The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12,1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 10, 12 January 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1876.

The meeting of the Loyal Nelson Lodge, 1.0.G-.T., advertised by mistake for this evening, will be held on Friday evening next. At the Police Court this morning Herman Brown, charged by Edward A. Mackenzie with making use of abusive words in a public thoroughfare, was fined £1 and costs 11s 6d. A cricket match that is likely to prove more interesting than ordinary .club practices will be played in Victory Square on Saturday afternoon, eleven players on one side and sixteen on the other. "We are glad to find the club taking to practice more kindly than in previous years, and hope to see them encouraged by a good attendance of spectators. Happy Valley was in Court again to-day. Isaac Hervey, a resident in that peaceful spot, sued William Flowers for assaulting him, and John Flowers for. doing likewise. Mr Fell appeared for the complainant, and Mr Acton Adams for the defendants. The cause of the rumpus was the late Suburbs election. The assaulters and assaultee entertained opposite views regarding the merits of the two candidates, and at "Wakapuaka opinions are generally very pronounced, and are occasionally impressed with much vigor by those who hold them upon those who differ from them. So it was in this instance. The beer at the Black Horse was potent, and under its influence Mr Hervey shouted triumphantly " Rout for ever." The Messrs Flowers had also been patronising Hooper and Dodson's invigorating beverage, and were incited thereby to cry out with heart and voice " Kichmond for ever," But one consequence could follow such a declaration of clashing opinions in Wakapuaka, and next morning Mr Hervey found himself in bed bruised and sore all over. Proof being somewhat difficult to obtain in the case against John Flowers, it was dismissed., The other was adjourned. The railway time table is published in the Postal Ghiide, from which it appears that trains are to leave Nelson and Wakefield twice a day, the former at 7*30 a.m. and 230 p.m., and the latter at 940 a.m. and 4*30 p.m. We hear the suggestion made by a good many, and from our own experience we are quite prepared to endorse it, that it would be far more convenient fco country settlers if the afternoon down train were to leave Nelson an hour later, namely at half-past three instead of half-past two. Arriving in the outskirts of the town at eleven in the morning, and having to be there again at half-past two, they would have but very little time for the transaction of business. We presume it is not too late to have such an alteration made, and as 4 the authorities are, we feel sure, desirous of consulting the convenience of those who are likely to travel by train, we have no doubt that if the matter were represented to them they would at once fall in with the suggestion. The following remarks were made by Cr Harley relative to the City Surveyor's report at the meeting of the City Council on Monday last : — In moving this resolution it is necessary that 1 should give some explanation, in as much as I am going directly against the opinion of your Surveyor. In the first place there appears to be a sufficient supply of water in the stream; it only wants collecting, and I consider if we have a new dam built and a ten, or even a twelve, inch pipe leading from it into the reservoir, it will always be kept quite full and running over, even in time of fifes, when there is the greatest draw upon it. At previous | fires our waterworks have always been of great service, and I cannot see but what the pressure will be as great now as ever if we can retain the reservoir full of water. I strongly protest against taking up the main pipes from the reservoir to the town and laying down new ones, as in my opinion it is not necessary, and a waste of public money. I have not heard of a single instance of the water supply running short unless perhaps it might be in the middle of the day by some of those persons who have water engines, and as there are so few of these in use I cannot see the necessity of this Council spending some £5000 or £6000 to keep their machines going at the speed they require. According to the estimate of your Surveyor, if the £10,000 is raised it will ail be absorbed but about £\QQQ

in the works he recommends to be done. Now this is pretty close sailing when we consider in how many cases estimates have been a long way under the actual cost. I should say for unforseen contingencies the remaining £1000 will be taken up, and there we are saddled with 'the interest of £10,000. And* how is this to be borne ? A portion of course will be got from the gasworks. Tour Surveyor estimates the interest on the amount he purposes to expend on extension of waterworks at about. ' £410 per annum, and for sake of argument let it remain at that. He also estimates the additional income for the first year at £100, or £310 less than the interest, and that probably it may increase £50 a year, so that, gentlemen, we shall have to wait for eight years for this extension to pay interest, and that under the most favorable circumstances. And during that time there will be an actual loss of £1120, without interest on it. And this has to be met — out of what ? Certainly not out of the ordinary town rates, and as the present waterworks are hardly selfsupporting, the receipts at the present time being barely equal to the disbursements, and,, as I have endeavored to show you, all your borrowed capital will be gone, so that you cannot pay it from that source your only remedy is to raise your water rate to such- a price as will disgust the public, and they will go back to their wells and pumps, and you will inevitably be saddled with a white elephant. And lastly, gentlemen, I wish to tell you that the present waterworks belong to the Provincial Government, and are only being worked by us on their account, and probably at some future time they may be handed to us at a valuation, and how is this to be arrived at when you have altered the greater part of their plant at our expense. For the above reason, gentlemen, I trust you will agree with me and pass my resolution, and then only for the present raise such an amount of money as will enable us to carry out the works absolutely necessary.