pressure on the Council’s plumbers. He knew c,f nothing so inadequate as employing two plumbers. Dr. Collins pointed cut that the scheme could not be initiated with 50 plumbers. Air. G- Holmes contended that there was already enough competitionamong the plumbers. Air. Anderson asked who would be in charge of the plumbers? Dr. Collins said he presumed the Engineer, with the supervision of the Inspector (Mr. Stewart). The motion was put to the meeting, and carried by 24 votes to 2, Messrs. Bartlett and Holmes being tho only dissentients. Mr. Bartlett moved, and Air. A. Anderson seconded, the remaining issue, that the Council should take steps to raise a further loan, if the cost of connections' could not be reducedTho motion was carried, not many voting for and none against.