The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1881.

Auckland Star, Volume XII, Issue 3383, 31 May 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1881.

For llie cause that lacks assistance, For the HTong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the Rood that we can ilo.

" Pro Bono Puuuco " writes with reference to the city water supply that in bis opinion the scarlet fuvcr prevalent in tho city has come from the illdrained suburbs, where cesspits and bad drainage communicate with weiln. lie says that this city is the most healtLy borough in the colouy—a statement which lacks confirmation by any statistics! And hecontinucs:—"Where samples of waternre shown containing visible living aniiualculrc it is a pity they are uot carefully marked, with the locality tiikcu from, tho date, ami any other information, and sent at once to the City Council, so that an immediate enquiry into tho particulars may be made." If this were done, the Council would have to set apart oue of the reservoirs as a receiver of samples. He continues: " Probably some simple explanation might elucidate its temporary pollution, or v otherwise, show the necessity for immediate action to remedy the evil. Two very careful analyses have ouly just been made, at tho Mqnest of the City Council, of five samples tnken from different localities, and Dr. oector says, according to tho London Board of Health classification : ' All arc within the class of water of great organic puiity.: With respect to the gathering area, upon which great diversity of opinion appears to exist, 1 think a visit carefully made over the whole district :rould disabuse your mind aud others as to tho danger likely to eusue tor many years to come from surface soakage to the underground springs or river finding vent at the Western Springs. When we consider the defective water supplies in all the other large towns in the colony, I think we have reason to be somewhat grateful that at present there are no real facts to prove ours other than a good ami plentiful supply. Visitors of authority on this question (amongst the latest, Dr. Mclvor, from Melbourne,) have unhesitatingly pronounced the supply the best aud purest in the colonies." " Pro Bono" is fighting a shadow of his own creation. As we said before, about the original purity of the water at the Springs there can be no manner of doubt, but the Council, by their mismanagement in not taking the water direct from the Springs as was originally proposed, and by storing the water in an open uncleaned pond, are themselves to blame for the pollution of the supply, which we do not hesitate to say is now so general throughout the city that no time should be lost in carrying out remedial measures, "Pro Bono PHblico" omits to mention the difference in the purity of the water at the Springs and at the pumping well as shown by Mr Bartley's examination to which lie appeals, nor does he Bay anything at all about Dr. Stockweli's report on possible pollution along the water-shed, which was virtually suppressed by ths Council. \H c are too much impressed with the value of a pure water supply to allow either the Council or burgesses to live in o, "Fool's Paradise" ; and we repeat that if the Council take no steps to scop the deposit of night soil in the Eden Terrace and adjacent districts, the proposed works at the pond will not satisfy the public that the water is perfectly wholesome. Our correspondent talks about the deleterious consequenoes of drainage into suburban wells. What is the difference between that and a badly drained suburb on the water-shed of the city supply ? It will be time enough to speak of gratitude to the Council when they freo from disgusting pollutions the blessing which Nature has delivered pure into their hands. There are at present only too abundant proofs of this contamination when consumers like Mr Matthews have to borrow drinking water from the much-despised wells of their neighbours