Water Supply.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 68, 13 February 1883, Page 2

Water Supply.

PUBLIC MEETING.

Afrer'the meeting on the above questj&h i another was held at the same place^'for the purpose of, ; the ..ratepayers giving .their sanction to the expenditure of a sum of money to enable the Borough Council to tast the question of obtaining a water. supply by means of artesian wells. The 'Mayor 'occupied "the chair and explained the object of tUe meeting. He said the question of a water' -supply had boeh before the public for soinet;nie, and it , was. ;now. necessary t|b,at some decided . step would be taken. With t'e&afd td tb!e s m4n|y required for the experiment; that might be voted out of the general r -venue, or obtained by a special rate. If the latter course was adopted it would" probably mean a rate 6f 4£d iMhe JB, bu*i he might say that whatever, th*y did that evening wou^d nolt be binqjjfng to either the ratepayers or ,C6tsnciU- "It was not right to expend money in sinking an artesian wet I unless the ratepayers bad't*he bppbrtunity 1 of exp);esJß'ng tlieir opinion, and this -meetinsr was sraftjly that the 6£the^€rjuncil mij?ht be strengthened and they might proceed farther in-the^tffattef.^ > .']T. 3 *Mt Lintoti at'sorae »ienErth advocated a water supply. He saw no reason why they should not get a water supply in ipalmerston by means of Artesian wells as had been obtained the other side of the bills at ■ Napier. f«lt was possible that they would get a good supply by Iby only going a depth of 60ft, or 80ft below the decj est'well sunk in the plaqe s It would 'probably not cost ") jnu6H f Jnotel than an ordinary well. He considered rthe present wells only acted as drains, and instead of pare water they would contain nothing but filth in the course of a short time; He.tioped the rate* pfty^ji would "give Uhe Council the authority to expend the amount required for 60 necessary and important an undertaking, and: moved :—

" Tnat this meeting hereby authorises the Borough x O>uncil to expend a sum sufficient to test the question of an ii;rte>ian supply of water for,, the town ana that a well 1)6 n^unk in'lhe most saitab.le spot." , .. ' .. „ 'Mr' Ferguson seconded. . j Mr McNeil supported the resolution. FT ebelieved they were doing" their "besf ' iforthe interest of th? ratepayers in this :m»t(ier._ ; Mr King asked how much was it proposed to be expended. .The 'chairman reckoned'- ' that" £250 would probubly be required, bub ic was impossible to say. If* the whole was caised by special rate, 4^d in the & would cover that amount. : Mr King said it was necessary that; they shuuia have a supply of good water at aoy cost, even if they had' to : expend £500. Mr j Dixoh explained how a Water supply had been obtained at Auckland. He felt sure that they would never gat a supply by sinking artosian wells. The : resolution waff then put : 'to the meeting and carried unanimously'.- ;< ' n - Mr McNeil then proposed the follow-

ing resolution whioii he thought would speak for itself : — :t TLat this meeting recommends the Borough Council to take steps necessary to raise by special rate, funds sufficient to cover the expense incurred in testing the question for an artesian supply of water, provids: ing such expense would appear to warrant a special rate." " ; Mr Walker seconded the resolution. Mr Bait thought the ratepayers should be careful how they sanctioned the expenditure of any money for- such purpose. j--~=The resolution was tiffin put and carried, and a vote of thanks to the chair concluded the meeting.