The Globe. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1551, 7 February 1879, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1879.

Once again, and in very unmistakoablo terras have the citizens of Christchurch been warned as to the folly of that procrastination which appears to hang round the practical fulfilment of the question of an improved water supply. A fire breaks out almost in the heart of the city, and wo have to record the significant fact of two of the city tanks being pumped out. Thus it has been proved most uncontestably that the supply for fire prevention purposes upon which wo have been depending is but a rotten reed at best. Supposing the fire of last night to have occured in a closely built locality remoto from the river to which resort had at last to be made. What would have been the result? Why that the efforts of our brigade, however, well directed and energetic would have been paralyzed, and the loss and damage which would have inevitably resulted would have been something enormous. This is no new thing, The City Council or the water supply committee cannot say that this takes thera by surprise. It has been dinned into their ears month after month for the, nearly, year and a half, during which the incubation of their scheme has been proceeding. Last evening it was merely duo to the force of circumstances, aided by the gallant efforts of the Brigade that the destruction of the Oddfellows' Hall and other buildings did not take place. Had the fire been in any of the closor built localities, and not in a somewhat retired street, the flames would have obtained such hold that the Brigade, for want of water, would, to a certain extent, have been powerless. Here there is a clear and emphatic warning. If the committee are unable to reconcile their various theories or to cope satisfacfactorily with the subject let them come to the citizens and say —" Gentlemen, we are unable to agree upon any definite scheme, We therefore render back into your hands the trust confided to us." Then we should understand the ground upon which we stand. Steps could be be taken either to get the opinion of engineers or to entrust the carrying out of a scheme, not to the City Council, but to a Board of experts. Here, as wo ponited out at the time, was the blot which marred the very commencement of the proceedings in this matter. We called attention when the movement was first started, to the necessity that existed for somo experts being consulted, rather than that the whole affair should be left to the City Council. After Mr. Clark's report it would have been better to have formed a Board of Engineers and to have called for fresh schemes, not alone hero, but in Australia. It is ridiculous that with an almost unlimited supply of water a few miles off and only level plains to carry it along, a whole year should have been wasted. Had a range of mountains placed engineering difficulties in the way, ono could have understood the delay. But wo feel confident of this—that so long as the matter remains in the hands of a committee, so long will it continue to drag its weary length along, until a catastrophe, such as tho city narrowly escaped last night, wakens both citizens and Council from the apathy into which they appear to have fallen. Week after week we read of meetings of this committee at which something is discussed. It is postponed for the Californian mail; for further information ; and so on. In the meantime another idea strikes some of the members, and the preceding one is dismissed only to spring up, jack-in-the-box like, a few weeks after. Wo ask, in all seriousness, what has this committee done —practically done we mean —towards supplying Christchurch with a water service for fire prevention P The answer is—Nothing. We are as much at tho morcy of firo as we were five or six years ago. Nay move so, because the material for conflagration has iucreasod tenfold since then, whilst our means of coping with tho firo has stood still. Wo ask tho citizens to consider the groat importance of this matter. Lot thorn concoivo for ono moment a fire starting in ono of tho thickly built parts of the city, and tho water failing, as it did last night. Let them calculate the loss and destruction of property that would ensue, and tho blow to tho mercantile prosperity of Christchurch which

would result. We are not summoning up a bogey or forcing tlio coloring ouo iota Mr Superintendent Harris knows full well the imminent danger in which wo stand. Ho, and none bettor, knows that the efforts of his brigade are nullified to a larpfo extent, by the want of a sufficient water supply. It was only necessary to listen to the strong appeals which ho made when tho movement was first started to feel suro that there was indeod nn time to he lost. But tho committee have boon for over a year holding meeting after meeting, and talking wisely, no doubt, but to no practical purpose. Wo vc'terato that thay are the wnmg persons to go to for a scheme. Tho election of any ono to tho office of City Councillor does not necessarily make him a heavenhorn engineoi - . And yet pooplo have got into tho habit of i-eforring such matters to committees constituted of gontlemon whose professions or businesses can give thorn no insight into thoso dolicato engineering questions which can only he docided by experts. It is no disgrace to the committee to say that they have been tried in the balance and found wanting. The failure does not, to a certain extent, lie at their door as individuals. They have had placed in their hands a work beyond their powers, and it was scarcely to be expected that thoy would do anything else than come to grief. What can in reality bo charged against them is this—that they have not recognised their own failure long ere this, Had thoy done so they would have saved the city much valuable time, As it is, we shall now have to start with the consciousness of having muddled away a year and a half to no purpose. We trust that the committee will see the matter in its proper light. Wo have no other end in view than the public interest. The gentlemen composing the committee aro worthy citizens, and no doubt mean well, but tho task they have undertaken is evidently beyond them. We feel convinced that if the matter is properly taken up by men competent by profession to grapplo with it, Christchurch can be protected against fire in a very short time. Wo do not pretend to lay down any details. All we ask is that tho present state of stagnation shall como to an end, and that wo shall, like wise people, rocognize the very significant "warning conveyed to us by the fire of last night, and set vigorously to work to ensure a copious supply of water for the purposes of fire prevention.