WATER SUPPLY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1493, 29 June 1905, Page 3

WATER SUPPLY.

S§BLIC MEETING OF BATEPAYERS. -

j Bcspito the unfavorable stnto of 'ibo l weather Inst evening there wss a.large and representative attendance of tutej payors at tho public meeting held in His I ‘ Majesty’s Tbeatro to consider matters in | connection with tho water supply. On tho motion of Captain Tucker his [ Worship the Mayor (Mr J. Tcwoley) was s voted to the chair. | The Mayor, who was received with f applause, road tho requisition, and stated Nlhat tho various gentlemen whoso uauios on the list wero at liberty to come forward and address the meeting. I The invitation was at once responded to by Mr James East, who moved tho ;followibg resolution “ That this meeting respectfully requests tho Borough Council , n_3t to use any stool pipes in connection vj'with tho water works, as there aro vory ! strongrensons to boliovo that there nregravo I doubts as to their durability.’’ Speaking j to tho resolution, Mr East said the To J- Arai soheme was first discovered by Mr . Reynolds, and at that time it wa3 thought ' tho scheme was too oostiy. Tho supply WD3 a good one, but there were gravo ■ doubts in regard to several matters in the - estimate adopted by the Council. The .' speaker at some length condemned tho use v of steel pipes, ond stated that as the ratef payers had to pay the piper they should ■ certainly considor what was bast to be done. I As far as ho could see tho members of the | Council did not know what to do iu the V. matter. This was quite evident to anyone ■reading the reports of tho Council's meetIngs. Many people wondered what tha Council wece taere for. Iu the opinion of ft large body of ratepayers thore wero grave l doubts in regard to the use of steel pipes. | Mr F. Harris seconded tho resolution. & Ha considered that steel pipes were too ex-, perimsntal and Gisborne should wait and J' Bee them proved oisewhera before adopting them. The speaker mentioned several places where the pipes had been proved a • failure. Mr W. D. Jjysnar supported the resolution. At some length he plaood before the meeting tho steps taken by the Council np • to the appointment of Mr Hay as engineer. Mr Lysnar pointed out that both Messrs eynolds and Hay had reported adversely 'regard to the use of steel pipes,but after caipt of the Council’s resolution approv\of their use he had collected informs .which he he said caused him to fall ih the Council’s views. Mr Jjysnar *' Jd the opinion of several New Zealand neers, already published, and also read 19 meeting the following opinions re’ed that day in regard to enquiries ich he had made:— To Government Manager Westland , ater Races, Eumara—Understand you lave have experience using steel pipes; would you recommend their use under groan d Gisborne water Boheme instead of <ijf oast iron for economy ? Beply oolleot to- '■ day.—Douglas Lysnar.”,. (Reply.) “ Douglas Lysnar, Gisborne—My experionco in the use of st^el.pipes at Kumaru is such that £ would not recommend their use in any permanent work ; iron is better and cast iron hetter still.Alex. Aitken.” » . .''To Carlau, Water Works Manager, 4City Council, Auckland—Understand you have had experience steel pipes. Would you recommend them for use Gisborne water soheme under ground ? Reply collect. —Douglass Jjysnar.” ' (Beply.) “ Douglas Lysnar, Gisborne—No experience steel pipes as yet; 'cannot. offer sopiDion.—J. Carlau.” > ; The speaker pointed out that the reply from the manager of the Auckland water works was eigmficont, as extensive works were'at present under eonstruo'tion in that :oity, and stse! pipes had not been U3cd. vjUpinions from men who had worked for years. on different waterworks were also . strongly agaiaa&the use of steel pipes. The Mayor said that the Counoil had not decided to use steel rivet6ed pipes. It ./was intended to call for tenders for three classes of pipes, viz., spiral rivetted, lock bar and another sort. Mr Lysnar: But they are all steel

-pipes. Tbs Mayor, continuing, said that many iS/friß of steel pipes were ia use in Cool%&Me. I In reply to Mr H. Miller, the Mayor yaid that he could not say whether ths pipes in Ooolgardie were carried on the "surface or underground. ;He had it from Mr Hay that many miles of the pipes *. were underground. ' , Mr lan Simson, as one signing the requisition, also supported the resolution. He made a strong protest to the manner in which business was conducted by the Borough Council. He considered that it W 33 the'worst conducted Council in existence. " Beading the reports,” con- . tinned the speaker, ” one would think he was reading about a Christ.y minstrel entertainment, with two cornormen, and Mr . Johnston in the chair. (Laughter). As a ratepayer and father ofjchildron I object to posterity beiog loaded with another whito elephant. We have the breakwater already, ■ and I urge ratepayers to pause before they commit themselves to another.” The speaker pointed out that bad the Council invited applications for the position of engineer they could, have got dozens of men thoroughly qualified to earry out tho work for a quarter the amount they were payiDg. Ob the lines the Council were going the ratepayers would soon have to face a five.or six shilling rate. The motion was then put to the meeting, thirty-two voting for it and five against. - The Mayor remarked on tlaafact that the majority of those present had not voted either way. Mr F. Harris moved the second resolution, which was as follows :—“ That this meeting would also strongly urge upon the • Council' to have the proposed reservoir erected within a radius of nine miles from town, in order to have a supply of water on the town side of the dangerous ground, thus allowing a 9-inch and 10-inch main to be used instead of a 14-inch one for soma 13 miles from tho source to tho reservoir, "‘hereby breaking the pressure and materially cheapening the echeme.” ■ Mr Uevery secondad : the resolution. f Pressed to go. on to the stage he did so, \ and after again seconding the motion i,aaid : “I propose that the whole of the j Council resign and let ,us have a fresh lot. \ "We shall then be able to got along.” (Laughter.) Tho Mayor 3aid the Council bad net as yat decided upon any site for the reservoir. That was a matter to be considered later

on. Mr W. D. Lysnar supported the motion - reiiorating many of tho arguments ho had uaed previously in tho Council when , speaking on the subject under review. He expressed pleasure at the Mayor’s state- „ meat that the sits of thß resorvoir had not been fixed. In reply to Mr G. Darton, tho Mayor said that until the line had becD surveyed the site of tho reservoir could not bo determined.. It waa not known either to the ' A Council or Mr Hay. !>'■' . JVIr Dartm said he bad worked in ths Suutn under Mr Hay, and he considered fihoy could not have a better man to carry out the work. Captain Tucker contended that as the site of the reservoir had net been determined, tho present was tho right time for the ratepayers to say where it should go. The resolution was carried by 34 votes • .to nil. •' Captain Tacker proposed tho following ~ resolution : “ That in the opinion oi this \.r meeting no percentage should be paid to ;T tho engineer over and above the sum of his present estimate for the work, and that a provision to this effect be included iu tho agreement.” He doomed this to be a very nocossary condition. Those who paid the piper ought to some extent b 9 nllowod k to oxpross an opinion in regard to the manner in which tho ageosment with the engineer should be ontored into. They should\oay Mr Hay on his own estimate, ■j but no - excess of that amount. Tho *- expbnd ire on the water work might bo much t/eater than was anticipated; they did mywant to pay Mr Hay on a higher sum than he' himself said they oould get tho work done for. In regard to the £|a‘e * moot made by Councillors that they would disregard any resolutions arrived at by the ratepayers, he (Captain Tucker) did not think"' 1 they would-do so. It was clearly th 6 duty of the Counoil to listen to the •voices of those who elected them. He was sure as prudent men that they would do so ; they were not likely to rnn in the face of those who placed them in power, •; -•; jand for whom they were merely acting as : \ sn»taos.' (Apflwasa.l ; •:: -,r •

Mr T. G. Lawless sooondod the resolution. Ho would ovon go further, and say that the engineer should be penalised to the extent of 10 per oont on ovory £lO3 in oxooss of his ostimato. They should the cost down to the estimate. The motion was unanimously adopted. A further motion was proposed “ That in tho event of the 'cost of tho works exceeding tho engineer’s ostimato, that a deduotiou bo made of five per cent for every hundred oyor and above his original estimate,” but tho proposition lapsed for want of a seconder. A vote of thauks to the Mayor terminated tho mooting.