CITY COUNCIL AND WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2521, 23 February 1872, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL AND WATER SUPPLY.

Wfi understand that it lias been left to a committee of the City Council to dispose of the vote of £750, for a survey of the Nihotopu stream, and that there is a probability of their employing their own engineer. Of course, they are quite at liberty to do so, but the Council and the public should understand what that involves. It simply means, that the City Council the plana and estimates of their engineer, and that they are prepared to pay for any deviations or extras necessitated by mistakes, or any alterations which may be found necessary during the progress of the works. On the other hand, if the survey bo -placed in Mr. Henderson's hands, as it appears to us the City Council are in honour bound to do, and if Mr. Brogden contracts, the work must be faithfully executed, and a sufficient water supply secured, at the contractor's expense, whatever may be the faults in, or deviations from, the survey. The rumour is, however, that members of the Committee are so enamoured of local talent, that they are disposed to run all these risks to secure it.

We do not insinuate for an instant that our local engineering talent is not first-rate. It may be the very best, for anything we know to the contrary ; but the experience the public have had already in connection with the railway, harbour, and other local improvement works has not been of the most satisfactory character. Mr. Carruthers, at all events, is by no meanß impressed in the same way as the Committee of the Council, and by virtue of his office, he is the great colonial authority on engineering. But what puzzles us is this: that the City Council should elect to spend £750, or a lesser sum, on the survey of the Nihotopu supply, and overlook all other sources. The Waitakerei scheme was very ably reported on several years ago by Mr. Wrigg ; but, on the report of Mr. Weaver to the Provincial Government, it was set aside as being too costly a work for the province to undertake, backed by the half-million loan. It has since been revived by the promoters of a company; and although we do not object to the merits of that source of supply being considered, we think, in the interests of the public, other sources should also be reported on. Should the City Council elect to bring in water from Nihotopu they must buy the watershed from the privaLe owners, and preserve the timber, without which, we are informed and believe, the supply would be inadequate '

—which means compensation, and compensation means increased cost. Wow, have these points beeu considered; or is it because they have been considered, and that compensation has a "pleasing sound," that this, of all tho competing schemes, should be selected for survey ? The public have a right to be informed on this point. Will tho committee of the City Council, therefore, be good enough to inform the public how much compensation they will be asked to pay in connection with the Nihotopu supply, plus the cost of the works ; also, how they mean to preserve the growing timber against the ravages of bush fires, or adeliberateactof incendiarism? If the City CouuciL agree to pay interest on the amount expended, these items must be taken into calculation.

One word in conclusion. What the public are entitled to, and what they require, is this : That an accurate survey be made of the several sources of supply by a competent engineer, free from local influence and bias, and who has not expressed any decided opinion on any one of the proposed schemes. The cost of works, lands, and compensation to be stated in each case. When that has been done, the Council will then he able to submit the several schemes to the ratepayers ; and the decision come to by the ratepayers would be final and conclusive. Otherwise, whatever may be the merits of the selected scheme, it will be open to suspicion of jobbery.