TIRAU LATER SUPPLY.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 284, 18 April 1929, Page 2

TIRAU LATER SUPPLY.

THE RAILWAY HOUSES.

Offer Made to Department.

The matter cf the supply of water j to the railway houses and stock \ yards at Tirau was raised at the ! monthly meeting of the Matamata j County Council on Friday. A letter j from the District Engineer, New i Zealand Railways, Auckland, asking ! as to the amount of' annual charge for connecting of the railway houses (three) and the railway stockyards at Tirau with the council’s water supply, and as to whether any fees would be payable to the council for the connection, was read and the county clerk (Mr. Barton) stated f that the letter was the result of one written by him (Mr. Barton) to the ! .General Manager of the'Railways. j The county engineer (Mr. M. E. j Fitzgerald) said that previously the j council offered to -supply water for all purposes. The Department also to pay for costs of installation. Cr. Anderson (the chairman) remarked that surely the department were ' supposed to supply their tenants with .water; and it was pointed out that in dry weather water had been carted from Matamata.

The clerk said that previously the 1 council offered to supply the three houses at £ls for the three; but now the Department required water for the stock yards. Mr. Fitzgerald suggested going back to the old offer and charge for all water through the meter. The old offer made by the council was contained in a letter written to an offi- c cial at Penrose in December, 1926, in j which it was stated that the council ! were prepared to supply water at a 1 cost of £ls for the three houses, the department to pay the cost of installation, £ll, for a 2in pipe, payments to be made half-yearly and the council were not to collect the fees. No reply had been received to this letter. Mr. Barton remarked that the trouble was that they were dealing with four different officials. | Cr. Judd suggested sending a copy of the 1926 letter to the district engineer. -v •*>-•« ' The chairman (Cr. Anderson) agreed with Cr. Judd, and if the de-partment-were willing to consider the proposals they would enter into negotiations. Cr. Judd was of the opinion that 1000 gallons of water a day would be used when pig trucking was in full swing. The pig marketing association last year used to transport as many as 120 pigs a day from Tirau. At some stations it was the custom to spray pigs to keep them cool. At the outside 30,000 gallons for two or three months would be required. Cr. Judd’s estimate of the quantity of water to be used was ques-

' tioned, but it was pointed out that it was surprising the amount of water that can be used through a hose, and instanced that on a bowling green using two small sprays one used 10 gallons an hour and the other 100 gallons an hour. The chairman said that the price was reasonable, but the question was j CGuld they spare 1000 gallons a day ? The engineer (Mr. Fitzgerald) said the water was there, but the | trouble was in regards the pumping j of it. • ! It was decided, on the motion of s j Cr. W. H. Allen, to offer the water at - £ls, including the water to the stock- | yards. The department to also pay t the cost of the connection.