The Evening Star THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1922. MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

Evening Star, Issue 18120, 9 November 1922, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1922. MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

A long period of considerable dullness in municipal affairs, so far as concerns what is considered meet for publication, came to an end at last night’s meeting of the City Council. Chief of the undertakings which tire corporation has in hand are two in which hydraulic engineering is the chief feature—the Waipori power extensions and the Reservoir enlargement. Both are in a sense urgent works. Everyone knows the very napfow margin on which the city water supply was con ducted prior to the temporary loss of the storage basin now being deepened. The Silverstream supply has been declared by the authorities to be so inadequate, even wittx storage provision, that it should be discarded in. favor of Leo Stream. It must therefore prove very much more inadequate now that the daily flow in a dry spell (should one bo experienced) represents its total present value to tho city. So far as is known no special measures have been taken to augment that daily flow by the utilisation of available feeders, possibly because it has so far been move than sufficient for tho capacity of the main leading from Burnside to tho city. As the council’s policy in regard to the ffilverstream is well known, it is probable that any such steps would bo taken only with extreme reluctance. , In fact, it would occasion uu no surprise if on completion of the reservoir enlargement another attempt were made to obtain sanction to secure Lee Stream as its feeder and discard the maligned Silverstrcam. Ju the meantime, however, the sooner tho Southern .Reservoir is ready for filling tho better. “Wo must have water" is the postulate of those citizens who know tho circumstances. Their minds will not bo easy until they know that the basin (to store eighty million as against the former twenty million gallons) is full, or filling.

It was therefore a source of amazement to many people when they were,-informed, through the medium of the last report of the Water Committee, that circumstances did not require the working of more than one shift a day on excavation. It is quite plain that Cr Ecgg, chairman of that committee, holds other views, and the city may be congratulated on his having been able to persuade a majority of the council to ask the Water Committee to think over the matter again. The grave risk of shortage quite outweighs the total of the many arguments so deftly proffered in support of the "take-your-time ” policy. Towards the speeding up and the cheapening of the cost of this job Cr IJegg has been unsparing in his energy since he accepted the thankless position (in tiro circumstances) of chairman of the Water Committee. A thorough reorganisation of the engineering plan of campaign by Mr King when lie was placed in charge has borne abundant result. It is quite certain that Cr Begg would not have sought to establish the two-shift system had he not had Mr King’s assurance that the result would bo advantageous. It is to be hoped that the Water Committee will fall into line without delay, so that the best use may bo made of the long hours of daylight now becoming available. It is reassuring to notice that the council has recognised the value of Mr King’s services in his present task, and that he is now likely to remain where he is until its completion, which he hopes to bring about in time to begin to store

■water just twelve months honco. This means that next summer the city will bo drawing' from storage, and will not bo dependent merely on the daily flow of tho Silvoratream race. And that is precisely tho position that consumers fervently desire to bo placed in. Tho completion of tho Waipori power extensions may not bo so urgent a matter aj tho Southern Reservoir enlargement, but tho council and its electrical power and lighting officials certainly deemed it urgent enough some months ago. When tenders were called for the pipe lines it came as a disappointment to many when tho corporation preferred imported pipes at higher cost to the locally-made article, Tho reasons given for this choice were tho superiority of tho welded to tho riveted pipe and tho saving of time that would result by importing. The first contention was so very debatable that ultimately reliance was placed on tho second, it being stressed to tho utmost that time was the essence of tho contract. Finally, a compromise was made; .the upper part of the pipe lino was to bo of locally-made riveted pipes, the lower part (subjected to greater pressure) to bo of imported welded pipes. Last, week tho first shipment of welded pipes came to hand; the balance is not expected before Christmas. But in tho meantime the Dunedin Engineering Company bad completed its order for riveted pipes a fortnight before tho arrival of tho first batch ot welded pipes, had been regularly despatching them to Waipori, and is now waiting word from tho corporation to proceed with tho erectly of the pipe lino. It is plain that the New Zealand Government estimates Dunedin’s engineering abilities higher than does* tho Dunedin City Council, and rightly so. The firm to which we have alluded is supplying 1,600 tons of riveted pipes for the Mangahao hyclro-oloctric scheme (near Shannon, to supply Wellington), and though the pressure head there (between 900 ft and 1,000 ft) exceeds Waipori’s (under 700 ft), riveted pipes arc being used in the lower section, where the pressure is greatest, as well as the upper. As a matter of fact, the hydraulic sluicing industry has provided New Zealand engineering firms with such exceptional experience that there is no need to look to tho rest of tho world for points in hydraulic pipe-making; the rest of tho world (including America) has come to New Zealand before this to learn them. There is, however, a matter of some urgency connected with the Waipori extensions, and that is the erection of the new dam to provide big water storage. Siltation •is becoming a serious matter in regard to present storage, and outside experts believe the corporation will need to expedite tho projected work and possibly carry tho dam to a greater height than is proposed in the meantime. . This will involve a further interference with the local mining industry, and it is to bo hoped that in the matter of compensation tho corporation will adopt some systematic method that will leave those engaged in the industry in a less aggrieved frame of mind than has so far been, induced in them, for complaints of arbitrariness have been most bitter. There is one matter which demands serious consideration by the council, and that is in the administration of tho various tramway systems under its control. Some system must be evolved under which there will he harmonious working between the traffic and the engineering branches. Though in the main their functions are distinct and separate, there must be points at which they overlap. There has been friction in consequence, and the public has already seen enough of its results to be convinced that its interests are suffering. Into the merits of the disputes which have led to rapid changes in personnel wo have no desire to enter. It is evident, however, that tho council as a whole must review what arrangements have hitherto existed, and define the relative status of tho two branches in a way that will ensure smooth co-bpcratioii. It is a question of policy which events have proved tho Tramway Committee’s inability to handle satisfactorily. _ An assurance from that body that all will he well henceforth should not absolve the council from exhaustive inquiry into the real extent of present faults on the engineering side of tho system, tho attempts made to remedy them, and tho difficulties encountered in making those attempts.