had carried up the buildings on the full extent of his ground, and required the pavement to be taken from the road, a committee was appointed to investigate the same. Also a committee was appointed to arrange with the South-Eastern Railway Company to exchange a piece of the Company's land for that at the Priory, on which stood the water wheel, the tank and the donkey-stand, their removal being required for the approach to the station — now the lower part of Havelock road. The next matter was a proposal by Mr. Beck (the chairman) to reduce the water-rate from 9d. to 6d. in the £, Mr. B. being of the opinion that as the debt was so nearly annulled, and with the prospect of the works soon passing into other hands, then was the proper time to make the reduction. Mr. Harvey contended that such reduction at such a time would depreciate the property to a serious amount when it came into the market. Mr. C. Duke was in favour of a reduction, but there should first be a greater supply. Mr, Womersley argued against the system of making people pay a price beyond the cost of production; and in reply to certain questions, was told by the Clerk that the works cost £5,300, the debt on which was £1,600, such debt being in process of reduction by the excess of rents over expenses.
This was a condition which materially differed from Mr. Beck's statement that the debt was nearly annulled, yet it required Mr. Williams's eloquence, as usual, to convince the meeting that the rate should not be reduced. Mr. Williams — our local Rupert of Debate — in a long speech, contended that the.town had not received a farthing[1] benefit from the works, recollecting, as the Commissioners ought to, that in estimating the cost of the works they were chargeable with £600 and interest for their share in the expenses of procuring the Local Act, the cost of which had been £1,500. It had always been understood that such cost was distributable in equal portions on the Market, the Waterworks and the general improvement of the town. They had also for the last month or two been soliciting a loan of £1,000. Was that, then, a time for reducing the town’s income? These and other arguments were so far effective as to induce more than two-thirds of the Commissioners present to negative the motion for reduction.
This, however, turned out to be the last meeting of the Board of Commissioners, their powers, under the Local Act having been absorbed by the Town Council as the new Local Board of Health.
But as a last item in connection with the Commissioners as pertaining to the water supply, just previously to their becoming defunct as a body, it should be noticed that it was publicly announced to be the intention of the proprietors of the Eversfield Waterworks to add to the existing reservoirs an additional one comprising seven acres of surface, with a depth of 40 feet, to be thus capable of supplying both towns, each with 60,000 gallons of pure filtered water daily at a price which would enable the Commissioners to reduce the water-rate by one-third, and perhaps half of what was then charged.
The Eversfield water was supplied from springs in the Newgate and Shornden woods, and was said to be of excellent quality. It was conveyed in pipes of 6 inches diameter through the lands of the Countess of Waldegrave, who gave her permission for the laying down of pipes, which were continued under ground past St. Andrew’s terrace, across the Priory ground to the St. Leonards archway, thus supplying the consumers in Norman road and other elevated districts to a hundred feet, if necessary, above the front road. There were also stand-pipes connected therewith, of which the several parishes availed themselves, for the purpose of watering the roads. The rate levied by the proprietors from the commencement of the year 1850 was 6d. in the pound on the poor-rate assessment of each house, which was one-third cheaper than the Hastings water-rate, which some of the Commissioners strove but failed to get reduced, in consequence of their increasing debt. It was resolved at a public meeting that a memorial be presented to C. G. Eversfield, of Denne Park and St. Leonards, stating the benefits which the enlarged supply would confer om the district, and soliciting that the additional works might be completed as soon as possible.
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
