The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1919. THE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

Taihape Daily Times, 24 June 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1919. THE BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY.

L With which its incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.”

The scheme for increasing and improving the Borough Water Supply, as outlined in a report of the Council’s discussion, is one we hoped to be able to heartily support, but, in the framing of our opinions we must, at least, be guided by commonsense rather than by a spirit of speculation in something intangible. We have no desire in urging burgesses to dig for the purest crystal fluids to land them in the muddiest of morasscs. The various reports we Lfrintcd yesterday are only definite on one point and that is, water in sufficient quantities where they urge digging for it is problematical. In other words the whole scheme is one entirely of speculation. Mr. Clarke takes, it seems to us, especial care to finish his report by saying that if a shaft is sunk he “believes-” suflicient will be obtained. The Electrical Efi,ginecl"s report‘/is merely an echo of Mr. Clar};e’s report, with an estimate of the cost of plant required should Mr. Clarke ’s hopes prove well-founded. Of course, there are some excellent testimonials publishcd to back up Mr. Glai-ke’s reputation and ability, and we do not belittle those testimonials .~ in any way, because we believe they are wellearned; but alongside Mn, Clarke’s brilliant successes We should like to "see stated -the number -of instance? in which he has failed and been disappointed, for then the public would be better able’ to decide whether the Taihape speculation Was. one. -' in: which they hadan even chance for their money. Leaving that aspect, the reports are not sufficiently dc‘finite to enable ratepayers, who do not know the exact locality, to follow up the reasoning of them from the water outcrop to the main source of supply; is the depth of the shaft computed from the difference ifi elevation of the surface between outcrop and above source? Mr. Clarke is not so definite as the Electrical Engineer, he says there were several springs traced to the one source; the Engineer says there were eleven springs, but no indication is given of where that great Volume of Water comes from. It may, of course, be an outcrop of some extensive water stratafication, but how does Mr. Clarke know whether it is anything more than a’ huge pocket, fed by subterranean ’ springs in the same volume as oozes "away from surface springs? Some people are inquisitive, like to lITXOW. and on occasions in which. large sums of money are involved. no source of information should go unexhausted, xffore especially as the water needs of a fastgrowing community are intimately involved. There is no intention to discredit Mr. Clarke’s report and we are now only exercising that caution we deem to be in the Very best interests of ratepayers. Neither report is as exhaustive as it should be. where we should have feelings of confidence there is a chasm of uncertainty. In any case, the Council's discussions are immature, or Councilloxs have not taken ratepayers fully into their confidence. The Electrical Engineer has exercised somc caution in saying that his estimate of cost of plant is based upon the “assumption” that water is there in requisite quantity——-the main‘ factor, ,‘water,” he knows nothing about, and with a little self-cxamina? tion every Councillor will discover that he suffers from a similar want of real convic-tion. We point out the weak features of the project, and now we leave ratepayers to take the plunge if they deem the speculation to be good enough. '