THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1850, 27 January 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1880.

The report of the water . supply committee is now before the ratepayers, and certainly is a very exhaustive document in one respect. No ouo can deny the zeal and interest which the committee has shown in the matter, but there are ono or two points in connection with it which wo desire to notice. The committee appear to have devoted the greatest portion of the report —indeed, nearly the whole of it—to proving two very selfevident propositions. The first of thsso is that Christchurch needs a water supply, and the second that were such a supply brought into the city it would be used largely by manufacturers, traders, and the public at large, and would thus produce a considerable revenue. In view of a failing artesian supply, and the rapid increase of city buildings, any ono who hold the opinion that an improved water supply scheme was not necessary must shut his eyes to facts as patent as well can bo. It is also equally certain that many trades new using steam would make use of water as a motive power, and that the supply would bo most useful for other than fire prevention purposes. Therefore it could hardly have been necessary to take up so much space to lay this before the ratepayers. What the citizens in reality want, is to have put before them in language as plain and imtechnical as possible why it is that the committee have decided that the 'Waimakariri scheme is bettor than others which might bo adopted. This information has not been supplied. It is true the engineers have reported in appropriately technical language on the scheme, but even they do not give, to the extent we contend is necessary, the reasons which induce the selection of the Waimakariri over the other projects. The question has to bo decided by the ratepayers whether they will sanction a loan, not for general water supply on a scheme to be decided, but to be spent in the carrying out of a scheme put before them as being the best on the ipse disit of the committee. In order to enable them to make up their minds intelligently on this subject they sbovdd be in possession of the data and information which led the committee to select the Waimakariri before the other schemes. This wo should have thought would have been the duty of the committee who have just reported. To them, as wo understood it, was entrusted the duty of placing before the ratepayers plainly and intelligibly all the information necessary to enable them to arrive at a right conclusion. But wo contend this is just what they have not done. They have gone exhaustively into the question of the great necessity of a water supply for Christchurch, and also the probability of a revenue being derived from the sale of -water. But, as wo have pointed out, these two points require no argument whatever. The committee have said that which there was no necessity of their saying, but have loft unsaid that about which the ratepayers wore particularly anxious to bo well informed. The Council have determined to issue two thousand copies of the report, but wo hope that before entering upon an expense such as this they will think whether it would not bo as well to get the committee to reconsider their report, with a view to including the information which is required. Unless this is done the report, so far as can bo seen, will bo comparatively useless, and the 2000 copies will not bo eagerly welcomed by a public anxious to prepare their minds for the meeting which is to take place.