TIMARU WATERWORKS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13241, 22 March 1907, Page 7

TIMARU WATERWORKS.

official inspf.ctiox. Thu annual inspection of the Tieadworks of the Timaru waterworks ; by- the Mayor and Korougli .''Councillors took place yesterday. Hie Mayor as it-Hal took charge of, the excursion, and invited the Councillors, the 'ex-Mayors, now in Timaru. exCouncillors, and others, (o form the party.' There were present ex-Mayors' Jackson' ( who was- Mayor 24 years ago), Jonas and (irandi, ex-Councillor Priest, Councillors Hawkey, Rothwell, Parks. .Schmidt, Hunt, Oborn, and tiiinn (who had come down from C'hristcliurch on purpose), the Town Clerk, ilr Aldred, the Council's banker, and Mr Newman, president of the Chamber of Commerce. Lx-Mavor Hole, several (. ouircilloi-s. and the Council s i-olieitors sent apologies. \ Ihe party travelled bv a drag and a waggonette,, and an express earned a, load of commissariat necessaries. Ihe route taken was by Landsborotigli road . to Ward's zigzag, and.the majority then left the vehicles and walked along the race to lSriggs' zigzag, to inspect, the plantation ot forest trees along that part of the race. Jlns plantation was made sixteen or eighteen years ago. of various kinds of trees, lliev were lound to be moi-ery good condition indeed, the trees of all-lands growing up splendidly. / ' A'part of': the plantation has been trimmed or lopped, and Councillors and visitors were of opinion, that these were- ofstronger growth ui the tops. 'lhe inspector. Mr Heswmk. .stated that to clear the. ■undergrowth of grass and lop the tvee.<: costs about 2d per tree, and he considers! iti well worth doing, for. the sake of from hie and the unproved growth:* As- 'there are between forty and .fifty, 1 thousand trees in the plantations,'. the work: <can only be done gradually, as at 2d pec-tree-the cost would be about £4OO for thetwhole.v On the way some .of . the wooden' >. ilinmng -erected > when> ihe!;- race was made&m 1882 was-: examined,.: and though lfc-slooks old and' nenslied.* on the outside, tihe'^totara:-'.-.planks' on, . being cut. into were declared to be as sound as ever. Councillors said ■ again- and again that these plantations will be worth a lot of money by and by. I liey comprise various kinds of pme and fir, oaks, ashes, and birches, and lb would be difficult to say which have grown ' best.

i Before taking, the- vehicles - ..again at i Rriggs' zigzag, Mr John .Jackson drew i attention to the shrubbmer.s of . *• JJrjggs'i I Civilly;' / and suggested lliat it- should be i,-purchased.-as a picnic ground for 'iiinaiu, it being the only spot that could be called i ' a bit of. bush " anywhere within - easy | reach of . the town. > Mr Jackson referred ! to this again later on. and suggested- that I the amount necessary to purchase the |r gully ought to be easily collectable bysubscript 1011. On reaching the Pareora it; was evident ; rhat there was; no longer any need to fear a shortage of water again, for a considerable stream was flowing under the bridge, and both branches- of the river -afforded a good splash to the four-horse team in ci'oSslng' tlieni.': - Arrived lit tlie caretaker's liur,i a large tent..was found, and a. table was, sooir spread with: a plentiful luncheon. '•&£•. After lunch; the -.Mayor;' arho pre>i..e fltfinked-iKthfr •;ex-Mayors and others for honouring jliim as guests .for the. day,' and propo>.ed;'i lliei health of ,lhe visitors. ,Jn doing soilie ..referred i to >the.'good', service rendered to'the Borough by the ex-Mayors, and Mr Jackson, in connection with the. financing ot the waterworks loan iind l]ic ; -initiation of the; works.- Referring to.-'fefiiK chairman of the (ihamber of Commerce,: Mr Oraigie suggested that uveli'l the• .'Chamber would ba to ge£"'.nijs Australian passenger ..boats cidl at liniiini, and to agitate tor a cart wharf till: one was- obtained. - tie spoke also the.. Council s ..indebtedness to theirbankers, and' remarked that the overdraft w*is to. some, extent due to the evpansjon of itluj unices, on which and on lmpi-oving " tihe » water race, ■ £I2OO-" was • .spent'- litsfi- year. Previous Mayors for a i long time-had a balance of loan fund to s.psncT/- bi»t.-lliat: M as all gone, before, he bec.trrfe. Mayor.- Anot hep expenditure bailing till* sime eftect a a- the puulii-e ot an i engine- ana, tulllis, which would prove, a gtWi,-r investineia. . I The .party then walked along the race | beiMi M oil*?, and,the councillors and ' 111a '-'b •: ,l J lea.sure:, : at- j thfl : I cleanlinesi# of,.ihe,M'aoe, and - the clearness of .the water... Mr ; lies wick said 'there 1A a> iTiboui..: 2.1 million, gallons of - w;U,t per. day,.flo>v;-mg. m riie/'Upper -pa,rb-ofvthe but a good deal was : turned ofl' at a bywash and tlvie is Mime leakage and '-oak ige .iiotind "Mount ■"Horrible, mi that the dehveiy aLtlie ie-eivoir is .tbont li mil jic.!is-. v There was a -good. stream flowing <'■» cj; (be dam, srifgo- ing to' --eveial of (h» visitors, that if such a stream were per-' mangnt.> there was piiwfci - ! enough; to. supply Tnnani wuh elicuiuh 1 he ms[ ectoi pointed,our, on the way up,several places "M liertf tl'ie ra.ee had fronv/tnne ti< time broken away. and Jiow tlie 1 planting of willows, naw grou li into sturdy trees; 1 had • rendered the l ue secure from destiuitne «.loui by iloods m the river. -A. bit; 'flood flowing 'ilia water tails over the dam in ordinary times leii"oi tv«he feet. <»ncl Mi- Bevnidj, - ..said that in the biggest flood , be: ever saw; in the -rwer,- ■ the positionof tfbe 1 dam was; indicated only by ,a slight, curve in the 1 surfaceU>( the'" stream. return jr/iirney,.! the party, .insteadApot ~ --walking iilong the 'race again, clautbered over' a low spur.: of Mount Mi sei 'y foi'-a—'<horC cuty: and: found it,harder- work, ,'lhe visitors. -.-.wera laipposed-io ■ cobect their' thoughts tcr-tlijn- repiie-, on the hilt kr.meoMherii forgot; that in intsfiJmteresting' recreation of garnering -mushrooms. -Uu regaining the tent, afternoon-lea was i widy, i ;anU .Mr j). (shine was complimented on iu.v i •■•-Vbrew and on his at.ention as atuateui ii eiei 1 lien lollowed ths; replies of the visitors, i4l ot whom thanked tiie -Mayor lon giving i them it -pleasant oatmg. ,:io some tlie :-t:cene wa»- '-lanuliaiv 'othe-Ust liad never s been, iliere -betoie, :and- they- --spoke,- of: the pleaij-, tire. • it had.: given- theni: tor. spend iw,-day ■ arnidsc/ :iuggsid . scenery, so Uillerent. hoiii anything -visible near l imam. v - .sir J aekso'ii said he had not • been to the dam lor 20 years, .but, . about hvc-aiid-, : twenty years ago he went two or times up and down every inch of the iaiJ.6. during liS^construction. He ineiition?iJ jKo iti,a Ik- i\ji the oldest .settlei in l?areoi'a> and--iliß-oldest of 'limant's in Xiniaru—not the oldest alne as MiUeorgil CJlitE preceded linn. : Mx Jackson made one suggestion which was endoi»fcd •by all other speakers;-..that Mi tiaigie would consent to act as Majoi .toi anpttici (tha sixth) term, and.complete, oi get- n ell under way. the .underground drainage scheme. *Ai;: 1o the mianeial ; aspect of ihe scheme, he said they mii.st have innu and more advantages: a.v the toiin .and they could liot have tiie.ni wnhoui; paying for them : and those -.\lio must, pay litre those who had the money. All: the other,invited guests lollowed. Mr Jonas recalled the fact thai, Majoi Clift initiated the water works scheme,, and in regard to old criticisms on the 7 pel cent, interest, lie pointed out that the vatei-work-i had been a. very good imcstment. He spoke energetically in favour of undei- - ground drainage, and said it should lie carried out oven though it- cost a great de.il more ihan Mr Marchant-'s estimate. Mr Grandi compared . the condition of limam to-day in regard to uatei supply, with -what id v as when, they had to lely on a few public wells, winches, and buc-

keis. The water works, he considered, were of more . importance to Timaru than the harbour.-He bad" always' hoped for underground, drainage, ,btit Ilipuglit it better to wait till the water works loan matured and': they, could' .then get two loans for the same money. The. loan Mould lis maturing ijooii, so' that it : was time, to >-. X about tlie drainage work., , .' Mr Newman spoke of the duties of the Chamber of Commerce, and bespoke the support of the small trader, to whom the Chamber .could be made as useful as to the large, trader. .He stated that the Chamber had requested the two companies to allow their Australian passenger boats, or some of tliem to call, at Timaru, and ..tliey ••■■ere awaiting and .hoping for, a favourable reply. -'Mr Newman had not seen the .water work? before, and he eougratiilatc-d ilip Mavor and townspeople on having such a. well, executed., and - well .-kept, and valuable pi op2l Mr Aldred and Mr I'viest also made a few remarks in reply. Ill' "Mayor .proposed- the health of exCouncdlor Pnesr, in order to make an opportunity to wish him a plea»arit. vovage to the Old \ ountrv (lot- which lie leaves early uext month) and it safe letiinl.

' In responding. Mr Priest mentioned -that iie bad bran 40 years m lirnarti, and that, except- Mr Jack-on:s and Mr • iShepharcl f his firm S' was me oldest- continuous business in-the town. He gave some reminiscences of lus earlier years as a youth in .-aid rear 't'liris.teh'i};rci»,'. «"hc-i;B,.' : he arrived villi. liis? parents 44. yeaiv<: a^o, : , and' of his entrance into the hardware, line in r I imaru with Mr Tlsccc. He thanked the company •foi- -1 heir good wishes, and assured (hem ilia!,lie would 1)2 back in lunavu.as quickly a-; possible. Councillor Hawkcv proposed, the health of lh 1 ? Mavor. and staleu that, he had been a»ked bv ail the councillors fo request Mr Craigii to allow himself to ba nominated lor a rixtli term as Mayor. The Council now had some very important- works in hand, and fit would" be a very, great, misfake to change their Mayor at: the. present jenctii-p. After ledious negotiations 'the Contract for the electric light, was- • now about tixed up. but: there was the underground drainage scheme to uu placed beiore the ratepayers and no one could do so well a-. Ml lie hoped he would consent to sec that work earned oul, or at all events well underway. > Councillor I'otliwell, supported . the:: request. adding ihltt he had opposed ; the scheme at first,-, in the interests of the suburban wards, but it. had been modified until it- would be an v advantage to them also: '■: ! ,-: ■ • ■■" i, Councillor .Schmidt : concurred, and remarked that the unproved scheme was the most- democratic ever devised, as it favoured the small ratepayer. It would cost them less than , the present scavenging-..' - ; ■ ' '

Councillor-' Oborn■ added;..a .suggestion that. the drain pipes should be put down as. •soon fas' possible* to save- breaking up •improved • streets again. Councillor G'unn agreed with tlie previous speakers. and said that it was scarcely le.-.s .important ■ that Mr .Craigie. should be. elected lo tho Harbour Board, where his tact arid conciliatory manner would be of great service in ending tlie unseemly discussions tlie Board now indulged in. If he. stood and -was elected. Mr Craigie ivould be (lie proper man to bo chairman, for the chairman ought to be a town resident. . Councillor Hunt and Mr 1 I'nest also spoke to the toast, the tormer referring to the Mayor's mastery ot the-details ot itll the business of the Council; and expressing the opinion that the drainage scheme, amended by adding iho cost- of connections would be; in favour of small owners. . Hie municipal buildings was anotJier "work that Mr Craigie should see carried out.. ihe Mayor, in reply, said..that to be asked to stand again years of office was a compliment. ofriw-hiuh: anyone ought ,to . be: proud. -- ;:He AVais willing to accept, the invitation, .because if he left the . Council ..now - lie. would, feel that lie ■was" doing so before his -work was done, and lie .would, therefore offeri-hnnself for re-election.. (Applause.) ■ were several things that -he would like to see carried .out., and these had been mentioned, except one, the ])ublic library, which (he considered- of. very, great importance; too. He-wished to see that carried our. beiore i he -relim/uislied. tlie- chair.- He; made" a few -remarks on .the. advantage' that the possession .of electricity as an alternative i to gas. for light and power,;..would be j to 'Limai u ; and explained tli,-it adding tlie cost of; drainage connection*? to- the loan i expenditure only objected'' 10 ivhen hrst i proposed by Councillor - Hawkey, for ,:fear j of . making .the: loan.-so large as-to frighten i people. • The taking over of 1 lie scaveug- i lng; mill it free. removal, 'would i be a .full set-ofr to that -increase. In I fact., thev whole . -cost of the • underground i drainage, (o the small ratepayer, would be | less than the '.-present, pan, system, ..which I soma visitors had declared -was abomni- | able, and the Ijirger ratepayers were 111 | favour of, the .scheme;- . As t0... the H ar- j ■hour I'ourd, he had already- about; as I much on his liands as ho could do. but ] lie had been asked before 1 to come out., r, and if it- was thought he could do better than anyono else, lie would sacrifice more of; his time to that duty. He, too, convi sidered that the chairman of the Board should be a town resident. .Mr Craigie 1 hanker! the company tor accepting his invitation, especially Councillor Uuiin, ■who had come 100 miles for the purpose of being present; . Tlie Town Clerk, the Overseer and Waterworks staff, '.concluded-(he toast list., and' the party started ;for ..thjj two hours: drive home, at- 5.30 v .