VOTE HUNTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 188, 4 May 1908, Page 8

VOTE HUNTING.

" ' . '' _ e / , , ASHBURTON'WATER StJPPLY. (BT'TELEGRAPH^—SPECIAL; COBEESPONDENT.):." •— . Christchurch, May 2. . is no municipal.^apathyin Ashbupton.*- ,'For a month -past the town lias,beett l deeply., interested.in■■.the' question- of a high ; . pressuro 'water, supply, scheme, - the,necessity . of which has been mado apparentby'tha; gradual decrease-of, the artesian supply, and, it's total 'failure in some parts'of, the'recent dry •summer.. A poll was taken 1 , last October for a scheme submitted by ilr.\ Cyrus A\'il- ' liams, engineer: to tlio Lyttelton Harbour' . Board, for a supply 'to) cost £2000; but it was lost by a'large majority. Two months •, ago, however, the Borough Council;decided to obtain a report on/the- matter froin Mr.' James Crawford, who.recqmmended a scheme , to cost £15,000.. Mr! Hugo Ilnedlander; le-' fused to countenance' air. Crawford's' pro- ( posals on tiio grounds .that ""a'.pure ..supply.- . would riot be produced, arid that tbo. estimate was too low,' and resigned'his seat.',,; ' Mr. Nicoll, the new chairman of the water < supply. committee^'with'others, enthusiastically took up the" sclionio, and worked' assidu- . oiisly for; it, holding public meetings arid ad- , r veriising' its benefits.. l Strenuous efforts' .were iriailo; yesterday' .to seciiro ;a large' jipll. . 'Motorcars and ■ cabs' were brought into -to-,' quisition, and wore; kept running continuously, air day. Four ratepayers, who re- • turned from Christchurch by tho train, were met at tho station by a motor-car,' and inside of three minutes were recording'their ..'rotes, just two minutes before the poll closed. Of ■ . a total, of. 600 voters', .541. voted, and ,the proposal was carried'by 66 votes. '. ■■■■";' ' ,