SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1912. HAWERA WATER SUPPLY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 22 June 1912, Page 4

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1912. HAWERA WATER SUPPLY.

The Borough Council has advanced another stage in connection with the important business of securing a sufficient supply of water for Hawera, especially with a view to fire prevention. Since Mr A. D. Dobson, C.E., reported on the subject the Finance Committee has had the matter under consideration, and, in furtherance of the recommendations | which it had made, the Council on Wednesday night resolved, on the motion of the Mayor (Mr A. W. Gillies) to ask the ratepayers to poll on the question of raising a loan of £5,000 for the purpose of erecting a water-tower and extending the mains. This is all on the lines of the beginning made a month ago, and as the facts are fresh in their minds, the ratepayers can have no difficulty in arriving at a decision. We still think that—as we stated on the Bth- instant — a large view of the facts as co-ordin-ated by Mr Dobson shows that, sooner or later Hawera will have to extend and duplicate its water mams to secure a supply equal at once to all demestic requirements, and to all contingencies in connection with the prevention or extinction of fires. Still though this is uhe result of a general survey of the subject the plan proposed "by the Borough Council will fully meet the town s present requirements in the matter, and also for some time to come lne ratepayers are, therefore, not likely to be captious in their criticisms, but will probably, as a body, consider that the Gounod is acting in » businesslike way, and vote for the loan to erect a water tower in reinforced concrete, with tank storage for 100,000 gallons of water. However, there is one thing concerning which the ratepayers are en™i,wL receive > the most specific assurances from the Borough Council: namely, the water tower It should be on a site where it will prejudice neither the business convenience ot the residents nor their opportunities to obtain official information as to towns, such as Invercargill and AshS rtOtY- B^ His "Wall necessary to realise that the business of designing works m reinforced concrete is now a specialty, winch entails very complinamed engineers. Experience has proved that in this class of work, com! mpnsense counts for nothing, an d science is all in all not only in preparing the designs, but in testing them and m supervising their erection, wK veryW 8 CT led ou> b^V ™ans 5 the veiy best workmanship. Any prelimary failure to provide for these indSpensable requirements cannot but end m failure with the work as a whole, an ™+ JJ« Council will assure the latepayers that, m these vitally important matters lt will follow the example ?L ft? IP, Z™ in s Pecially stipulating for what-the ingredients of the concrete shall be, for sizes, and all tV« various scientifically-determined limits in the stresses for shearing, concrete and steel, as well as. for the ratios an A . co-efficients with respect to the elasticity of the concrete and the Isteel use! m the process. In fact, the construction ot a work like the proposed waterto^ ef in reinforced concrete cannot be taken in hand and carried out unless complex statical calculations, mathematically adjusted details with respect

to sizes and positions, and the composition of the concrete itself, are all set out in proper order and relation in the drawings and specifications. Every reader will see how very important all this is; it is just as important as —and far moie complex and difficult technically than—the preparation of plans for a large building, and no doubt the Borough Council will, before polling day, the ratepayers an assurance that, in this connection, the example of the large cities will be closely followed by Hawera. In all populous municipalities, reinforced concrete work, even when taken in hand by private persons, has to be carried out in conformity with standardised bests in every detail. At one time this was not the rule, but, in the absence of the precaution, failures and losses became so common that science and professional oxpert knowledge had to be insisted on all through in connection with such work But, as we have said, no doubt the Borough Council will give the rate payers the most ample assurances in this connection ; and, if so. we apprehend that the ratepayers will, on their part, willingly authorise the Council to raise the necessary loan.