Water Supply.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 133, 15 June 1901, Page 3

Water Supply.

„ To the Editor. Sir,- —I heartily agree with the Times that the engineering point raised by Mr Lysnar should be sifted. I had implicit confidence in Mr Mestayer until I read ig one item of his report, which seems to me or uite uncalled for. Mr Mestayer states : “ In comparing my report with others which have been made on the Waihirere, g it will be at once apparent that the main ij difference between them consists in the 7 storage capacity deemed necessary. Mr 7 Hill alone appears to have appreciated the vital importance of this point, and his proposal, made incidentally some years 2 ago, when he reported on artesian water-, 1 provided for a reservoir to hold 20 million 0 gallons ; this would have been sufficient 0 for a population of about 5000, but the 9 other proposals for smaller reservoirs 9 would have been utterly useless in any 2 dry seasons. I have gone very carefully 0 into this matter, and find that in a year 3 like 1878 such reservoirs would have been frequently empty, whilst in a drought such as that of 1885 to 1886 the town 2 would have been practically without ) water for over a month.” From this it ) will be seen that Mr Mestayer admits ) that the only difference between his ) report and that of Mr Boylan is ) that he provides for a larger storage ) capacity. If by following the recomI mendations of other engineers the town would have been left without water for 1 over a month in tho year, are we not justified in looking with suspicion on the report from Mr Mestayer, who says not a word about how the dam or reservoir is to be made ? It is only a quibble to try and make a distinction between the two words as Councillor Lysnar endeavored to do ; both will bo water basins whether or not they are puddled, but how far will -620,000 go in constructing a dam and puddling it at Waihirere, from which the main flow £ disappears into the bowels of the earth ? o Ask any practical contractor who has p had to do with earth work. _ tl In making this criticism I wish to add ] £ that I am a supporter of Waihirere. n Further, I believe that Mr Boylan’s e’ scheme is the most suitable ; it would do tl Gisborne for [ten years, and at no [great W expense the supply can be supplemented ™ as suggested by Mr Mestayer.—l am, etc., ' —.. ' Old Hand. _____________ Jj. The question of a new issue of postage stamps has been mooted in England. Why not issue the new stamp in tho form of the Union Jack, and thus send our letters out under the fold of the English flag.—London Daily Mail. Ono useful result of the Royal visit is that it has compelled the Government to _L paint and renovate some of its dismal and ui dilapidated-looking public buildings in th Auckland. It’s an ill wind that blows p, nobody good.—Observer. p, EXTRAORDINARY—A Special Shipment direot from London: Choice Electro-plated t, 1 Ware, Biscuit Barrels, Butter Knives, Brush tj£ Sets, Photo Frames, Purses, Handbags, eto. Splendid value. See window.—C. ROSIE & Li CO. PI