CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION AND WATER SUPPLY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18195, 4 October 1924, Page 14

CITIZENS' ASSOCIATION AND WATER SUPPLY.

*0 THE EDITOR OP "THE PBBSS." Sir,—l have this morning learnt from your columns the contents of the special committee's report on the water supply question which was brought before the meeting of the Citizens' Association last night by Mr Machin. With your permission I wish to give some facts bearing on the preparation of the report. On May 31st last the secretory wrote to me saying that for the purpose of using its influence to obtain the best extensions of the water service, the Association had been considering the proposals made by the city authorities and by myself, and asking me certain questions regarding my proposals. These questions showed that the members did not understand the nature and conditions of the artesian supply, though I had previously endeavoured to explain them in public lectures on several occasions. I therefore replied that the best way to answer their questions would be by personal conference and demonstration. Accordingly, a. committee of six members of tiie Association, one being a city councillor, met me and by lantern slides ana diagrams I tried to make clear to them the essential conditions of the problem. They asked me to give them a detailed proposal on similar lines to that advanced by the City Couneil, estimating the increased supply needed, the number of wells and pumping stations required, the estimated cost of sinking tho wells and equipping such stations, their position, etc. Naturally, I replied that that was not my business, and that it could only be done by a trained engineer who had before him all the facts of the case. However, as it was clear that there was much misconception even on the part of the engineer "h o m they had consulted, I promised to draw up as briefly and clearly as I could a statement of the lines on which I considered the extension proposals should be based and, a few days later,.l offered through one of the members of the committee to JPftjUiiiiwl at foot of next column.)

meet this engineer at any convenient time to explain the geological and other conditions of-the Christchurch artesians since it was clear that these were very imperfectly known by him. iae engineer did not (visit Christchnrch at that time as had been expected; hence we did not meet, and no attempt has been made since by the Association to bring about a meeting between us. The brief statement which I had promised was subsequently given under the heading, "How to do it" in the concluding article of the'series I had been publishing, and is included in the booklet since issued. On July 29th I sent proof pulls of this statement and some of the articles leading, up to it to all the members of the committee and to the secretary. In Mr Machin s letter thanking me for the articles, he asked, "Will you be able to prepare a 'case' putting in concrete form your proposals for augmenting the city water supply, as against the proposals of the Council?" I replied on August 12th reminding him that, as stated in the article itself, it was impossible for an outsider to prepare a definite scheme with full specifications and estimates, but that my '' case'' was pretty clearly set out under "How to do it," and that if this were read in connexion with the arguments in the preceding articles it would be evident there was a definite "case" for the City Council to answer and that it was for them to take the next step. I heard nothing more from the Association or Mr Machin till yesterday, October 2nd, when he wrote saying that a sub-committee had been working on the matter and that he expected the General Committee would decide to support the City Council. Your report of the meeting last night shows that the report recommending the Association to use its influence to help the City Council to carry its proposals was submitted to the meeting last night together with a letter from the engineer previously mentioned, also supporting the Council's scheme, and that the report was adopted. From the abstract of the report given by you it appears that in the meantime the matter had been referred to the city officers to deal with from an engineering standpoint—rather a curious method of obtaining an independent opinion, especially when, as I had told the committee, the city does not possess a trained engineer. I have in the past had little faith in the disinterested character of the Citizens' Association-, although its motto is "For the good of the city.". Now I have none. I leave it to you, sir, and to the public to form an opinion on the Association's method of obtaining an independent and unbiased report on proposals which, in my opinion, involve an unnecessary expenditure of about £40,000 at the present time and an unknown amount for similar extensions in the future.—Yours, etc., CHAS. CHILTON. October 3rd, 1924.