THE WATER SUPPLY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4732, 14 August 1902, Page 5

THE WATER SUPPLY.

RATEPAYERS AND THE COUNCIL, “A.W.H.” writes as follows: Tho Mayor professes to be able not to understand the attitude of the ratepayers in rejecting the various water proposals of tho Council—all involving fresh loans and more rates. But the action of the people is perfectly logical and quite easy to understand. The engineer has repeatedly stated that (ho supply is five times as much ns is used or allowed elsewhere, and naturally no one can see the necessity for further expeditiire. Tho lesson of tho recent votes is that the Council is bidden to properly utilise the water we have got. and that the ratepayers decline to give it more money to muddle away in its usual fashion, or perhaps to divert altogether from its alleged purpose and expend on some scandalous transaction like the purchase of property at Fraser’s lane, at double its value. Hundreds of thousands have already been raised for water, and they are quite enough. More loans are only wanted to cover up the shameful incapacity of the past and present Councils, nud if voted will just ns certainly bo wasted ns they were in by-gone years. .To an inexpensive scheme for a few storage tanks, to supply the very high levels, probably no one would object; but any scheme involving largo expenditure will, I hope, ho blocked for many a year, ns the latest have. Tho people of (ho town have had some rude shocks lately, and are apparently at last beginning to see (hot it is mere folly to trust tho Council with money. The latest insl-ance is the hitch in the tramways scheme. The Council never touches anything that it does not hopelessly bungle, from making a new street, or widening on old one, down In so simple a Ihing ns the mere routine of advertising its tram proposals.

The Mayor thinks that many people' will have reason to regret the rejection of thoXhty Council’s water supply pro-' posuls before the conclusion of next summer, if the season prove a dry one, and he is disappointed at the apathy exhibited by the ratepayers in regard to tlio whole question. His Worship points out that although the responsibility of the reiection of the alternative schemes rests with those who were entitled to vote ami neglected to do so. the responsibility of keeping the city supplied with an adequate amount of water for all purposes rests with the Council. So that no astonishment need be exhibited if the Council is compelled next summer to take what may be considered drastic measures to conserve the supply in order that all portions of the city may, ns far as possible, be placed on an equality. Mr Aitken says that the whole matter lias been placed fully and fairly before the ratepayers. They are aware that the Knrori supply is being drawn from a comparatively polluted source, and that the Waiuui-o-inata dam is considered unsound by the various engineers who have examined it. If in face of those facts the ratepayers are 100 careless and apathetic oven to oast their votes at the poll it is they who must suffer either m the event of a water famine, or in the event of expensive measures for checking and limiting the supply being necessitated. Superintendent Hugo, of the lire Brigade, says he is much disappointed with the result of the poll. He fears what a big conflagration in summer might lead to with only a limited water-sun - available. "You cannot make bricks without vstraw," ho says, “and you cannot quench fires without water. 1\ e mostly fears for the upper levels, which without an augmented water supply will ba quite at the mercy of fires for a groat part of the summer months, and ho is surprised that the ratepayers on the hillsides did not come down en masse and vote for an increased supply. Apparently a big drought and a big conflagration are required to wake the ratepayers from their lethargy.