The Globe. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1268, 11 April 1878, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1878.

The question of a scheme of water supply for Christchurch seems to bo as far from settlement as ever. At the meeting of the City Council yesterday the report furnished by Mr. Clark on the subject, which has already boon published, was considered. The Council resolved to request the authors to allow their schemes to remain in the possession of the Council, but what it is going to do with them is not quite clear. Indeed the schemes appear to partake a great deal of the character of a white elephant, for Mr. Clark’s report affords them little or no information upon which to ground any selection. That gentleman, it is true, does give the Council an outline of a scheme which ho considers would bo a good one, but ho does not give any details. That scheme, shortly stated, is to take the supply from the head waters of the Avon, the height at that point above the city —34 ft.—being considered sufficient to keep the supply pipes filled throughout Christchurch. For fire prevention purposes it is proposed to have an engine 30 horse-power, which would be overlooked by a watchman on duty, wlio, being in electrical communication with all parts of the city, could at the earliest warning put on the full power of the engine, which would give the necessary pressure. It was understood at the time the reference was made to Mr. Clark that his opinion as to the best scheme submitted would be placed before the Council. Now, nothing of the kind has been done. Practically what Mr. Clark has done has been this: Ho has taken the whole twenty-four schemes, placed them before the Council with a few general remarks on each, and in effect said, in terse but expressive language, “You pays your money and you takes your choice.” This is the position in which the city Council now find themselves—they have had to pay Mr. Clark an honorarium presumedly to get his opinion, the value of which no one will dispute, and they find themselves just in the same position that they were in before Mr. Clark’s visit. There is, however, this difference, that they have twenty-four plans on their hands, all of which, according to the award of their referee, are of equal merit. And this brings them to the solution of the very question which they submitted to Mr. Clark in full confidence of receiving such an answer as would enable them to go to work at once. The problem is still unsolved “Which is the best scheme for bringing the water to Christchurch?” Of what use to them are the twenty-four schemes if the Council are unable to decide which is the best one to carry out P It will at once be apparent that if Mr. Clark, the eminent authority on hydraulic matters, did not see his way clear to recoipmeud the adoption of any one of the competing schemes, the chances of our local talent being able to do so seems very remote. The Council, however, do not give us any idea of the means they propose to adopt to make the selection. They have wisely ignored Mr. Clark’s suggestion as to the distribution of the £IOO premium, and intend giving it to the projector of the scheme adopted. But no suggestion of a practical mode of getting over the difficulty of how to make this selection has been made. One councillor, it ig true, suggested the reference of the plans to a committee —we presume of the Council. We in Canterbury have groat faith in committees, and seem to think that the whole system of govern*, ment, social and political, might very safely be to them. But with all due deference to Councillor Ruddenklau, we hardly think that » committee $f the Council would bo tlie proper tribunal ,to wWOzb to refer the schemes sent in. Thus it will be seen that, so far as any prat-ticAil settlement Of tqe preliminary ’'niuiU oi n scheme of wal ar SVTI/ty ChristchuK 1 ’- M talker advanced than on the first day of the proposition being made. Wo have a number of plans, it is true, hut who is to solve the problem as to the best one has yet to arise. The artesian supply, upon which we arc dependent, is gradually but surely diminishing. Wo cannot use the .’’lvor water, at any rate within the city. That has boon prevented by the indiscriminate , pollution which has been allowed to goon unchecked. Lot tho City Council deckle either one way or the other. Two courses are open to them —one to refer the plans they already have to a competent Board of Engineers; the other to discard the plans now in hand, and invite fresh schemes based on the recommendation contained in Mr. Clark’s report. This, it seems to us, is the .solution 0 f the difficulty in which the Council now find themselves. At any rate, whatever course is i adopted, it is essential that as little valuable time as possible should bo lost, * as another spring and summer, with a i fast diminishing artesian supply, is not a pleasant prospect to look forward to.