CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1654, 23 December 1916, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To the Editor.)

Sir. — It was in January, 1905, that, I eounneneed to write about the water supply, planting the Beach, and the construction of a, light lino direct to the Beach, with three motor ’busses running, with Hanged wheels, giving a 10 minutes service on holidays, from the railway platform, but nothing has as yet been done to improve the Beach or township, with the exception of purchasing a gas plant, costing about £1 1,000 when (lie necessary additions are made, and at the time I said it would not pay at a reasonaide rate to (lie consumers, and now

we are paying nearly twice as much for our gas as those in other* boroughs are charged, with a gas rate besides. 1 proposed at the time u water supply and electric light, under one roof, and with the same engineer, at a cost a very tittle more limn what the gas has now cost us, and with a much better lighting service and with a good supply of water for lire and domestic use, lint instead of being satislied with a simple water supply, a very costly scheme of water and drainage was proposed. Now, as during this dreadful war (which few people seem to realise or understand —read carefully Leviticus, chapter 2(i|, ii would ho impossible to raise nearly the €10(1,000 dial would lie retjiiired to carry out the two schemes at any reasonable rate of interest. 1( would he better to have a smaller scheme for the supply of a sullieieney of water now, as the .-mason is likely to he very dry, but at any rale a supply of water for tire prevention purposes is very necessary at any time. The scheme 1 last proposed for water and electric light was that we should pul up a wooden stand and tank (like the one put up nearly -10 years ago on the Manawatn Line at Kereru) at a height of about 50 feel on the top of the Ferry Hill, at the bottom, of Main Street, and pump the water from a 100.000 gallon lank supplied by artesian wells situated on Ihe Hat below Ihe roadway on the riverbed, as no doubt a good supply of water could lie found to How to the surface at that level. The engine. pump ami electric plant could be located below, or above, the roadway, as space would allow, but the nearer the pump is to the supply of water the less power is required. Now,as money is scarce, and machinery is dear, it would he as well instead to utilise the artesian well already put down at the top of iMain Street, in the Triangle, as there is no doubt a good How of water there, hut two or three feet below the surface, so that were a concrete tank sunk around the pipe to hold about, say, 50,000 gallons, a water tower could he put up to hold a less quantity at a sufficient height to give a reduced water service to the centre of the township, and act as a tire extinguisher as well. Of course, our having the well already sunk and the water sure, is something in favour of the plan. Trusting we shall hear more of it. —I am. etc..

.A CQ DARIUS, Foxton, December 22, l!)l(i.