THE WATER SUPPLY.

Evening Star, Issue 19078, 22 October 1925, Page 6

THE WATER SUPPLY.

It is very unkind of some city councillors to twit the chairman of the Water Committee on the paucity of information furnished them on the water question. What is it they want to know? Have they put any unpleasant or inconvenient queries—such, for instance, as the ultimate cost of the Southern Reservoir enlargement—to which no answer is forthcoming? If so, and if they do break down the barrier of departmental reserve, it is to be hoped that they will be expansive in their hour of success, and share their information with the public. At the ceremony of turning'the water iutocthe enlarged basin speeches were made claiming that the expenditure would be well within the estimate. The boast was premature. There then remained portion of the foreseen work to complete, and unforeseen work presently put in its peremptory claim for attention, and prolonged the operations and increased the cost to an extent which, so far as wo know, has never yet' been divulged. However, that unhappy business seems to bo over. But with the enlarged Southern Reservoir the city is no better off than before in the matter of provision against a dry spoil. The slightly increased storage is more than counterbalanced by the extension of residential areas and the larger number of connections with the mains. Moreover, there are other accretions to tile draw-off. St. Kilda, after long martyrdom, has declined to go for ever on short commons, and, though it may still bo at the mercy of an autocratic

turncock, symbolising an anxious water department, its enlarged main now enables householders to approach their taps with some measure of confidence in a reasonable response. Anderson Hay is getting restive under the same niggardly measure which reduced St. Kilda to unmentionable'straits. And presently there will be our Exhibition visitors to augment the number of consumers, to say nothing of the grounds, which in dry weather will .need copious draughts to maintain a pristine freshness worthy of the occasion. With such a capricious climate as ours the risk of making oneself look foolish is always there if one hints at the need for appreciable augmentation of the water supply; but that risk must bo run. It may bo comforting to know that at present the reservoirs are running over, but it is less pleasant to learn that the main source of supply in tho Silverstream system is not reaching the Southern Reservoir because of a breach or breaches in the race. However, Cr Hogg says these slips will be repaired speedily, and it is cheering to note that at long last .it lias dawned on our administrators that “ quite a number of streams at present running to waste can bo taken in.” When years ago we urged this possibility the official answer was that it was an impossibility, although most, if not all, of these streams intersect the race on their way to the Silvcrstream bed below. Yet these are minor details. Is it not time that the City Council relented from the castigatory attitude which dictated that the citizens, having voted against the Lee Stream scheme, should got no relief beyond a few days’ extra storage, for which they paid a sum out of all proportion to the benefit received?

There will he no publication of tho 1 Evening Star ’ on Monday (Labor Day). Citizens and others who will bo using the mptor buses during the coming “ rush ” time will need to practise striking a balance. Tho proposal to provide standing passengers with straps by which to “hung on” during the sometimes uneven passage has been turned down, the chairman, of the Tramway Committee (Cr Douglas) informing the City Council last night that the committee had been advised that, owing to tho peculiar construction of the buses, it would not bo safe to add the strain of a few tons of swaying passenger-weight to tho upper portion of the vehicles. Cr Larnach’s comment was: “Then you’ll have to restrict the load to passengers who can be accommodated with scats.” Dr Elizabeth Gunn, speaking at the Wanganui Education Board meeting, stated that ‘in visiting the schools in the district she was impressed with the general physique of the children. She did not think the long holidays, duo to the infantile paralysis epidemic, had done any barm. She bad inquired from the teachers of both town and country schools, and learned that the work was not behind, which was definite proof that the holidays had not been detrimental, while health had improved. She would like, in view of her observations, to see the school holidays extended to the end of February, of course under certain restrictions, with provision for Nature-study, games, etc. Her experience was that during short holidays both children and teachers took too much out of themselves, and returned to work tired. The_ 1 act of the children now not being behind with the work as the result of tho long holiday, and through being kept _ under restriction, showed how beneficial enforced outdoor restriction had been.— Our correspondent.

The fusing of an underground electric cable, followed by two explosions, caused excitement in Queen street, Auckland, at the busy hour last night. Tho fusing was followed by a fire beneath the pavement. Girls in adjacent shops, thinking the building was on fire, broke a plate-glass window and made their escape with a few cuts. All suffered from shock. The electrical staff soon repaired the damage.—l’ress Association.

“It takes 25,000 casks of oil to make a whaling trip pay,” said an officer of the whaler Sir James Clark Ross to a reporter at Lyttelton. “ Last year we took onfc 32,000 casks from the Iloss Sea, and hope to do bettor inis year.”

Mixed metaphors are in the air. At last night’s meeting of the City Council Or Begg solemnly declared that the gas department was “ a milk cow that had been carrying the baby for years._ The assembled councillors wore so seriously engaged in thinking out retorts, so to speak, in connection with the new gas proposal that they failed to-visualiso a jaded bovine jogging along the highway hearing a hungry and rapidlygrowing infant, and “ mooing ” loudly for the milking machine. At anyrate nobody even smiled.

The attitude adopted by Messrs Fray and Wheeler (the Aucklan Justices 01 Peace Association’s delegates) in withdrawing from the annual conference of the Federal Council of the Justices* Associations at Christchurch on October 13 last was unanimously supported at the annual meeting of ■ the Auckland Association.—-Press Association telegram.

Hereweka Lodge of the 1.0.0. F., on the Peninsula, has proudly attained its silver jubilee, and the event has been fittingly celebrated. Prominent in the celebrations are the only seven members of the original body—Bros. M. Anderson, J. P. M’Cartnoy, W. A. M’Cartney, M. Geary, F. Hinckley, C. Johnson, and ,J. W. Clearwater. M. Anderson, N.Gr. of the original loctee, was reappointed to that position for the jubilee year. Last evening a concert, followed by a dance, was held in honor of the occasion. Bro. Anderson presided, and those who contributed were Mr Matheson, Miss A. Guy. Miss Vajda Hordern, Miss M. Yates, Misses Brockett and Agnew, Miss Hazel Hannan, Miss S. Ncilson, Miss Eileen Driscoll Shaw, and Mr Swan.

That all big art union prizes gq to those who have is well refuted by the result of that of tho Wellington Winter Show Association this year. Tho first prize winning ticket was purchased by a youth in a dairy, who wrote his mother’s name on the butt. She lives in Birmingham pis a war widow with a large family, and her delight at receiving £3OO may be well imagined. The Essex motor car which the Dominion Motor Co. was prepared to give to the holder of the winning ticket did not come into the picture. At the monthly meeting of the Education Board this morning a. communication was read from the Education Department regarding the board’s proposal for the acquisition of a school site at Opoho, The department considered that it did not think it advisable to acquire the site, it being pointed out that the school was not likely to grow, us tho land above tho suggested site was much too rough for building purposes. It was also considered that the district was w r ell catered for by the North-east Yallev and the George Street Schools. - I quite agree with them,” commented the chairman as the letter was “ received.” A large Native gathering is to be held at Tikitiki, in the Waiapu district, in February next. The Governor-Gen-eral is expected to he present, when a memorial church will be opened and a returned soldiers’ momument unveiled. Tho Maoris are making provision for about 2,000 guests.—Gisborne Press Association telegram, , ,

A sixtyltwo-year-old Anzac defended a civil action at tho Magistrate’s Court to-day, and tho court, was informed that he had been in wars before many of bis mates on Gallipoli were born. His counsel mentioned tiiat he was one of the keen old Pa Krenscbons who smuggled their way into some Expeditionary Force with the aid of a white lie respecting their ages. This man was suffering the result, for neurasthenia had him in its grip._ “It is neurasthenia yon have, is it not?” he was asked by his counsel. “ That’s what tho doctors call it,” replied the veteran. “I don’t know what it is!” “As far ns that goes,” interjected Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., “ I. don’t think tho doctors know what it is either!” “This court lias never reduced the basic wage, because it was alleged -that an industry was not in a paying way,” said His Honor Mr Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court this _ morning during the course of the hearing of the cheese' and butter factory workers’ dispute. This remark was the result of a statement made by a witness, who said that ho was of opinion that the present wages were not high enough, and that the industry was prosperous enough to stand the increased wages and reduction of working hours asked for.

Many firms are going to a lot of trouble and expense to make a good display at the Big Exhibition. Dennis Brothers, of Guildford, England, for instance, have sent some heavy modern machinery, which has just been unpacked at the garage of the New Zealand Express Company, the firm’s agents in New Zealand. One of the machines is a 75 h.p. fire engine of the 1925 model. It was built for Wembley, but when Dennis Bros, were advised by the New Zealand Express Company about the Big Exhibition in Dunedin they packed the new model for Dunedin and put one of the 1924 models into the exhibit at Wembley. The new machine is fitted with a firstaid equipment and a Tamini pump of prodigious power, and the body is of polished teak, .thus getting away from the traditional fire-engine red. A thirty-seat motor bus and a streetwatering and washing machine 'that carries 1,200 gallons of water are also here, being made ready to show what Dennis Bros, can do. Another novel machine which will be shown by the Express Company is a runabout jib crane of giant strength and small_ compass, built by Ransomes and Rapier.

Acting in response to the appeal made at the Anglican Synod for a reinforcing of tho clergy pension fund, Mr Ernest Price, one of the members of Synod, has led tho way with a donation of £IOO.

Permits to vote as absent voters at the coining parliamentary election are not being issued, so there is no need for an elector who will be out of his own electorate on tho day to bother the registrar at all. Tho process is simple. Any registered elector may, at any time within tho hours of polling, vote-as an absent voter at any polling place outside the district for which be is registered. Every such elector, on applying to vote, must state to the deputy returning officer his full name and bis place of residence and occupation, as appearing ou tho electoral roll of this district for which he is registered, and ask for a ballot paper. Electors are, however, expected to use this privilege reasonably. It would not bo reasonable for an elector of Dunedin .South to vote as an absent voter in Dunedin North just because lie bap pened to bo at tho north end when he remembered that it was polling day. At tho invitation of the Education Board Sir Thomas Mackenzie and Mr T. C. Harrison (an old servant of the board) attended this morning’s meeting. In welcoming tho visitors, the chairman (Mr J. Wallace) said that Sir Thomas had been associated with the board for many years, and in 1906-7 had been chairman. He was one of the men who had made New Zealand famous; he had been a good legislator, a good citizen, and was known throughout tho country as a “ jolly good follow.” Sir Thomas, in reply, said that, although the personnel of the board bad changed since bis day, he- was pleased to see that the board still took a great interest in education. Ho reminded them of the ' splendid educational traditions of Otago, and stated that the foundations of- the Now Zealand system had been laid on tho Otago system.

Speaking at the Education Board’s meeting this morning, Sir Thomas Mackenzie said that ho was not one of those who believed that every boy should remain at school until he was sixteen or seventeen, unless he was desirous of entering a profession, “ and goodness only knows,’’ ho added, ‘‘there are too many in the professions already.” Many men who had done a great deal for their country had loft school when they were fourteen, and it seemed to him that by keeping a boy at school too long they were “diverting talent” from other occupations.

In the Auckland Police Court John Petley alias Henderson, a middle-aged man," was committed to the Supremo Court for senteuce on eighteen charges of fraud by 'means of valueless cheques, by which lie received goods and money to the value of £66 4s 3d under the names of J. Skinner, J. Kelly, and J. Bond. Accused, who was arrested at Kerepehi, made confession to the police. —Press Association.

For glasses guaranteed to suit consult \V. V. Stunner, G.A.0.C., D. 5.0.1., 2 Octagon, Dunedin; ’phono 7,525 —[Advt.] Yes, tho best place tor children’s toys is Todd’s Toy Arcade, George street (next tho Plaza).—[Advt.] That troublesome watch will be promptly cured at 'Williamson's, Princes street (next Tho Bristol). Moderate charges always.--[Advt.]

Your seven-year-old daughter can now be absolutely entrusted with the weekly washing, thanks to “.No-rubbing Laundry Help.” -[Advt.]

Advertisers in tho ‘ Evening Star ’ are notified that, owing to tho great rush of advertisements on Saturday, insertion in that day’s issue cannot be guaranteed unless received early in tho day. It is particularly requested that in all cases where it is possible advertisements intended for Saturday’s issue shall bo handed in on Friday. Ilio Peninsula Motor Services, Ltd., advM'Utes time-table for Saturday and Monday.

Tho Dunedin Euchre Assembly’s special tourney in the South Dunedin Town Hall to-night. A reply to Prohibitionists will bo made by the New Zealand Licensing Reform Association at a public, meeting to be held in the Burns Hall to-morrow evening. Bishop Richards will occupy the chair, and ad-dr.-'-sses wih be delivered by Mr W. Perry, ban Her, of Wellington, and Mr E. A. Armstrong, dominion secretary of the association. Many important facts and figures will bo piodueed, and dltizcas are invited to be present.