The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25,1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume xvx, Issue 228, 25 September 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25,1 880.

.' "" * ■ ' ' " ' A statement of a very grave- character! was made by Cr Harley in the Counbil la9t •night. relative to the condition of, the i'water in the reservoir, which, he asserts, was on au! farly day this .week covered all over to the: depth of at. least two. inches with vegetable; matter which be described qn one occasion as a " green slime," and on another as a^ "sort of fungus." This is of cours6 tanta-: mount to a charge Of the grossest neglec.t, and: nothing but an enquiry of tlie most searching character will sktisfy the public, who havei hitherto ,had sufficient ".' confidence in 'wthe ; . Council and. its officers to leave entirely^ to ; tbem the care of a matter so closely affecting 1 the state of the public health as the purify . of the water supply. It is only fair to say : thst Cr Harley's charge is contradicted by \ the City Surveyor," and that Cr Trask, a j member of the Gas and Waterworks- Com- i mittee, asserts that he was afc the reservoir : last Tuesday fortnight, when/there was not j a sign of the vegetation described by Cr ; Harley to be seen. But this is not enough. Every man, woman, and child in the town is ; interested in the strictest care being exercised in maintaining the cleanliness and purity of the source whence the water supply of the town is derived, and every one in any way connected with the works should be subjected to a searching examination, in •addition to which we would suggest that any individual who may have visited the reservoir within the last two or three weeks would only be doing a duty which he owes to the community in making .public the result of his observations. The matter is to be brought before the Council at a special meetiug to be held for the purpose on Tuesday ;night, and we trust that the Mayor will make it his business to collect all the evidence ]on the subject that is available. . In acting the ; part of alarmist by connecting the sickness which has recently prevailed with the condiiion cf the reservoir as reported by him, we.-feel it to be Our duty to point ont that Cr Harley rather overshot the mark. To have arrived at the state in which he alleges that he found it, he says that the vriter must have been lying there undisturbed for months. If that should prove to be 7 the case it is absolutely certain that the sickness of the Jast few weeks cannot be attributed to that source, as the whole supply during* that period must have been derived direct from, the dam. This, however^ in ho way affects the charge bf negligence brought against the Council and their officers, y ,

■i i 'ii ill ii i- n.i i in..-. A curious communication was received by the City Council last night from Mr. A, Robertson, who, as a resident in Collingwoodstreet, near the river, is naturally among those who feel sore at the bridge being closed for traffic. Unable to bring himself to put up with the inconvenience for any longer than a month from last Thursday, he has given notice that, unless repairs or rebuilding, are commenced within a month from that date, he will take the law 1 into his hands and" remove the barriers now erected across the structure— a work in which he is to be assisted by Councillor Harley's money, and by all legitimate means that are at that gentleman's disposal — so, at least, he told the Council last night. Now it appears to us that Messrs. Robertson aud Harley are about to do a very foolish thing. The Council has been advised by its Surveyor, and by Mr John Scott, a well-known builder iii N§lspn, that th.e„bridgo is unsafe f oi- heavy°tL'aii&, and, consequently, in order to protect the ratepayers from any claim for damages that might arise out of an accident trapeable to its rotjten condition., tkey have- ', closed it against Wheeled traffic./ Not.b eing learned in the law, yt^e are not 'pfe^ar^d| to unhesitatingly- assert /that they '"are, Acting \within strict legal limits in s&doing, but'are. quite willing to admit for argument's sake that they have not the right, to.. close the highway. ■ But, if ;they are compelled to remove the barriers, or, which is tho same thing, to sit quietly by and see others dp it, what ifrust be the cfinsequence 1 Warned as they are that tlie, bridge, is. -unsafe, but one; course will be open to them, namely, to pull it down, which, in the event of- the ratepayers refusing to sanction the proposed loan, will entail' a Very considerable unnecessary expense/while it will be attended "with a large amount of, inconvenience to residents in the neighborhood to whom the bridge is now open for foot passefigei* traffic/ In. our advertising columns Vill be found particulars of the services v to.be hold in the ChurcheSj and x at" - ' thfe Masonic and Temperance Halls, totmbri'ow. Thb annual general meeting of the Nelson Cricket Club was held, at the Masonic Hotellast evening! "Mr/H. Halliday^ 'having been Aoted to the chair, Mr ToplißS/ the Sec*e- J tary, ,rea£l the uiinut.es of the. Jaat? meeting, and also the balance sheet, which showed the Club to be; in a mpst^satisfactory --condition. The election of fc offic^B for the^'-ensuing season "then took^plade, with the following result:— Mr A. J. Richmond, v^af^ re-elected. President of the Club, arick Mr/ Greenfield Captain; Mr Firth waa 'ire-elected- Field Captain, and Mr Topliss elected Secretary. The Chairman spoke, in the., warmest terms . of tho manner iv which Mr Topliss had conducted the affairs of the Club during the . last season, ani congratulated them upbn having such an energetic secretary. The following gentlemen were elepted as a Committee for this seasons— Messrs'Firth, Foote, F. Greenfield, Halliday, F. Richmond, and Naylor. Considerable discussion tben took place as to the desirability of sending a team on a tour to Wanganui, Wellington, and Marlborough, ,tlle general feeling beiug that if a strong team could mauaga to get away matches should be played at these places. Ifc was finally agreed to allow' the matter to rest with the Committee for them to make the necessary arrangements, A challenge from the Hawera Club to play a match here during Christmas week was read, and it wp decided to leave this matter in the bands of tbe Committee -also. - Ie was resolved tbat the opening match of the season should take place on Saturday next, and with a vote bf thanks to the Chairman the meeting adjourned. The Customs receipts for the week ending, tr-day amounted to £640 12s 10di They are going in for a little- cheap and harmless amusement in Invercargill. A telegram received this morning tells ua tbat " an advertisement, calling a meeting to arrange for burning Mr Oliver, the Minister for Public works, and Mr Conyers, the Commissioner, in effigy, appears in the local papers." The concert at the Wakefield Choral Hall last night was very well attended, and appeared to give the fullest satisfaction to the audience, as, owing to the numerous encores, the entertainment, whicb commenced at half-' past seven, was not brought to a close until half-past eleven. A match having' been arranged between the Danedin and Invercargill, and Nelson Carbine Clubs, our local team will fire at the Maitai Butts at 6.30 on Monday morning. The champions who have been selected are, Liouts. Grossman, and Hunter, P. O. Rowlings, Gunners Moore, Clouston, Twist, and H. Wimsett, Seamen Moore, Fathers, and Bennefc. The entries for the next handicap will close afc the Nelson Hotel on Monduy evening. *= UJJL '"[" lr — ~"' ■ '"mi ■ iiwwlliiiMMMiwrilk""- c,a,MJ * m ltll