WATER SUPPLY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 300, 3 December 1884, Page 2

WATER SUPPLY.

ANOTHER SCHEME. The following tetter from Mr. J. Drummond, Sydney, with reference to providing Gisborne with a water supply, was read at the meeting of the Borough Council last night :— “ In view of providing Gisborne with a water supply would you kindly inform me, Ist, whether your Council purpose at an early date taking steps for the above works, by bring in the waters nf the Waihiriri stream. If not, 2nd, whether your Council would afford facilities fnr the formation of a Syndicate to perform the work. If so, 3rd, can the whole or a portion of the watershed of the Waihiriri stream, above the “ Falls ” be easily acquired, by purchase or lease; and 4'h, the probable cost of say 1000 acres ; also 5-h, whether your Council would entertain and adopt (if approved of) a scheme for sewerage in connection with the water supply, the total cost not to exceed £30,000 sterling. The water supply to be equal to three hundred thousand gallons per diem, or a population of six thousand inhabitants, at 50 gallons each per diem.” / The Chairman—This is a question we I

shall have to consider sooner or later, no doubt about that. Cr. Smith—There is a difficulty in the way to start with. When we tried to start this before we found that we were unable to get a freehold title to any of the land, and we finally resolved that we would write to Wi Peri as being one of the persons chiefly interested in the land, to which he replied also by letter offering to lease the land for twentyone years for £2OO per annum, which of course simply settled the matter as regards the Waihiriri stream, Cr. Graham—lt is quite competent for us to take the land under the Public Works Construction Act, and I have been thinking about tabling a notice of motion with regard to it. The Clerk.—This land is a Government Grant to the Natives. Cr. Graham—Then I should say a piece’of land like that would be easier to get than any other. The Chairman—l don’t think this letter comes within our consideration to-night, as it will take some considerable time to deal with the questions asked in it, especially the last. Cr. Graham.—l propose that a sub-com-mittee be formed to look over the letter carefully, and compile a reply to it. He proposes a syndicate, and very probably a syndicate could finance the whole thing and charge the Council so much for it, and that would save Ufl going into loans and that kind of thing. I think the subject at present could be dealt with by a much smaller committee than by the whole Council, who could frame such a reply as would meet the case. I feel confident that now would probably be a good time to acquire this land, or to try to do so, as the old water scheme appears to be dropped, and the Natives will not now be putting such a high value on their land as they then did. Cr. Joyce—l think this matter should be taken fully into consideration. It is an important question, and one that interests all the inhabitants of Gisborne in the way of health and otherwise. I consider that Mr. Drummond’s letter should be acknowledged. He iR a good authority on the matter as he had been in the district for a considerable number of years and is conversant with all parts of the district, and therefor an opinion from him will be valuable to us. Cr. Lewis : I am quite in accord with the remarks of Cr. Graham, but he should say the letter be replied to at onoe. and the decision of the Council forwarded further on. This was agreed on and the proposition was carried, Messrs Townley, Joyce, Smith, Lewis, and the mover being the committee appointed.