Correspondence.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 402, 21 January 1904, Page 5

Correspondence.

(We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions, expressed by ow eorrtsp&AmJts.);

ALEXANDRA" W3^Rw6rkS. 10 _THB KDITOB.- \ * ;■ Sir,—l notice in your last week's paper a letter by Mr James Rivers, r* Alexandra Waterworks, I would privately, quietly, and confidentially advise that gentleman, that is, if he wants to sell another head of water to the Alexandra Borough Council to do so as soon as possible while this extremely dry weather prevails, for the Mayor and burghers are sly folk, longheaded, and quick at catching points, and they are fully alive to the fact that .two heads of water are amply supplying the city of Christchurch with a population of 40,000, sanitary and sewerage flushings included. .Another man tells me who has the ; de'il's own head for figures, that a ! head of water will fill a 600 gallon tank in one minute or run 36,000 gallons into a fish pond in one hour, 864,000 gallons into an empty lake basin in one day, or empty 10,048,000 gallons into the sea in a week. One man suggests building the walls of Jericho to keep the sea away, similar to their mode in Holland. \nother man suggests getting Mr Rivers to buy back half a head of water to prevent a flood. Another one says '• No; a head of water will do us, but certainly we do not require rivers." Another man is not sure but 'suspects that the water is being tampered with lately, and consequently tapered off to work the oracle. You. can understand that things are not what they u«<ed to be here in the olden days, the school children teach the old buffers now something about the ordinary rudiments of simple multiplication. I fain would give Mr Rivers the wink slyly and privately and urge him to sell quickly, if he wants to. I am only speaking as a passing observer and a friend.—l am, &c, Shtlooe Abraham, Alexandra, January 16th.

WATER SUPPLY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Seeing a letter in your paper last week from Mr Rivers to the Council I think it is hardly fair to let this letter go unanswered. It takes very few brains to understand the drift of Mr Rivers' letter. He accuses the ratepayers of using too much water, and not giving the reservoir a chance to fill, in the event of a fire or break in the race. Well, this is a matter that does not affect him in the least. All he has to do is to let the head of water run into the reservoir, night and day; and then if we find the supply running short it is a matter for the Council to discuss. We all know it is a serious matter to be short of water this hot weather, and I hope Mr Rivers will see his way clear to put the full head of water into the reservoir, which we are justly entitled to. We are asking no favor from Mr Rivers only what we have paid for,: and I think when any one pays for an: article they are entitled to _have it.— I am, &a,

A Ratepayer. Alexandra, 19/1/04.

MUNICIPAL MISMANAGEMENT AND

EXTRAVAGANCE.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sm,—With your permission, the undersigned, as one of the ratepayers in the Borough, desires to have something to say anent the above heading. Ever since the present wretched water rcbeme was first mooted, matters municipal have gone from bad to worse, and unless stepped our little municipality will collapse, and people will be driven elsewhere. That the Borough should have touched the Tucker Hill scheme is now evident enough. The Mayor and councillors will doubtless shelter themselves behind the majority vote in favour of the scheme; but public opinion needs directing. It has bee* 4 case of the blind leading the blind, and both have fallen into the ditch - I mean the water-race. The Mayor and councillors, in this matter, do not show enough backbone to assert their rights . But now that this expensive water scheme is supposed to be in fuU operation, why is the water turned off, and the Borough reservoir allowed to run dry? Mr James Rivers, in his letter to the ratepayers, says the full head of water is used, and the reservoir will not conserve any. Rumour says that thistles, tussocks, scrub, &c'., find their way into the race somehow, and block up the guage-box at the intake, thus preventing the full head of water from going into the reservoir. But, really, except for watering the streets and gardens it signifies little whether the water is turned off or on, as it is so dirty that people cannot either cook their food or wash their clothes with it. I would like to know if Professor Black received a fair sample of this expensive water foranalysis, or was it filtered before being sent to Dunedin. Were the Professor to get a sample of the water as it comes from the service taps now, he would hesitate to certify that it was suitable for domestic purposes. It seems to me it cannot be otherwise The swamp it comes from is foul; it travels through some twenty miles of open race, gathering up pollution as it goes; and it is then stored up in the Stockyard dam, to be further contaminated.

I say, however, that the ratepayers of tbe Bo v ough should demand their pound of Ueeh, for which they have to pay 10 deatyi and this u the very

tune of year when the-water is most valuable, dirty though it be. I intend in the future to give councillors a little more plain speech, and I hope I have not offended the tender sensibilities of some of pur cuff-and-collar magnates. Apologising for trespassing on your space, and thanking you in anticipation.—X am, &e., ■; v Ratepayer, Alexandra, Jan. 20th,

excised portions of our correspondent's letter, which we think are unduly personal in their character.