Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1872.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 140, 16 July 1872, Page 4

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JULY 16, 1872.

We desire again to say a few words on the Cromwell Water Supply Question. From time to time, for the last two years, articles have appeared in these columns upon This subject. As our readers are well aware, we have always opposed, upon sanitary and economic grounds, the present plan ot supply from the westward ; and have been in favour of obtaining a supply from Firewood Creek, on the east side of the Clutlia. Our reasons for advocating this scheme are well known, and wo will do no more than repeat them here shortlv. They are as follow:—As regards the water, abundance of supply, purity of quality, and sufficient hydraulic pressure ; and, as regards the works for its supply, economy in construction and maintenance. Cut it seems that the Town Council doubt the first and last of these features. A considerable time ago, we suggested that a competent person should bo asked to report upon this scheme of supply from Firewood Creek ; but the suggestion has not been acted upon, iherctore, it is simply from hearsay, and without any direct knowledge upon the matter, that the members of the Council hold the opinion that a sufficient supply can not ho obtained at an elevation which would ensure the requisite pressure j throughout the town. And this opinion, ! too, is iu the face ot the expressed and I published belief of a professional gentleman who resided here for some years, (while holding the position of District Engineer for the Interior), that from an elevation of at leas 1 , a hundred feet above

the level of the Bridge, a supply equal 25,000 gallons per twenty-four hours which would be more than adequate} the requirements of the town for w years to come—could be brought in witj out difficulty. This gentleman further Sa j —“ In rouL’hlv estimating the eo«t ■ o J “ o SO ‘ plying the town in this manner, I d 0 “ from my recollection of the distance “ but 1 may safely say that it would j, “ exceed £SOO. This would include CC: “ of storage-reservoir, cutting the tracj “ and laying a line cf two-inch pipes f ro , “the reservoir to the Post-office; a p p | “ ances for regulating the supply of \vat e , “ &c. &c.” And, from personal inspection we ourselves hold the opinion, and h a , before expressed it, that an abundance t water can be obtained at an elevation ( from 100 to 300 feet above the Cronnve] Bridge.

When it is remembered that the sche® which the Town Council propose to carp out is estimated to involve an expenditmi of over £370 (in addition to the £o(j already absorbed in the purchase of wau and repairs to race) merely for convey® water in pipes as far us Mr Coodgeh' corner, and that they have estimated th cost of extending that supply to the Brido Hotel at something over £BOO, —we thin! we are only speaking in the interests o the ratepayers when we ask the Council ti pause before going any further with sucl an expensive scheme. A scheme which moreover, possesses no single merit: th water is abominably impure and unwhole some in quality, uncertain in supply, aa utterly useless as regards pressure for tl extinction of tire. The perennial puiit of the water in Firewood Creek, none cai doubt. It runs for the greater part of it course along a rocky bottom, deep down it a sequestered gully ; shaded for half tli longest day in summer by precipitous dig hundreds of feet high ; margined and oftei overtopped by flowering evergreens ; ant takes its rise far away among the mom tains, almost within the region of eterm snow. And it is to the exclusion of tlii water, —as pure and pellucid, wo dare In sworn, as any on Cod’s beautiful earth,that the Town Council of Cromwell persist in enforcing upon us the use of a spurion compound which, in i s tortuous meander iugs for some twenty miles through barrel sandy plains and along gravelly terrace slopes, is exposed to the fierce glare of the summer suit all the livelong day ; andii open to all the abominations it must reeeivo and retain during its sluggish pa sage through a heavily-stocked cattle and slieq country.

We think we litivo s:iill enough to war] rant the request that the Council will take a report upon the Firewood Creek scheme from some professional engineer. Doubtless the Government Engineer, Mr Hews, would undertake to furnish such a report, if lie were asked. We do not profess to have any faith that the Council will listen to our advice in this matter. Experience has taught us the utt t uselessness of hop ing that the Town Council will do anvthing they ought to cl >, —in this mattero( Water Supply, at any rate. And it is our intention, if this present writing shall be ot no avail against the perverseness and stiffnecked ness of the “ corporate carcase,' 1 to wash our hands of the subjectsus-

tained, however, in our knowledge of nonsuccess by the knowledge, also, that « have done our duty as a guardian of the public interest, and a promoter hf its health and comfort, in that we have exposed tie deficiencies and protested against the continuance of the present inter nitteut, inadequate, costly, and, witlial, filthy supply.

Some months ago, as most of our readers aiv aware, Mr Joiix hPComMiciv entered into an arrangement with the Provincial Government relative to building a briJs over the Kawarau lliver, at a point above the continence of the Bannockburn Creek Tiie terms of the arrangement were, that Mr M‘Ooumiok was to build the bridge at his own cost, according to a plan approve! of bv the Provixcial Engineer : and that the Government were to form the ap preaches to the bridge on either side. B* plans were prepared by the Province Engineer, and, after some unnecessary delay, were placed in the hands of M'Uomnciv, who at once sot a number of men to work on the main pier. This pee tion of the undertaking is to bo complete! by the contractors, under a penalty oft**

guineas a day, on the 31st of the present month. It is a physical impossibility 110 build the leaser pier until the approachM the north side of the river shall 1 18 least partially formed. That this is 3 i work ot considerable magnitude will b i admitted wit m we state that it involve i the removal of some 35.000 cubic yards ot ! earth and stone, and that it will occupy | under the most favourable circumstance;

Ij, i ea st six weeks in completion. Mr |f‘CoBMiCK and his coadjutors, (Messrs |< ra ut anti Richards,) have written to government asking that the necessary xcavation may be proceeded with.in terms f the arrangement before alluded to, but 'ye as yet received no reply. The Prorincial Government’s proverbial proneness o procrastination stands prominently forth a co nnection with this matter. Tlie bridg,of the Kawarau cannot fail to give a ,o’verfnl impetus to the development of j, e vast mining resources of the JBannock|UrQ and Garrick Range ; and by impeding lie progress of this important work, the joverument are not only hampering the Enterprising projectors of the bridge, but leriously retarding the prosperity of the •utire district.