The Dust.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8618, 23 December 1896, Page 3

The Dust.

BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

'A meeting «f the Genoral Purposes Committee of the Borough Council was hid yesterday afternoon.' Present: His Worship the Mayor<(in the Chair) and \Crs Coiner, Burch, Whitehead, Poulgrain. Davey, and Wood. The Mayor, opened the proceedings by stating that: as the result- of,the movement among the business people \ witn the'object of watering the streets, Mr Kodewald's services ,hfld been engaged to perform that duty. Mr Rodewald had never previously had anything to'do with such a work, and he did not -know whether tho Council would be justified in handing over the applicances to him. 1 Another question was whether the Council could afford ' water every day for the streets, without tk|hills and higher levels suffering with regard to their domestic supply. These people paid 370 or £80 a yea. in rates. He ; thought that the streets could only be watered every alternate d»y. Personally he. had thought that Mr Redwood was the right man to be \ entrusted with the duty of watering the streets. With vogard to the higher levels of the Borough, these : could only h(» supplied from the Borough reservoir, and not from thn - County supply, uhd during last senscn they were only supplied on alternate days' He had requested the Turncock ' to furnish a report on the water, and he could sfcito that if the fltreets'were watered every day the > people on the higher levels would not

be able to roceive water except at night. If the 150' families thus affected would be satisfied with this nightly wahr service, then the strcots could be watered every day; but if the Council thought it unfair to those residing on the higher lovels, then the street watering would have to ba restricted to every alternate day in order to allow the higher, lovels supply to continue as at present, The Mayor also read tho following ( report from the Turncock :— ,*' In reply to a question submitted to mo by His Worship the Mayor as to whether the streets could bo watered with tbe halfI sluice head of water to bo purchased from I tlieJOounty for that purpose without affectI ing the supplies to tho higher levels, I have to report that this would depend on the supply which the Council considers the higher levels of the to. Dunng last season the higher levels were supplied every alternate, day. If, however, it would be sufficient to seud the supply to the high levels with our owu reservoir froin 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., the sluice head from the County could then bo taken during the day and there would be sufficient water for domestic pur .oses and for watering the streets.''

Cr Stewart'objected to the ratepayers of the whole Borough being compelled to pay for tho watering of the nwin'streets.

The Mayor raised the question as to whether Mr Rodewald was sufficiently qualified in the work to avoid causing damage to personal property in the streets. ' •' '

Cr Burch contended that this was not a matter for the Council's consideration, as the business people were engaging the man and they would be responsible for any damage done, Cr Wood said that a new phase of the question had cropped up in the present discussion, The people had been given : to understand that the half-sluice head of water purchased by the Borough from the County would be sufficient to water the streets, and until now the question had been simply as to the required labor. Now,' however, the capacity of the water supply to meet the demand had entered into the question, The business people had subscribed money sufficient to pay a man-perhaps two men; but what use would this be if there was no water? ,

The Mayor said ho had not stated that there would be no water. He had stated tho position as disclosed by tho. Turncock's report, Cr Wood went on to si.y that naturally the first question for consideration was, whether die Borough could supply the water or not. Tho business people had been unaware that the daily watering of the streets would have the effect of confining the higher levels to a nightly domestic service. The Mayor>asked whether tho business people would be satisfied with a street service on alternate days. The Council would bo quite agreeable to that course.

Cr Wood said ho would not take it on himself to speak on behalf of the business people, but he thought the latter would be glad .to have a street service on alternate days—three days in the week—if they could not have it daily. The question was whether those who had already subscribed would feel disposed to pay when the service was only half what thoy ox-, pected. The Mayor thought that half labor would meau half pay, and that the subscribers would not therefore suffer in that way. Gr Wood went on to say that the engine-keeper (Mr Redwood) could well be spared, Jand could be just as profitably employed in watering the street as in doing any other street work at the direction-of'the Foreman. He had not yet seen Mr Redwood employed in any work on the streets. [The Mayor: You can see him outside now,] If Mr Redwood was entrusted with th« duty of watoring the streets at a certain pay, the money subscribed by the business people could then go to the funds of tho Counoil, and be of the nature of a speoial tux. He ridiculed the idea of a traffic-laden thoroughfare like Pollen street being placed on an equal footing,.as regards the dust, ! with the small by-streets. In the latter there was no stock to be do stayed, but in the main thoroughfares thousands of pounds worth of stock ran the, risk of destruction Ly the dust. Ho compared tho position of Queen street (Auckland) in contirsi with minor thoroughfares.

The Mayor interjected that considerable dissatisfaction was now being manifested in Auckland on this gftmo score; Cr Stewart said he had been under the impression that all tho ratepayers had' been taxed to find the labour when he made his former remarks, which ho now withdrew, Cr Comer pointed out that tho people on the hills only got water at high pressure time, The question was whether they should have water day and night, or at night only. The water could not be sent to the higher levels until the County supply was cut off and the reservoir turned on. That was the only way the people on the hills could get water. After further discussion it was decided, on the motion of Cr Poulgruin, to give tho alternate day systom a two weeks' trial. It was also resolved that Mr Redwood should accompany Mr Jtodewald on his first round to assist and instruct |ij|}i jn the management of tho hydrant. STATUTORY SUPPLY FROM , THE COUNTY, The Mayor referred to the uerious condition of the water supply, rind it was decided to ask the County Council to allow tho Borough to draw tho statutory supply from the water race in the Waiotahi Creek. CTthor business was then considered