“APRIL FOOLS?”

Evening Star, Issue 23755, 10 December 1940, Page 6

“APRIL FOOLS?”

WATER CUT-OFF THAT DIB HOT EVENTUATE ST. HILDA RESIDENTS INCONVENIENCED REASONABLE EXPLANATION ADVANCED The nature of the wording of advertisements which appeared in the newspapers on Friday and Saturday last intimating that between the hours of 7 a.m. and midnight on Saturday the water supply to the Borough of St. Kilda would he cut off, drew strong comment from Cr J, H. Hinton at last night’s meeting of the Borough Council. . . •As a result of the advertisement, ho said, ratepayers throughout the boi - - ough filled baths, buckets, and any other sort of container, so that there would be no danger of running out ot water while the supply was cut off. When Saturday came the water supply was not cut off, and considerable indignation prevailed, as the ratepayers considered they had been put to unnecessary inconvenience. Cr Hinton declared that after _ the first advertisement appeared on Friday the town clerk (Mr R. A. Johnston) and the city engineer knew at 11 a.m. that day that the water supply would not he cut off. Despite this, the advertisement again appeared on Friday night and Saturday morning stating definitely that owing to repairs being necessary the water supply would bo cut off for 17 hours. Not only had the ratepayers been put to considerable inconvenience. but the borough had been put to a great deal of expense. Between 9 p.m. and / midnight on Friday l , ho said, 30,000 gallons of water were drawn • off each hour, solely because people were storing up reserves. The amount of water thus used cost the borough an extra £lO. He considered that between 200,000 and 300,000 gallons of water were wasted, Cr Hinton declared that the repetition of the advertisement following the town clerk’s knowledge showed deplorable laxity. People had been considerably perturbed, and. many had rung him up asking what the position would bo on Sunday and on washing day. “ There has been a false alarm created,” he said. Or Longworth remarked that a similar state of affairs had prevailed last December, and it was a serious thing. Last year he himself, on learning that the supply was to he cut off, had caused special announcements to be put over the two radio services, and then the supply had not been interfered with. He, emphasised that the amount _of water wasted through, such advertisements amounted to more than a week’s supply. “The city water department deserves a rap over the knuckles,” he said, “ and a strong protest from this council is necessary.” He moved accordingly. The mayor (Mr J. J. Marlow) : I suggest we write and ask for an explanation. Cr Hinton: The town clerk must have thought it was the first of April and that he was getting a nice joke on to St. Kilda.

Cr W. Rutherford said the borough should apply for a refund of the wastage, but the Mayor stated the amount was negligible. Cr G. Glue, seconding the motion, said that if the town dlerk or city engineer knew the position on Friday morning it was not necessary to ask for an explanation. An explanation was forthcoming from the borough town clerk (Mr J. V. Tresize), who said that he had been informed the water pressure would be reduced as a result of the repairs to the mains. The wording of the advertisement was considered advisable because the development of any emergency might have made it necessary to cut the water off without further intimation. In wording the advertisement in the manner it had the water department was simply making provision for any emergency. However, the motion was carried, but the Mayor again said that it would be better to ask for an explanation.