Page:Item 6 1854.pdf/33

From Historical Hastings
This page has been proofread


Council [Hear, hear!] and that the distance from the town was so great. He now felt bound to oppose all unnecessary expenditure, because it would have to come out of the rates. - Coun. Bromley considered £2,300 to be a very low price for five buildings and a wall, and would have ben disposed to add a thousand pounds to it. He should take every opportunity of opposing those who would jeopardise the interests of the borough by their false notions of economy. - Coun. Putland rose to reply to Coun. Bromley's remarks, but was told by the latter that if he spoke a second time, Bromley would do the same. - Coun. Williams, as the mover of the adoption, then replied, after which, Couns. Vidler seconded Putland's amendment, and was reminded of his being out of order. The Report was adopted.

Water Supply. At a meeting of the full Council in committee on May 26th, 1854, a report was drawn up relative to a scheme for obtaining additional water from near the Gas House. That report was adopted at the next meeting of the Local Board, but from that time the matter had been in abeyance until lately, mainly in consequence of the delay in obtaining permission to purchase or otherwise use the required lands. This had now been done, and the cost was reported to be £65 and expenses for a part of the Priory Farm, 1r. 2p.; £100 for 20 perches occupied by the S. E. Railway Company; £230 for 100 feet square of land on the West Hill belonging to the Countess Waldegrave, for a reservoir; £20 for roads; £25 for pipes; and £275 expenses. - Total £440. Coun. Bromley was not prepared to sanction the purchase of the ground unless there was an absolute necessity, seeing that in addition there would be the heavy cost of placing upon it a steam-engine and buildngs. He would like to hear what Mr. Clark had to say. In a letter from this gentleman (proprietor of the Eversfield Waterworks), he said

I will supply all deficiencies of water to Hastings for three years at £60 per annum, if worked as last year. The water for the roads could be drawn from the same source at a much lower cost than now paid for pumping. At the expiraton of the period, if the supply is satisfactory, I propose joining the two works on equitable terms.

The Clerk said that Mr. Clark, by shutting off his water supply could throw the water to near the top of High, but by other means only to the bottom. Coun. Putland said that was from the Buckshole reservoir, the lowest level, than which, Mr. Clark had a reservoir at a much higher level. The Chairman (Mr. Gunner) said that two years ago he took a very active part in the question before them, but it had been so long in abeyance that it came before them as a new mater. If they had a water supply, they must have steam power to throw it on the West Hill and other high places, or the town would not be properly supplied; and Mr. Clark's offer did not meet the case. He was aware that the proposed scheme was expensive, but they could not expect to get good supply without expense. At Brighton, where steam power was used the water-rate was 6d. in the pound on the rackrent[a], and at Lewes it was 9d. In their own town the price

-


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "Notes", but no corresponding <references group="Notes"/> tag was found