ONSLOW WATER SCHEME.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2410, 16 March 1915, Page 8

ONSLOW WATER SCHEME.

' Sir,—Mr. Kirkcaldie, in his Jotter in ; issue .of this morning, asks why ii road-grading scheme is necessary, and *says that everyono knows that water iwill run up hill as well as down hill the dam be high enough. In [this connection Mr. Kirkcaldie. ■mentions, .that the lower dam of the proiposed waterworks would be 500 ft. abovo I sea-level.. Ido mot know what Mr. Uurkcaldie wishes to be inferred from tho latter statement,, but ratepayers - must bear in mind that the whole disjtrict varies from 300 to 500 and more feet above sea-level, and too much importance must not'therefore be attached to, the statement. Mr. Kirkcaldie, •'however, entirely ignores tho fact that drainage under a gravitation system i.\vill.:not run up hill, and as the coun•'cil's' idea is to make one scheme supplementary to the other, surely the re- | grading of tho roads', will be necessary. j'As .regards the riparian rights. question, may I ask why the: legal opinionobtained by the Borough Council is not made public.'' Surely tho ratepayers are to know what the" soliciitors/.to the council think of the legal j position as respects a question that, if v given , by the Compensation Oourt against the borough, may overwhelm the district. If the council will not circulate.the opinion it is a reasonable inference that the borough solicitors, are notiso confident about the matter as Messrs.-Crump and'-Kirkcaldie. -Mr.. ,Kirk<jaldie admits" that he is not an ™Emec-r but suggests that ho has gained a-good deal'of -knowledge of tho ■scheme simply through his own investigations, including - his attendance at tho "IVgaio and Khandallah meetings of jratepayers ■ called by the Mayor. If •tho .Ngaio meeting was as-illuminating -as that held at Khandallah "I' am not '■at all'surprised at the lamentable weakness -of -Mr, Kirkcaldie's-arguments. r,do not know what - : : Mr. Kirkcaldie means by saying that his own water supply has proved entirely sufficient for or. his household, etc. There if nof reason: to think that it has not done so, seeing, that' he has a pipe daid on from the- stream that would bethe basis', of - the proposed water supply. It surely, however, does not follow that because vMr. -' Kirkcaldio ■ gets " enough water -there-, would- bei" enough for ' the whole district. lam sorry that Mr. Kirkcaldie does not answer the pertinent questions that have been' put to him. The only conclusion is that he cannot do so.'. Notwithstanding this ■ho continues to urge a schome -that would involve the two wards in an immense _arid quite unnecessary expenditure of • mqnoy at a time of stress, ■njen .money: and material are ' just about as costly as . they .can be, ' when war taxation is inevitable in the interests'of the Empire, and. when ratepayers Chore as 'vrell! as,elsewhere are face to;face; with. a- material increase in the cost of liviiig:—l am, eto.-, • : ; • JfE SUTOR ULTRA CREPIDAM. Khaiidallah, March-15; 1915.