WATER CONSUMERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 129, 24 February 1908, Page 7

WATER CONSUMERS.

JB WE ARE COT OFF==? ' r

LARCE CUSTOMERS INTERVIEWED. < The following list, showing tho largest co» sumors of the city's water supply, through registered meters, was published in our issue of Saturday's date:— , ■ • Gallons per. month. Wellington Harbour Board .... 2,000,000 J. Staples and Company, brewers 800,000 Kirkcaldie and Stains, Limited ... 540,000 •Wellington Gas Company, Limited 524,000 Wellington and Manawatu It'lway 500,000 T. G. M'Carthy, brewer 320,000 P. Wjlls, laundry ... ... 276,000 A. Naismiih, laundry ... ... 266,000 E. H. Crease and Son, Limited, Condiment manufacturers ■... 130,000 " •: ! 5,356,000 Claims of tho Port. It will bo seen from the comparative table of consumption per month tliat the Wellington Harbour Board ia by far —1,200,000 gallons in fact—the biggest- drain on our resources. About one-sixth of the total amount is absorbed/by tho big hydraulic cranes on tho wharves, while tho greater part of tho remaindor is supplied to tho ships, and it will readily bo admitted that tho latter ia a necessity. Nor aro tho hydraulic .'cranes likely' to' bo disconnected. ; , A representative of The Dominion visited sonio of the principal consumers on Saturday, and .asked thenr how ,they would be affected ih.lthß' ovent: of the supply being 'cut-oif.- His first call was! at Messrs. Kirkcaldie' and Stains's, Limited, whose monthly consumption was set . down at 540,000 gallons. This seemed an extraordinary amount •for.''a;drapery firm to consume.- The reason. was\ explained to our representative by Mr. Dawson, ; manager of the firm.' -The wator supply was used for two purposes. _ First oi all-there; was'the passenger lift, which, in an emergency, could be-dispensed-with. ■ Pumping Out a Cellar. • '. The water consumed connected.with thti lift was, however, trifling compared toWhat was used .with the. Siphon-'hydraulic pump, which kept tho cellar dry. It appeared that a considerable quantity of water found' ite way from the hills to the firm's underground cellar, necessitating constant !pumping. .On one or two occasions, when the supply had, for'some-reason, been cut offthe pressure of water : underneath /had burst the ceilai floor. Tho reporter accompanied Mr. Dawson downstairs, and found that preparations-wers already in-progress for the removal'of all valuable material from tho .collar, in anticipation of: the water supply being cut off. The presenti occasion will, no doubt, suggest tc tho firm the advisability of. installing pumping plant • for different power, either elec-: tricity or gas. ■

Beer and Water. • ' I Leaving (this establishment, .the Pressman next visited an establishment of quite a different sort.-' Instead, of silks and-satins,'fes- ' toons of lace arid embroideries, and other characteristics of a drapery business,. ho . found himself in a place where the chief characteristic was beer. The place had, a beery smell; and a beery look. , Beer oy the bottle,' by .the: cask,; by the - vat—ho. could havo.had; a; bath in it: It was it-he establish-, mont of'Staples'and. Company, into whose promises l something, like S00,000: gallons of tho city's! now precious water supply disappears'every' month, t'. The reporter soughtthe firm's, brewer, explained the position, and asked-him what, ho thought about it.. "We would have to'shut up shop,'! said'l- - brewer. ....... ' , Tho Pressman wns appalltfd. "No beer?" ho gasped: as he thought of tho consuming thirst of'certain distracted individuals in the-community. ; "Oh, no—not so bad as that," replied tho ■ brewer.', "We carry; a fair stock,, although a. good, deal , of' thatrhas .gone Iduriug the receiit'-hot weather, , 'i.ho"cbnfinuedi ! • "What about-the'menj—would they, be told off-, for the- period. during; which 'the supply • was .cnt'-off P' was the next question. "Well," came the reply, "that, of course, would lie with tho directors. The meu could easily 'be kept exceedingly busy, for : a week 'or ;t\vo, cleaning up,; whitewashing, and so ■forth.', Work could. be found for all hands. During the busy season'there is not much time- for a systematic; sort of 'spring cleaning, 1 and advantago would no doubt > betaken of the compulsory cessation of work to do this." ' .. - . ■ ! The firni uses , tlio water supply in almost'. every ;dopartment of its industry—coolin'j; tho beer, washing purposes, malting, .and so 1 forth.

Locomotives,; Laundries. 'The- .Wellington '.'and Manawatu Railway Company's supply'is of course for'tho loco- • motives," and is not likely to be interfered : with."'.' ' 7' • ; \ The next, call was at one of the big laundries, where washing is done for the shipping 'companies;' hotels,, and so. forth. The place was steaming., " 'Piles of blankets, neatlj. ; folded, stood ready for, despatch, to-- theji i /:■' owners. : .The great unwasllod; filled their, various 'compartments.'tb .overflowing! It way ; past noon, and the toilers had departed.' A :, member of the; oflice staff, upon loarning th». nature of the reporter's business, smiled,'-and ;■; pointed to.tho great unwashed. "We couldn't , , go on," said he.' , . ' The engineer of tho Wellington Gas Com- ' pany (Mr. Birsh). said that their supply was . . ' . chiefly Mised in their . smithy- r . blasts, etc. He explained that they would i be able, with considerable inconvenience, of course, to carry on. The smithy-blasts could '■, V be operated by bellows. . . • Messrs. 'E.. H.; Crenso 'and Son, Limited, who .use a,"considerable quantity of water, ex-:. ' plained'that the' disconnection of their 'ser- r : ,.-- vice:would bo very inconvenient. They had a goods elevator,'arid the stoppage of this would mean,.the, 1 carrying bv hand of goods ; from one story of the building to the ■ other. '- . ' Mr; S. Brown, head of the .well-known firm •••: ;.of wood, coal, and jprodnco dealers, asked-if, -V the stoppage, of their service would, interfere: witli ! their -wood "supply business, replied that'; • • ; it would not. materially affect; them. ■ They,,. /, , would manage without it,' at.a Jpinch.