WATER RETICULATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18354, 27 August 1929, Page 9

WATER RETICULATION

FOR FIRE FIGHTING PURPOSES. ALLEGED DISCREPANCY IN REPORTS. At the last meeting of the Timaru Borough Council the Borough engineer submitted a report dealing with the \vate T * reticulation of the Borough for fire-fighting purposes. The engineer named a number of streets in which the pipes were small, giving an insufficient supply of water. The General Committee reported that the matter had been held over till the next meeting. * Last night the General Committee referred to the matter as follows: — "The engineer’s report, held over from previous meeting, was considered, and It is recommended that it be brought up for consideration with next year’s estimates.” Councillor Benstead said that he was the Council's representative on the Fire Board, and that day he had taken the trouble to go into the matter with the Superintendent of the Brigade. The Mayor (Mr W. Angland), said that the Committee had recommended that the matter be held over, and no good would be gained by discussing it Councillor Benstead: “If I can’t be heard I’m going home.” He went on to say that the Borough engineer haa given them a list of streets in which be stated the mains were 4-inches, in diameter, but the figures supplied to him by the Superintendent of the Brigade showed most of them as three Inches, two 2i inches, while in part of York Street there was no main at all. He intended to ask for a further report from the engineer as to the position. Councillor Benstead asked: ‘‘ls It the duty of the Council, through the engineer, to supply the Superintendent of the Brigade with reliable figures so that he will know how many mains there are in the Borough, or has he to come to the Council and ask what alterations have been made? “The superintendent’s plan shows that in Elizabeth Street 6-inch pipes have been coupled up with 4-inch, 3-inch and * 2-’nch pipes. “Dead men tell no tales,” added the speaker, “and covered pipes tell no tales, until they are opened up.” Councillor Benstead went on to say that he had looked into the plans, and either the superintendent was wrong, or the engineer was wrong. The whole thing was unsatisfactory. The recommendation of the Committee was that the report be brought up for consideration when next year’s estimates were under consideration. "How can we find £7OOO on the estimates?” he asked. “It is a matter for a

loan. Are you content to allow this serious matter to go on indefinitely?” The Mayor said that the Council had been in office only five months, and they could not do e\erything. It would take £7500 to do the work Councillor Benstead had referred to. If they were to raise a loan, they could kerb and channel the streets when they were reticulating them. The engineer had in his possession a plan of the reticulation of the whole Borough, and it was the Superintendent’s duty to got to the engineer and get a note of the extra mains when they were put in Councillor Benstead: “Your ruling then Is that it is the duty of the Superintendent to come to the Council everv time a change is made?” The Mayor: “Not necessarily.” Councillor Benstead: “The plan I saw, was produced in Mr Howitt’s time, and that was year’s ago. It is verv murn out of date." The Mayor said that a special loan would have to be raised for the purpose The Fire Board was costing a good deal now. Possibly it was the dutv of the Council to provide better mains, but it was also the duty of the fire insurance people to reduce their charges. For years no reduction had been made In c-ne case, citizens had paid to have their area reticulated so as to protect themselves, but the companies had not reduced their rates. That was a matter Councillor Benstead could 'ook into in the interests of the citizens. Councillor Benstead said that he was obliged to the Mayor for his information. Unless one studied the figures, one could not take any action. The Mavor said he could give Councillor Benstead the whole premiums pain ir Timaru f or a year. Council I '"' Benstead: “I will take the matter on.” The Mavor: “You will see that the Council hos not lost anv time in putting matters right which were wrong when we came into office, and there is a lot *o b ra Hnr*e yet.” Councillor CHHo~k: We fhould give Councillor credit for having drawn at tent’on to this matter.” The matter was not discussed further.