CITY WATER SUPPLY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 49, 26 January 1938, Page 10

CITY WATER SUPPLY

(To the Editor:) Sir, —In your correspondence columns of the 19th inst , Mr V. Christensen delivered a wonderful flow of knowledge, being a candidate for Mayoral honours. He will only convince unthinking people. AVhen ratepayers and other citizens visit , our Council Chambers and see the photographs of our town, borough and city councillors, also the Mayors, they must be thrilled with pride, more especially Palmerston North-born people, for what has been done by these past councillors to help the city to advance. Jz has no shortage of water, thanks to the advocates of artesian bores; yet when the municipal elections are almost due propaganda begins, as usual, on the water. We are told now .that our beautiful city is stagnant" is “going to the pack,” and it is most essential that we of Palmerston North should have a Trades Union City Council, run on the same principle as Parliament. Well, as a worker I treat such tactics with contempt. Palmerston North has had good Mayors, also good councillors, and the present council is no exception His AYorship the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) has given of his best, is a man who is not afraid of work, and has a keen sense of justice, and are not. the majority of our councillors the same ? Our Trades Council has a five-day week, with Saturday for recreation and the Sabbath a day oi rest. But our local Trades Council say that they do not want Saturday as a day for recreation, and they throw the Sabbath Day gift as a day of rest in their Creator’s face, and say they do not want His day of rest. That is why they decided to have their picnic at Ashhurst on Sunday. 'So what will happen should the citizens decide on a Trades Union City Council ? No, sir, as a worker, I am not “going to be had.” I will vote for the man I prefer. The Labour Party is all politics..—l am. etc., LONE FURROW.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In common with all other citizens and especially ratepayers I am anxiously waiting for our water supply to become usable for drinking purposes again. I feel sorry for Mr Hughes who is doing all he can to reassure us and read his statement in to-night's paper with interest. Unhesitatingly I place the odour of the water in Terrace End under the heading of "fishy," but what particular organism is responsible 1 cannot say. But rumour is busy at present and one hears of quantities of dead eels floating on the dam at Tiritea. This is not a pleasant thought—-neither does it make a pleasant picture for one's mind's eye, and if Mr Hughes can reassure us on this point in spite of the people who have the rumour from the friend of someone who lias been up there and seen the eels, I, with many others, will be happier.—l am, CURIOUS. Jan. 25, 1938. The following statement was made by the city engineer (Mr J. R. Hughes) when the letter by "Curious" was referred to him: "The caretaker visits the reservoir every day of the years and patrols the margin of the reservoir. He inspects everything that has any likelihood of allowing contamination to take place. I can assure consumers that we have never seen any sign of dead eels, dead trout or dead animals of any description floating in the dam. The dam has been thoroughly cleaned out and all'silt removed. I would undertake to say that there are very few eels in the dam now and no fishing is allowed in the reservoir."