CLYDE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 29

CLYDE.

April 6. — The one topic of absorbing interest locally is unquestionably that having a bearing on the proposed scheme for the supply of clean water to the residents of Clyde. Atter long years of apparent indifference to the wants of the inhabitants in respect to the water supply, the Vincent County Council has been reused to a sense of its responsibility to the ratepayers, and has promised a unanimous effort in the direction of approaching Government with a view to obtaining the assistance necessary to carrying the scheme through. The fact that the scheme submitted to the council has been unanimously adopted by that body is guarantee that the matter will be prosecuted with all haste towards the desired finahtv.

O\ir' Neighbours.— At Alexandra, also, another effort is being made to mature a scheme tor a supply of pure water to that town, but, unfortunately, the mlembers of the council seem to be affected with an inclination to the ridiculous whenever they take upon themselves to dsal with the question of water supply. Time and again has the Borough Council discussed scheme after scheme as the} were submitted to them, but nothing has come of it all, if one may except the decidedly evident weakness of the council m connection with the whole question of water supply. The cotmcil has had the almost unanimous support of the ratepayers throughout, but of such a vacillating character ha\e been tho efforts of the members that the latepayers had, perforce, to adopt measures which ensure the shelving of the watfr question for some time to come. Very possibly tho ratepayers were within their rights when they protested against the purchase of water nght3 at Bald Hill Flat, the distance between the borough and the source of supply being ao great as to warrant the belief that the volume of water secured by those rights was altogether insufficient to supply more than the demands of natural laws of waste that would control the water race traversing such an extent of arid country as that lying between Alexandra and Bald Hill Flat. The money that would have gone to purchase those rights and for the construction of a race might reasonably be devoted to the work of piping the present water supply through the town, thus ensuring at least an appreciable improvement of the exjshng state of things which are discreditable to the town and offensive to all taste.

Hospital. — Nurse Carmichael, of the Invercargill Hospital, has taken up her duties at the local institution. Nurse Carmichael comes to us with high credentials, and bejond question her presence at our hospital is accepted as a long-necessary improvement on the system which has been allowed to prevail theie for some time past. Banking.— The Bank of New Zealand has decided to open an agency at Clyde. Mr Thomson, accountant at the Alexandra branch, is to manage the Clyde agency.

Bird Poison. — The Vincent County Council have asked the firm of Nimmo and Blair to prepare a grain poison for small birds. This step has been necessitated by the inferiority of the poißons supplied to the council in the past. Messrs Nimmo and Blair have promised to accede to the lequest of the council. In discussing the question of the small birds pest, several councillors said that the increase in the number of birds was in a measure acQountw} for by. the adoption of pollard poison

in the destruction ot Tabbib. "When poisoned gram was used lor rabbits the birds frequently ate the poison, and thus the increase was considerably checked , but they seldom eat the pollaid bait iio.v so generally used. Earnscleugh Runs. — These runs are now adveitised for lease for a teim of 10 years. Although the grass seeds recently sown upon tho luns have not boen an entire success, it is still evident that the seeds have germinated m favcuied spots.