OUR WATER SUPPLY.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3247, 3 July 1917, Page 4

OUR WATER SUPPLY.

The deliberations of the local Borough Council in regard to the town waterworks. as contained in the report of the recent meeting, must nave been fraught with a sense of disappointment to the ratepayers. The need which exists for an improvement of the system so as to afford a very much greate- and more efficient. water supply has constituted a problem which for some time has exercised the mind of the community. The. strength of a chain is measured by its weakest link, and certainly, thoujrh in the winter the supply is sreneraPy equal to the demand, a summer like the 1911?-17 one proved very conclusively the weak link in the system. In view of the very appreciable deficiency which occurred then, and which practically does occur e-ach succeeding summer in greater or less decree. one of the chief methods of copin ir with it suggested at. the Council table, viz., the cutting off of special supplies used for lighting purposes, is a covert accusation that thee supplies are largely responsible for the deficiency. The shortage which is annually complained of is in respect, of domestic purposes—that, is, in effect, purposes which are associated chiefly with daylight uses. As far as lighting is concerned, the special supplies are only in requisition when the day's domestic requirements have been met-. In the case of those which are harnessed for industrial purnoses. the extent- to which the supply is depleted by these on certain days in the week is' infinitesimal in its relation to the general deficiency of that supply in the summer season. In fact, terrace residents complain bitterly of shortage on days when the special supplies are not in use at all. So that it is scarcely just to lay the blame at the door of these consumers. It is a fair inference that the further suggestion regarding tne appointment of a water inspector is a recognition that house - holaers have something to be laid to their charge. All tne year round, in the summer particularly, there is a notorious wastage going on in a number of properties. More water is run off to no purpose through defective taps and carelessness than i.s consumed to some purpose in the direction before- mentioned. Warnings are periodically given householders, but they appear to go unregarded. We feel" certain that no fair-minded, progressive person would approve a policy which stifled industry and discouraged enterprise. Which is, in effect what, cutting of! special supplies would amount to. Though consumers or special supplies certainly have no legal binding on the Council for the

granting - of such supplies it certainly seems to in that .since the supplies were granted and enterprises were associated therewith there exists a moral obligation to respect them. The problem is one- which •must needs be faced sooner or later. And the sooner the better. A pure and plentiful supply of water is a matter which vitally concerns the daily lives of the people of a community. It is an essential to health and cleanliness and ordinary comfort. This being so. it is a necessity, not a luxury, and as such justifies measure being tak<-n which shall guarantee beyond peradventure full provision for present needs, with a duo anticipation of an increasing consumption. For it must, not be overlooked that the very large increase in the tourist traffic of late years has made big demands on the water available, and as ou : ' individual and concerted efforts are directed to the fostering of this "industry" we must see to M that mr Municina. enterprises keep pace with it. It .-can therefore be looked upon as a business proposition as well. This is how an ordinary commercial firm (would resrard it. The improvements outlined by the expert who recently reported on the system would, it was stated, take the whole of t lie water coming through the dam, thus doubling the supply.' On the occasion of the expert's visit to the dam in the summer when the. volume of water available was reduced by the drought there was then enough water to supply a inch pipe. As a 5 inch pipe is in use the balance was running to waste. Such an improved eondi!ion of affairs as would result from the undertaking would well justify the comparatively ' small expenditure involved.

The Medical Board sat in Queenstown on Thursday last and out of some 21 men forward, only four passed as fit, namely: R. Cable, Ernie Barker, Pembroke, Robt. Butel. Balfour, J. Brown, lliversdale. and D. Simmers, Queenstown. The Secretary of the Ladies' Patriotic Executive wishes to aeknowhaving received £1 from Mrs J.S., this being her monthly contribution for July to the Wounded S:>!d'ers' Fund.

Mr H. L. Watt of the lirm of Isiip and Watt, boot and shoe merchants, Dunedin, will open up a l'ulii range of samples in the Town Hall on Thursday, Friday and Saturday next. We would remind the public of the social and dance to be held in the Garrison Hall oil Friday evening next in aid of St. Peter's Church funds. In the the socials organised by the members of St. Peter's have afforded very great enjoyment to patrons, so that a successful evening's amusement mav be looked forward to.

The secretary of the Skippers ing- Company reports a return of 450z gold from the latest wash-up. Elsewhere the Mayor (Mr A. Simson) convenes a meeting of the public, particularly those interested in the matter of providing better facilities for shipping and unshipping stock at the Queenstown and Frank ton wharves. The experience of the shipping men and cattle dealers is that considerable de-av and inconvenience have been caused in the past through lack of proper cattle ra-"es leading on to the steamers. Large number.s of catlie arrive in Queenstown and Frankton to the order of local butchers and stock breeders and therefore those interested are entitled to the same facilities that exist in connection with railway stations. The "Railway department has, we understand, been-ap-proached about th : s matter, but as u-ual shelved it. The great necessity for the facilities named still exists, hence the present agitation. Parliament- was opened last Thursday. The Governor's speech was largely devoted to the war and the Zealanders' achievements thereat. The speech fore-shadows war legislation only. Tlifi Minister of Defence has had to endure a perfect avalanche of questions in the House. His old friend. Mr Vigor Brown, asked the Prime Minister to remove. Sir James Allen from the ollice of Minister (> f Defence and appoint in his stead "a Minister more in sympathy with the sold.ers and possessing to a fuller extent the ciiilidence of the people." Before trointr out in cold wet weathe-. take XAZOL on sugar. This will keep coughs and colds away. Thousands use NAZOL. Sixty doses 1* Od^'

The training of Territorials and Senior Cadets will be resumed in this district on Thursday next, sth inst., in the /oca! Garrison Hall and on Friday, nth inst., at Arrowtown. All men ot both sections are expected to appear in uniform and absentees will be prosecuted. Parents and guardians are reminded that boys of 14 years and over are subject to registration.

The Railway Department i* at pre- i sent repairing the damage done to the Glenorchy wharf by floods which occurred earlier in the year. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Queenstown School Committee was held on Friday evening last. 29th inst. Present: Messrs A. MeCallum, (Chairman). A. C. Macdonald, T. H. Tallentire, A. Mayne. and G. P>. Burns. Miss Griffiths forwarded her resignation as first assistant. The resignation was accepted with regret, she to be written to and thanked for her pa«t services—The Education Board wrote advising that the Board's architect would consult the Committee in regard to repairs and alterations to the school..—A letter wa,s received from F. C Smith, secretary of the Southland School Committees' Association, requesting the Committee to become affiliated. The. matter Iras left over till next meeting.—A circular received from the Technical Department. with regard to utilising any waste ground that, may oe available for the- growing of potatoes was received. In recognition of the services rendered by New Zealand since the outbreak of war, the King has been pleased to command that- the title -hould be changed from Governor of New Zealand to that of GovernorGeneral. Letters patent, dated May 1. 1917, to this effect have passed fhe Great Seal of the United Kintrdom. and Hi* Majestv the Kin? ha* been ?raciou*ly pleaded to approve the appointment of the T?i<rht Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, G.C.M.G.. M.V.0.. to be the first GovernorGeneral and Commander in Chief of the Dominion of New Zealand. Tn accordance with His Majesty's command, His Excellency took the oiath of his new office at noon on Thursdav last.

The 'Evening 1 Star's' Wellington correspondent says it can be- stated definitely, on acceptable authority, that- the Finance Bill will contain arresting provisions for the new scale of war taxation and for another War Loan quite dwarfing the substantial and very successful loan of last year. It is practically certain that the Government will ask authority to raise a War Loan of £20,000,000 by diverse metnods. The Dominion total of volunteers for the 33rd Reinforcements is 548. Oi this number Wellington contributes 112, and is 143 short; Auckland 95. and 315 short; Christchurch 18, and 138 short; Dunedin 44, and 119 short. The other districts south of the Waitaki stand thus; Southland 20 volunteers, and 108 short; North Otago 12, and 33 short; Clut-ha 5, and 35 short.

A Napier correspondent of the 'Daily Times' telegraphed to that journal as follows:—"Public works in Central Otago came in for criticism by Hawke's Bay public men at a ceremony in connection with driving the last pile of the bridge across the Napier inner harbour for the East Coast railway. .Mr A. E. Juli (chairman of the Napier Harbour Board) instanced what Canada was doing in tearing up railways ana sending material to France. In Otago there was a railway called the Otago Central, which paid only six shillings per cent. Influence should be brought to bear upon the National Efficiency Board to have this railway taken up and put down where it was most needed. The East Coast needed a railway to open up its productivity. As the railway was near Sir James Allen's electorate and went through Mr Fraser's, these Ministers would be the first to recognise the need for taking it up. Later, Mr T. E. Crosse, in speaking of roading requirements, said that £25,000 had been spent on facilities for a few tourists at Queenstown, while Hawke's Bay could not get a vote of £IOOO for essential roads. The 'Times, commenting editorially on the last assertion says:— Another orator has some curious idea that a sum of £25,000 of public funds has been expended at that highlyfavoured and wholly-delightful town. We have certainly no knowledge of any expenditure. The truth is that Queenstown has been sadly neglected by the Government. Lake Wakatipu is one of the most attractive scenic resorts in the whole of the dominion, and if the Government could see its way to expend £25,000 on the improvement of the town of Queenstown the expenditure would be fully justified by the results. [Queenstown is a recognised t nurist report and the money is expended by the Tourist Department here only represents the smallest fraction of what is spent at Rotorua and hot lakes region. The privileges brnrrht about l>v such expenditure are- as much and, perhaps, more enjoyed bv the Northern town than bv anv other in New Zealand.— Kd. L.W.M.j

No voluntary enlistment of any kind being accepted at present, but it is expected that arrangements will be made shortly for enrolling voluntarily in the Second Division. No First Division men except those between the ages of 20 and 21 will in future be accepted as volunteers. That means that voluntary enlisting for tue First Division is finally closed, except for men between '2O and 21—in other words, the men who up till now have been too young to serve. 'Tis most absurd I I do declare

There's funny people everywhere: Cranks who harbor "ticks" and "rats. And freaks who wear old-fashioned hats; Hut most amusing of them al! Are those who. when bad colds befali, Obsolete nostrum* still endure. Whilst needing Woods Peppermint Cure.

An important statement regarding recruiting for the remainder of the Expeditionary Force and the reserve was made to a 'Dominion 'reporter by the Defence Minister. Sir JameAlien said: "It has been already announced that we have stopped voluntary recruiting for the First Division. 1 think in all probability we shall stop voluntary recruiting for the Second Division also. There doe-s not seem to be anv £, r ood reason for keeping it iroinir, especially as the classes in the Second Division' will be so small tnat every man will know about tno time lie is likuiv to be required to go into camp. I think it better that we should settle by ballot the time for every man to go. To permit voluntary enlistment would make it necessary to continue, to use the district rolls, but we shall find it more convenient to use only one roll Tor every class. It would be a great convenience for us io work with single rolls instead of numbers of distrust rolls, because the preparation of these district rolls would be a colossal task—so big that, the work could not be done in time. -

Writing from "Stowe," Bournemouth, England, to Mr Andrew Johnston, under date 12th April last, Mr James E. Davis, erstwhile of this district, gives some 'interesting particulars of the conditions existing &t Home just now. He says, inter alia, that "the Government has just voted another half a million men. and there would not be many men left in time." A good many were drilling in Bourne- ■ mouth at the present time. Those ""l whom he saw were quite active young fellows. . . . The Government had turned all convicts out of Dartmoor prison and their places were taken by conscientious objectors, who were set to work reclaiming land for agricultural purposes,. The Government have taken over ali the railways and do not want people to travel on them at all; in fact there have been no excursion trains to Bournemouth ail this Easier. The lines are all taken up with the goods traffic; and soldiers. There has been a lot ol engines and waggons sent over to France and some lines taken up have also been sent over. They are cutting down the pine trees here and sawing them up for making into railway sleepers wnich are also being sent to France. The railway lines must be pushed on as the territory is being won back from the Germans. The German submarines are a very serious matter. They (the Germans) calculate tnat they can starve us out, but tney do not eeeui to have discovered any quick way of sinking the monsters. Vv'e have a food controller here and he issues i'resn rules nearly e very week and eacn time more stringent than the previous lot. Tne Board is going to start on the board and lodging nouses next, it is arranged tnat ii the latter will not restrict the food supply, the tradesman supplying the commodities will render nunseii iiabie to punishment. In tne parSt there has been a great waste oi food in tnis country. There is no more white bread to be had, but a kind of brown bread, and it has to be a day old before the baKer is allowed to take it to customers. The allowance is £ib of bread per day, sugar £lb per week and sometimes it cannot be got, potatoes Seed potatoes are selling at iid per lb, bread (4lb loaf) costs Is, butter Us tid per lb, eggi 4* per doz; English meat i!s (id anu 3s per 10, and everytning else in proportion. The people are breaking up every section in tae town to plant potatoes. Everyone must do some tiling to keep up the tojd supply or help to win the war in otner directions."

v }S ersl Save money by petting AAZUL the be.-1 lanniy remedy for cougns ami colds. Sixty doses lor Is (3d more than three doses a penny.