Light and Water!

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3650, 22 May 1906, Page 2

Light and Water!

[We do not hold ourselves responsible for opinions expressed by our correspondents.]

(TO EDI'I'OE of manawatu herald.) Sir, —As there are so many misconceptions as regards the best water scheme, both for fire extinguishing, and domestic uses, for Foxton, I would like to draw the attention, of those who so strenuously . support their difr erent schemes, (thereby blocking i the way "of anything practicable and possible being done) to the impossibility of some of their schemes being carried out at the present time, on account of the smallness Of the number of householders, who would be willing to support any scheme, for water or electric light. Perhaps in one hundred years from now it may be possible to finance a wate scheme from the Shannon hill, and Electric Eight power from the Manawatu Gorge, but what are we to do in the meantime? Any cheaper scheme that we'may pu f into practice, will no doubt be outclassed before that time, but we shall have the consolation of knowing, that it has served our purpose well enough, and also that we have been careful in not leaving a burden of debt to our prosperity. In undertaking any public work of this class, there are two things to be carefully considered, first, that they should answer well, the purpose for which they are intended, and second, that they should be self-supporting, that is that they should not be a charge upon the ratepayers, who do not use either the water or the light. For instance, a man who pays rates on a bare paddock, would not want either, but a storekeeper in the centre of the townhhip, would be glad to pay for both, if on)/ as a prevention from a severe fire, and for the purpose of being assured that he would have a good and inexpensive light, and one that he knew would last. Now comes the test, in which nearly all the different water schemes fail, on account of their excessive cost. To make a water scheme payable in a small popul-

tion like ojirs, the first cost must not exceed ,£3,000, and the working expenses must be nil, or nearly so, and if the one engine could be made use of, for both the water and electric light plants, so tnucV the better; how that can be have already shown, but to do it/ • either artesian water or filtered river water must be used, but if either could be put into the same pipes at different hours of the day, at a very little advance in the expense, then we should please everybody, and that is admittedly always a difficult task to accomplish. Before proceeding to discuss the more expensive schemes, I would like to ask a few questions, that any sensible man may answer for himself.

Why go to the expense of storing in concrete tanks, the filthy , water off the streets, that would spoil any goods that the fire engine played upon, when a mile of piping along the street of good water for daily use could be put down at the same cost, and with practically no increase in ths rates, as it could be made self supporting? Why dam the Awahou stream, and store, practically stagnant water, at an increase to the rates when good water could be laid on withon 1 any increase ? Would it not be far better to have a good water service for daily use, than storing or pumping water for fire puposes only ? The scheme that was proposed at the first Water Meeting, was a five or £6,000 one, for an artesian well and a large 20,000 .gallon reservoir on a high sand-hill, .for storing water for fire and domestic Uses and for drainage purposes, but that was shelved, as the one acre of sand-hill needed would cost but surely if the scheme was only partly workable, £IOO, was nothing out of £6,000. A I have written before upon the comparative inutility of the scheme, I need only say, that it is impossible for a small township like this, to go to such an expense, without making it a very great burden upon the ratepayers, as the complete scheme in working order would be equal to borrowing/10,000; at the same rate we shal have to pay per thousand, as we are going to pay for the new Council Chambers, viz.—three half pence in the £ per or an addition of 133 d in the *£' on the present rates, because it would be impossible, to make such a scheme pay for itself, there being only a certain number of householders that could be depended upon to have the water service |aid on to their houses. But some say, that the whole scheme would cost only ,£4,000; let us see how it works out. rjmgine, Shed, Well, etc £I,OOO Reservoir (at that height) £ 1 .oco Pipes and laying ... .£4,000 Working expenses at least £2OO equal to the interest on £^,oco Total If I am incorrect, a £i,oco more or less will make but very ittle difference, but the reason of the working expenses being so ’arge, is the fault of the schpme, as it says one of its uses, is for" irainage purposes, and it so, the overflow must be continually pumping, with all the attendant expenses of a powerful engine. As I have taken so much of your space in this issue, as you :an well spare, with your permis* ■.ion I will continue this letter in /our next. lam etc.,

“ Aquarius.”