DROUGHT IN BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1934, Page 13

DROUGHT IN BRITAIN

CRITICAL TIME COMING.

URGENT NEED FOR ECONOMY.

The critical time in the water shortage in Britain will come at the end of September. This opinion was expressed by Sir William Prescott, chairman of the Metropolitan Water Board, speaking in London recently, says the Daily Telegraph. “Thousands of people, when they saw the downpour the other night,” he continued, “thought we had been helped out of our difficulties. But. unfortunately, the rain fell in the wrong places. Had it fallen over the Thames Valley or River Lea watersheds it would have meant 1,000,000,000 gallons of water to us. As it was, we hardly benefited at all. “The need for economy is urgent. We were getting a greater reduction in consumption of water by voluntary means than we have got since the compulsory restrictions came in. “The average daily consumption of water before the restrictions was 250,000,000 gallons a day. It is now about 265,000,000. We should like to see it cut down if possible to . 200,000,000 gallons. There is no need for panic, but a definite need of economy.” . . Sir William was speaking at a meeting to inaugurate a Water- Savers League among the 4000 employees of a large company. In a message read to the meeting the Minister of Health, Sir Hilton Young, said:— , ~ “I have great faith in the readmess of the private citizen to help in emergencies if the need is brought home to him, and if he is told why his help is required. “There is no cause for panic about water supplies; but there is need for continued economy in the rise of water, and, given care, large savings can be effected without any hardship.” “Even if the next six months are as wet as the wettest six months in the past sixty years it seems doubtful if they will succeed in entirely making good our depleted reserves.” This statement is made in an article in the July issue of the Meteorological Magazine, issued by the Stationery Office. The writer adds that the accumulated rainfall deficiency in England and Wales at the end of May this year was 30 per cent. “We may regard the drought from July, 1933, to February, 1934, as of, about the same severity as the eight months drought of 1921 In England. In Scotland, Ireland and the British Isles as a whole, the eight months of drought of 1933-34 was undoubtedly the most severe in the past sixty years.”