THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1882. THE WATER SUPPLY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2577, 11 July 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1882. THE WATER SUPPLY.

We are glad to observe that the City Council have not been moved by the resolution of Councillor Bowman to abstain from taking a poll on the subject of the water supply. It is of course most unfortunate that those who were in favour of the scheme did not exert themselves at the time of the meeting, but still (hat meeting was called merely to discuss the matter and to have the pros and cone placed thoroughly before the ratepayers. The real gist of the question of taking a poll lies in the decision as to whether the meeting was a representative one or not. We are decidedly of opinion that it was not a representative one, and that consequently the resolution passed thereat is not entitled to any very large amount of respect. If the meeting had been representative, it is evident that it would be perfectly useless to go to the trouble and expense of taking a poll. That the meeting did not fairly represent the intelligent part of the community is to a certain extent proved by the conduct of the greater part present there. It seems to ns unlikely that in a well regulated community a meeting summoned to discuss a most important subject would have behaved, as the meeting alluded to'above did behave, if the more responsible and weighter part of the community had been present. It would appear, therefore, that the Council are quite justified iu seeing what a poll will do for their views. The argument of Councillor Ayers that probably great apathy might be displayed at the poll is neither here nor there—is in fact nothing more or less- than begging the question. If an unaccountable apathy on such a subject is displayed, the Council will, at all events, be no worse off than it is at present. At all events it will have nothing with which to reproach itself. It will have dona its beat to test the feelings of the ratepayers, and nothing more could possibly bo expected of it. We trust, however, that no snch apathy will in reality be displayed. It will be the absolute duty of the citizens to vote ono way or the other. It is over such questions as.this that the privileges of citizenship should become peculiarly valuable : for certainly no more vital question has ever come before the ratepayers. It may be feared that the enthusiasm of ratepayers cannot be roused except in a personal straggle between man and man. Such a struggle has certainly some features of interest that do not obtain iu a decision on a broad and unporsonal subject, but still we have that confidence iu the good sense of the citizens to believe that the forthcoming poll will not bo treated with indifference by the majority of them. In connection with this subject, the ill-judged haste of the Drainage Board in endeavoring to force through their Bill stands out more prominently than ever. Let those who may believe in the efficiency of artesian flushing without pumping appliances, but should it indeed turn out that a proper rush of water for the drains is not likely to be got through a water supply scheme being passed, then indeed the Board are in a very bad position. Flushing from tanks will have to be the order of the day for several years to come, and with an increasing population, wa cannot look forward to the realisation of the Board’s project with anything but feelings of alarm. If the permissive connections were extensively employed, with no hope of strong flushing power in the immediate future, the residents may “ look out for squalls ” from a sanitary point of view. If the vrator supply schemo is not passed, at the polling places, we cannot see that the Board has a leg to stand on.