AUCKLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1161, 28 February 1874, Page 10

AUCKLAND.

(FROM OtTR OWN CORRESPONDENT. )

Mr Moriarty's troubles have begun in earnest. His decision on the dock question — as I have mentioned in a former letter — gave rise to much discussion and to no little dissatisfaction. His report on the water question has just been laid before the Corporation, and is likely to be fought over with greater asperity. The report amounts to a pamphlet, and its consideration has been adjourned by the Corporation till Monday. On Tuesday, Mr Moriarty leaves for Sydney in the Victoria, so that there is bub little time for him to take any personal part, even if he thought it desirable, in the settlement of the question. The points involved are, I think, of sufficient importance to be of interest from other than a mere Auckland point of view. There are four possible sources of water supply — the Onehunga Springs, Lake St. John, the Nihotopu stream, and the " Western," commonly known from the mill there as "Low and Motion's" Springs. Mr Moriarty, with very general consent, throws aside the Onehunga spriugs as insufficient for both towns, and as likely to be required for Onehunga alone. He also sets aside Lake St. John, the water from which is inadequate and of doubtful quality. Nihotopu he found yielding at this season, after a long and unprecedented drought, 1,216,000 gallons of water daily. This stream comes from the Waitakerei .Ranges, and would require 16 miles of piping to bring it into Auckland. It has the immense advantage of elevation, and would be available by gravitation alone. On the other band, the report condemns it as being inadequate without great storage reservoiis, for which no natural facility is offered ; as being liable to the bursting of pipes, f i om the great pressure, and innumerable bends, and changes of elevation, inevitable from the rugged character of the couutry. The water has, by analysis and experience, been pronounced good ; but Mr Moriarty considers that it would be liable to great variations in this respect, from the dense vegetation of the water-shed, and the accumulation of decaying vegetable matter. The Western Springs only remain, and these Mr Moriarty, to use his own words, "has no hesitation in recommending for adoption." They give at the present moment 2,361,312 gallons daily. The water, for brightness aud purity, seems unexceptionable ; but reliance can only be placed on absolute analysis. They involve only two miles of piping to bring the water to reservoirs on the town boundary ; but they also involve pumping, which is, in his opinion, of minor moment when contrasted with the superiority in other respects. Need I, after thjs statement of the caso, point out what an admirable field there is in this report for strenuous dispute among the parties interested to the tune, it is said, of many thousand pounds for compensation, whichever of the schemes r,e adopted. The Western Springs advocates are, of course, highly delighted ; but the Nihotopu people point to the reports of all previous engineers, and dispute Mr Moriarty's statements in detail. They ridicule the " bursting" objections, and say that if applicable to this, they are equally so to your Dunedin supply. They put against it the hazard and cost of pumping, and the greater compensation for land. They deny the objectious to a future possible impurity of the water from decayed vegetation as chimerical, and disproved by the characterof the water ever since the streamhas been known. They declare that there are abundant natural facilities for creating reservoirs at a low cost, and particularly object to Mr Moriarty slighting the offer of the City Engineer, Mr Anderson, to point out favourable sites for the purpose. Pointing to the reports of previous engineers, they are wroth at Mr Moriarty's statement that " this is not a caso in which any engineer who had maturely considered it in all its bearings would pronounce in favour of gravitation." In point of cost there is no great difference between the two schemes. The Western Springs will cost £66,714, but the annual pumping expenses will be £3G39, representing a large amount if capitalised. You will see from this statement how nicely the balance hangs, and we shall certainly have other engineers in the field defending the schemes to which they are severally committed. There is one great result, however, of Colonial interest, which may well be laid to heart, and that is the absurdity of importing engineers to settle these questions while we have skilful and reliable men among ourselves. Here comes Mr Moriarty with a few weeks only at his disposal, forced to hurry through his work, unable to stay aud defend his proposals while under discussion, and whose claim to superiority rests on implied freedom from local influence. Yet ever since his arrival—according to the newspapers — no pains have been spared to prejudice him, or to keep back from him corrcctinformation.Theposition cannot be agreeable to him, and public opinion is unanimous hi declaring the appeal to outside aid, both in dock and water works, a failiire. It has not answered the chief end and silenced differences of opinion. On the contrary, it has given them new fervour, and left the schemes pretty well where they were. The Harbour Board decide to adopt Mr Moriarty's opinion on the Dock site, and the public reply by getting up an appeal to the Governor agaiust it. What the Corporation will do remains to be seen at its next meeting. The Superintendent and some members of

the Executive have just gone to the East Coast after a tour through the northern districts, where their reception was of the most cordial kind. Mr Williamson has thoroughly the confidence and sympathy of the people wherever he goes, and is likely to be, as heretofore, a very popular Superinintendent. He has inquired minutely into their wants, and hopes, by working cordially with the General Government, to get roads and bridges, and the means of promoting our social progress. Working cordially can only mean one thing, that is to say, giving to the Ministers- his support and influence, and those of his Executive in the Assembly. The public see this, and they regret that a great Province should be in a position to be compelled to ask as a favour what ought to be ! accorded as a right. However, Aucklandout of £263,000 contributed to the General Be venue last year, has nothing available for local purposes. Her Provincial debt is no larger than that of Canterbury, and about half of yours in Otago. Her financial need is therefore no fault of her own, but the result of a system which enables the General Government to take the revenue and to throw off at the same time the liability for charges always intended to be borne upon it. These charges you defray instead from Land Revenue. Canterbury is in the same position. Auckland, with a population nearly as large as yours, and much larger than that of Canterbury, is without any resource of the kind. Thoughtful politicians are aware of the danger to the independence of our members, and regret it. Nor do they think it safe for the Colony at large that a disturbing element of this kind should be allowed to exist. It must, in the long run, affect the character of the Assembly if tho Executive have too much power, and become the centre of too many hopes. la that connection it is a matter concerning other provinces as well as Auckland, and tho sooner the provinces and the Colony have their functions defined, and made independent of each other, the better. Meantime, our Superintendent, with the sagacity and energy for which he is distinguished, is bent tipon doing his duty and the best he can for the Province which, has intrusted its interests to him. In doing it he will be sure to have the hearty support of the people.

We have had very heavy weather lately, and a sad wreck at the Onehunga bar, with the loss of eight lives. The particulars have been reported by telegraph, but I may add that the master, Kenny, of the cutter lost, the Flora Macdonald, was one of the best sailors on the coast, ani universally respected. He had crossed the bar on his voyage to Raglan, and must have met with some accident which compelled his return. The general opinion is that the rudder post gave way, and that he was obliged to use his sails to steer by when recrossing the bar for shelter. He came on regardless of the warning signals hoisted at the Station, which nothirg °but extreme necessity would have caused Captain Keuriy to do. In the middle of the passage she broached to, and immediately sank. There were six passengers on board— two of these children, and the othr-.rs well known settlers. The accident created a great sensation, especially from rumours that the rotten condition of the rudder post was well known. If so, the necessity for a Colonial Plinisoll is apparent. There is no doubt that many small vessels cruising along the coast are badly found and quite unsafe, and the sooner some steps are taken to prevent an increased loss of life with increased tr.'ffic the better. Among the narrow escaj>os in connection with this sad wreck, that of a woman with a baby going to join her husband at Raglan is remarkable. She left Auckland by train, but in mistake took the train which stops at Ellerslie. She had to return and await the next train to Onehunga. The delay caused her to lose the Flora Macdonald, but saved the lives of herself and baby. The only relic of the wreck yet found is a part of the stern, with sufficient of the name to leave no doubt as to the identity of the vessel. The gales have been so violent siuco that we fear to hear of more casualties. A boat has been washed up on the Takapuna beach, and a dead body found near it. Further particulars are not yet known. We hear also of part of the keel of another small vessel being washed up on the same beach. The gales have not been attended with much rain, and the want of water is being acutely felt in many parts of the town and suburbs.

A very active agitation is being organised against the running of Sunday trains. So far the effect has been to elicit a great predominance of opinion against interference. The battle is not, however, yet Over. On Oie one side we have, in addition to the purely theological arguments, a strong, earnest, and heartfelt sympathy for the engineers, the stokers, and the numerous servants forced to work against their will, and deprived of tho day of rest to which they are entitled. On the other we have a protest against tho public being treated as children unable to judge for themselves, and a very strong determination to make increased use of tho facilities for air and recreation which these trains afford. The fatter is at present the most marked effect of the agitation. The Rev. JVlr Edgar, with characteristic boldness and originality, stands out against the attempt at enforcing a hollow uniformity, and denies, in a published letter, that there in any Scriptural warrant for the observance of Sunday in the manner which those who originated the present opposition would enforce. So far there has only been some active skirmishing, but tho content will grow warmer, and shows already significant symptoms of vigour and asperity. A Masonic pio-nio to Mokoihi has been a great success. The Golden Crown waH chartered, and took the Maaoiia and their

' friends to the island, where they spent a long and pleasant day. the Golden Crown calling for them on her way back from the Thames at night. For pic-nics of this kind few places offer so many facilities as this Hauraki Gulf, studded with islands, and they are becoming the favourite mode of spending the holidays with all classes. It is to this we must probably attribute the penchant for yachting, and the slight interest felt in horse racing, as compared with some other Provinces.