GARDEN HOSING

CITY ENGINEER OPPOSED TO LICENSES "PRESSURE MUST BE CONSERVED " REPORT REFERRED BACK TO COMMITTEE. A comprehensive report was submitted by the City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) at the City Council meeting last night, dealing with the proposal to issue hose licenses for gardening purposes. The report stated that at present it would appear that the corporation had made ample provision for some years to come for the supply of water to the city under normal conditions. It must, however, be remembered that practically the whole of the city was now connected to the drainage systems, and that all new buildings erected would be similarly connected. This necessity means a very big increase in the quantity of water required as compared with, say, four or five years ago. The dry weather during the early spring of this year, and up to the present time, showed clearly how necessary it was for all water supplies to be very much in excess of actual requirements. Four years ago the maximum quantity of water per day supplied from Wainui was 2,800,000 gallons, whilst during the present dry weather the maximum daily supply had been over 5,000,000 gallons. WATERING .THE HIGH LEVELS. The report further pointed out that it was, in a city such as Wellington, necessary to conserve pressure as much as possible, in order that dwellings on the higher levels of the area served by the gravitation supply could receive water for ordinary requirement and for fire extinction, and, while the present conditions appeared to be generally very satisfactory, it would (in Mr. Morton's opinion) be very inadvisable to adopt such altered conditions as would lessen the efficiency of the present system of working. The proposal would render effective control impossible and would tend to a wastage of water. After very careful consideration of the whole subject, and with experience of hose licenses, he was strongly of opinion that the council should not adopt the proposal. The present system, in his opinion, was reasonable and satisfactory. This system required that a meter should be provided, and, outside of the expense of the meter, no charge was made for water used — unless it be in excess of the quantity of water supplied as an equivalent to the value of the rates paid. The Finance Committee recommended that the report be adopted. A SMALL FFE ADVOCATED. Councillor R. A. Wright moved that the report be referred back to the committee. There were, he said scores of people using the water through their hoses. These people wanted some means whereby they could pay a small fee for the use of the water without infringing the bylaws. He suggested that a fee of 5s per annum be levied for use of- the water on a section, say, 40 feet by 100 feet, with a higher fee for larger sections. Councillor X Tregear seconded the motion. The report had not touched on one or two vital points. If it. were a case of water being short ' for drinking purposes he would have nothing to say, but he objected to the water being traded for hydraulic lifts and so forth, and also the thousands of gallons being used for laying the dust, while the ratepayers were deprived of its use for their gardens. The public gardens were watered, and water was flowed to run to waste at the aquarium. And yet property owners were to be compelled to allow their properties to perish for want of water. It was not the people who had gardens who wasted the water, but the people who had lawns and left sprinklers going all night. The claims of those who tried to make the city beautiful should be considered. THE CITY BEAUTIFUL. , Councillor L. M'Kenzie had every sympathy with Councillor Wright in the matter. They probably had the second best water supply in the world, and while they asked the citizens to> pay thousands a year to beautify the city by planting trees they deprived them of using the water on their own gardens. In Melbourne, where the water supply was not nearly so plentiful as here, there was some sort of system such as suggested by Councillor Wright. There were many people who would prefer to pay an annual license fee instead of being " humbugged " by meters. Councillor John Fuller thought the citizens should be allowed to use the water between 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock in the evenings. The report should be referred back so that a modified scheme such as suggested by Councillor Wright could be brought down by the committee. "A GOOD SOURCE OF REVENUE." Councillor Barber said the matter had been before the council as far back as fifteen years ago. Of course, the Engineer's Department always looked at it from a business standpoint, but now the Wainui main had been duplicated there should be no objection to allowing the citizens the use of water for their gardens. He thought that specific hours should be allowed for the use of the water, and the fees, would be a good source of revenue. Councillor G. Frost also supported the motion. The hours could be limited and proper conditions imposed, and the revenue would bi> considerably augmented. The Mayor said the water supply had to be gravitated to the higher levels, and if there was a great loss of water it would mean that the water could not be raised to the proper level. Replying to Councillor Tregear, he said that water had not been used for hydraulic lifts for many years. He was positive that the Engineer's report was perfectly sound, but he had no objection .to the report being referred back to the committee. The motion was carried without dissent.