THE WATER SUPPLY.

Evening Star, Issue 3971, 16 November 1875, Page 2

THE WATER SUPPLY.

To the Editor. # The letter in your issue of November 11th, signed “ Ratepayer,” in which he states that “the riparian right holders have, by every influence in the Assembly, prevented the Corpora'ion from obtaining the water from the Leith being taken except by arbitration for the whole of their several businesses, ihe Corporation Gill, as introduced by the Council, provided for full compensating water power to them, and in the event of not carrying out their part of this contract then to give them compensation in money for any loss they might sustain,” is perfectly correct, despite the contradiction of the letters signed “ Citizen ” and “James Wilson” in your issue of Saturday evening. The original Bill, as introduced by the City Council, contained the following clauses;

The said Corporation shall at its sole option either make compensation in money to riparian proprietors whose respective rights shall bo extinguished, abridged, interfered with, or otherwise prejudicially affected by the exercise of the power hereinbefore given to the said Corporation, to take, divert, and impound the water or the said stream and its tributaries (such compensation in money to be ascertained as hereinafter mentioned), or shall provide and supply such riparian proprietors from the water mains of the said Corporation, or from a compensation reservoir to be constructed by and at the expense of the said Corporation, as hereinafter mentioned, with the some quantity of water as such ripaiian proprietors respectively shall be entitled to take and use from the said, or any of its tributaries at the time of the passing of this Act, subject nevertheless to such regulations as ore hereinafter mentioned, [NoUce of election being provided by sec. 6.] Provided always that in all oases )n which riparian proprietors have heretofore used or diverted and used the water of the said stream, or any of its tributaries, as a motive power for any kind of machinery, in the event of the said Corporation electing to supply such riparian proprietors with water from the said water mains or the said compensation reservoir, for the said or similar purposes, it shall not be obligatory upon the said Corporation to do more than to provide such riparian proprietors with water-power equivalent to that which they respectively formerly used as aforesaid, regard being had only to the power which water supplied from the said water mains, or the said compensation reservoir, when properly applied, is capable of exerting upon such machinery, as aforesaid, and not, as in other coaes, to the volume or quantity of such water. _ That from and for ever after such cesser and extinction of the rights of the said riparian proprietors as last aforesaid the said Corporation shall supply to each of such riparian proprietors from the said water mains or from the compensation reservoir as the case maybe a proper quantity of water in a reasonably beneficial and convenient manner (regard being had to the purpose for which such supply of water shall in each case be rerequired) : Provided always that if the said Corporation shall at any time hereafterflwilfully or negligently fail to supply the said riparian propraetors, or any of them, with a proper quantity of water as aforesaid, the said Corporation shall be liable to compensate the said riparian proprietors respectively in damages which may bo recovered against the said Corporation at the option of the said riparian proprietors respectively either in the Supreme Court of New Zealand or any other Court of competent jurisdiction in the said City or in a summary way under “ The Justices of Peace Act, 1866," and the Acts amending the same which have since been or may hereafter be passed; but the said Corporation shall _ not be liable to make any compensation to riparian proprietors in the event of a dry season making it impossible to supply them with a proper quantity of water. 1 think the perusal of these clauses at once show tbs truthfulness of “ Hatepayer’s” re marks, even against che bare assertions of “ Citizen” and Mr James Wilson’s denials.—l am, &c , Barnabd Isaac. Dunedin, November 16.