WHERE THE WATER COMES FROM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 137, 4 March 1908, Page 10

WHERE THE WATER COMES FROM.

CITY COUNCILLORS AT WAINUI. \ • . A DAMP EXCURSION., It was a pleasant drive to Wainui-o-mata with the. City Councillors, who . paid. yester-. day. their annual visit :;to the reservoir. After all tho weeks of relentless sunshine, the morning was delightfully" dull, and.the sky was . pleasantly overcast. By half-past nine Mr. Palmer had got all tho people sorted mto. cabs, and other , vehicles at" tho Town Hall. By midday the crooked ■ road between tho railway and the hills, the wido flat' of Petone and Lower Hutt, tho steep ridgpand tho sombre stretch, of valley had all been- passed, and the' party had alighted beside the reservoir. Most of the City' Councillors were, there, as well as the principal municipal officials, sundry photographers and pressman,' and. a number of ladies and a few children. Unfortunately, the Mayor and Mrs. Hislop were unable - to be present. Light rain was falling,' but' the visitors walked about looking at. tho reservoir and its surroundings, and measuring tho rapidly lessening distance between tho surface of the water and, the top of the by wash. ; caretaker's report-made, it 15in'. Tho water had gained 27in. during the - previous 24 hours, 1 and before the party left in the afternoon it had risen three inches more. Perhaps, by the time these lines are in print, it wiilbe once more running over.the top. . ■ . Next came luncheon, and heavier rain, but as it was agreed that both the rain and the luncheon were, doing . a .grdat deal of good the • patter of 1 the drops on tho tent roof did' : not seem any more grievous than tho music of a'restaurant band. Councillor J. P.. Luko was determined that nobody's spirits should be danipcd, and his genial efforts from the chair'we're successfully supported by several, gentlemen wlionv he called upon/ Mr. J. O'Shea. gave a recitation, Councillor J. Smith, who, had attended 25 Corporation picnics at Wainui, gavo reminiscences, and Councillor, F. M. B. Fisher, who was icalkd. upon, as the, youngest member, of ' tho Council, proved that hp , was old enough to remember tho .initiation of the Wainui waterworks, fit which he was present with his' father, the then ' Mayor.' It was felt that ,Mr. W. H.- Morton ought, .to entertain the company by- sinking something about ."little drops of water," and the Chairman ruled: accordingly,' but tho Engineer could neither be/ commanded nor persuaded. By, this timo 1 the' rain had.ceased. Armed witli. the precautionary cloak and umbrella; the visitors went out to'acquaint themselves further ■ with their surroundings. .They walked up .the valley to- Solomon's Knob, where a. hill spur juts out, .as if for the very purpose of forming part of tho dam that is .some day to bank up a. hundred million gallons of water for the thirsty city. Seme crossed • the reservoir by boat,' and returned laden with blackberries and bullrushes. Others looried and listened • while Mr. Morton and Mr. Morice explained the Venturi meter.? And, of. course, the , photograpllers got busy.: ' The.'ground and the .foliago were too wet for anyone to go far into the bush, but it was good to look at, with its great'■ tree ferns.as fresh and green as .though no such wbrd ..as drought had • ever been, mentioned, in' one'or two places thin bhio smoke'rose over'a'group' of birches, whoso, leaves had been turned 'brown.. Tho lire had thrust a finger: into, the Wainui busli,' but the danger of further damage from that cause is past.. ■The tent- was visited again'-for afternoon tea; which was followed immediately by .the 18-mile, drive back to town.