CITY LOAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 69, 22 February 1937, Page 6

CITY LOAN.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The ratepayers of this city will have an opportunity in the near future of recording their vote for or against a £90,000 loan, so that we may have a better water supply. Our city being a very important inland trading centre I would suggest that every ratepayer roH up and vote and help to put our city on the progressive map. Every visitor admires our city; it is a cheap city to reside in, and the rates are lower than many other towns and boroughs of less importance. Without money there is no progress. Our Mayor and councillors are elected by the people as trustees to look after and manage the city’s affairs; they know what is required, so why hamper them in the business t Even if the rates do increase by ten per cent., it only means another £1 to every £lO in rates, but the citizens will have the benefit, so why not vote for the loan. The little iellow who pays £7 or £8 in rates can take a tip and vote with the big fellow, and he will then play sate.- It is municipal progress we require. Personally, 1 am against a poll, because the Mavor and councillors are our elected trustees, and surely we can trust them to do what is right without the expense of a poll? I hope, Mr Editor, that the majority of ratepayers will vote for the £90,000, and thereby trust their trustees. Let thenmotto be “Advance Palmerston North.” Remember, it is not a township or borough ; it is a city, and may it continue to make progress.—l am, ott ". VOTE FOR THE LOAN.

(To the Editor.

Sir, —During my term of office as a councillor the question of the city’s water supply lias been constantly under discussion and a variety of opinions have been expressed by experts and laymen. As the present loan proposals are to augment the Tiritea supply, may I discuss that first, as it is at present Palmerston North’s major water scheme. Past councils’ experience with Tiritea leads me to the conclusion that there is no justification in asking the ratepayers to spend any further money on that supply. As an alternative I would suggest that another source be used to augment the city water supply. In an endeavour to make my criticism constructive I beg to submit my proposal which will entail the expenditure of not more than £4OO0 —not the huge sum it is proposed to spend oil Tiritea. BrieHy, sir, my scheme is this : Block to half the by-pass of the present dam, thus using the reservoir to its fullest capacity. Then to assist the Tiritea supply water could be drawn from a soak well in the vicinity of the Manawatu River, the water from this well to be pumped directly into the present mains. By such a means pressure in the Square could be maintained at 100 pounds per square inch, and quoting the city engineer, this would result in a pressure of 60 pounds at tho Hospital and higher levels at Terrace End —a pressure residents in that locality have never had. Owing to the cheapness, the simplicity, and the efficiency of this scheme it has received some criticism from professional men whose opinions I cannot endorse. -I would not advocate for one moment, sir, such a well if I were not sure of the purity and quantity of water available from this simple scheme: I have been successful in having a test well sunk, and proving beyond doubt that ample water is available. Furthermore, this test well was inspected by an official of the Health Department. A sample of the water which was sent to Wellington for departmental analysis showed a degree of purity superior to some and equal to any of the water we are now using. Public statements have been made regarding the cost of pumping the water from the well and in reply to such I have figures supplied by the Town Clerk showing the cost of pumping water for the artesian wells now in operation, to be three-farth-ings per thousand gallons, and the cost would certainly not be £12,000 per year as one gentleman has made public. I anticipate that it would only be necessary to pump for three or lour of the summer months. The cost of pumping, taking the artesians as an example, would be approximately £64 2s for a thirty-day period. The question of pollution has arisen, and in reply I can only refer to the inspection by the Department of Public Healtii and their analysis of the sample of water. I would* like to make clear that the water I advocate using flows through a water bearing strata of country and is drawn from a depth of several feet below the known summer level of the river. For porbably miles this water flows through sancl and shingle, known throughout the world as water’s most effective filtrant. To those gentlemen who have raised the question of pollution to the well source, I would like to ask if they have ever considered the risk of pollution to our present water supplies. At Tiritea, the accumulation of decayed vegetation and other foreign matter has beeri a real menace, and no end of money has been spent to try and prevent it reaching the mains. How successfully this has been accomplished can tie judged by the “pea soup” which flows from our taps every time there is a fresh in the stream. I would like to ask the scaremongers who condemn the soak well scheme at the river if they have considered the chance of pollution to Tiritea, caused by the construction of a new road and creating a picnic ground at the head of the reservoir. In connection with the present loan I asked the city engineer if any provision has been made to eliminate the accumulation of this filth in the new dam. His reply was that no provision had been made. I also asked if any money was available for the extension of the present filters. He replied that there was none, as he (the engineer) did not consider that any filters would he required. In reply to a further question of mine the city engineer said that he estimated that the accumulation of filth, etc., in the dam would displace a million gallons of water per year. This calls for no comment, except to ask the ratepayers to try and realise what this menace means to a pure water supply. In discussing the artesian wells which were introduced as a solution to the water problem, I can only quote from the measured flow at the time of sinking, and at the present date, and show that the supply from these wells has decreased. They arc now delivering onethird of their original output. I would say, therefore, that costly artesian wells are a failure as far as this city is concerned. Reverting to pollution again, have the gentlemen concerned though of the proximity of the PublicHospital infectious diseases ward avid the drainage which passes a few feet from the artesian bores at Heretaunga

Street? Is there any risk of pollution there ?

In conclusion, sir, may I ask one question of the gentlemen who advocate spending £112,000 of the ratepayers’ money. Have they any real justification, when by spending three or four thousand pounds in a proper place it will give the required result—until the council is in the position to consider Pohangina? This would not bo many years, if the revenue at present derived from water was set aside each year, instead of using it as at present to carry out other works.—l am, etc., J. T. J. HEATLEY. Manawatu Street, Palmerston North, February 22, 1937.