letter from the Village Councillors of Golden Grove

GOLDEN GROVE AND NABACLIS
The Secretary read a letter from the Village Councillors of Golden Grove and Nabaclis saying they did not agree with the report of Mr. Bellairs which recommended the shutting up of Golden Grove sea koker and allowing the village to drain through Nabaclis.
Mr. North said he had had the koker opened between these two villages in order to get drainage when everything was under water. They drained through the sideline dam.
The Chairman: Did that meet with the approval of the villagers?
Mr. North: They did not like it, but I did so as a matter of necessity.
The Chairman: What is your opinion of the matter?
Mr. North: I think the drainage should continue through one koker. I think that if the channel was kept open it could drain both villages.
Mr. Craigen thought it would be a disadvantage to have two channels instead of one. It would be a loss – a substantial loss – to these villages if they had to keep up two channels. He did not think the matter should be settled that day until they got some information on the point.
If these two villages were working as one why should they not drain as one.
Mr. North said he agreed with everything Mr. Craigen had said.
The Chairman said that when this question of joining two villages was before the Board he took the objection knowing the difficulty that would arise in regard to this question of drainage.
It was understood that the villages should drain as at present.
The Secretary read a letter from the Village Council of Golden Grove and Nabaclis saying that a charge of $114.52, cost of repairing Nabaclis back-dam must be charged against the proprietors of the latter.
In the discussion, which followed, the chairman said the question was whether they would agree to a special rate being made on the Nabaclis people.
Mr. Murdoch thought that if the improvements had been made on Nabaclis the rates of Nabaclis should be made to meet it. He could very well understand the villagers wanting two kokers. If one got damaged the other existed to effect drainage.
The Chairman could not accept the view of Mr. Murdoch and said that if each individual ward claimed that their rates should be spent on it how would the business of the city be carried on? The question for the Board was whether they adhered to these special rates being levied over the whole of the villages.
Mr. Craigen: if these two villages are worked as one they must bear the burden.
It was agreed to point out that the Board had already decided the question as to the levying of rates for work done on villages.
Source: Central Board of Health – Golden Grove and Nabaclis - The Daily Chronicle, Georgetown, British Guiana. Tuesday, May 30, 1893:page 4 columns 5&6.