THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3518, 5 April 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1880.

The editor of our contemporary following his usual bent, still harpes upon his mistaken views of the Water -Supply question, and his idiosyncrasy re the exMayor is as apparent as ever. His peculiar temper of mind in dealing with anything in which Mr McCullough is concerned is easily accounted for, — business rivalry and the waywardness of his peculiarly envious disposition, but his persistency in the one sided view of the matter of the Water Supply oan only be accounted for by that want of penetration—that mulishness, as we have before termed it, —of the animal. The writer cannot see that in the agreement , entered into by Mr Wakefield on behalf of the Government and the County Council, no provision was made for water for the Borough and any promises made by previous Governments were to the Borough about of equal value as the promise was to a man that another would leave him a legacy, but yet no mention was made in the will to that effect. Our contemporary quotes a clause' from the agreement, prates about loss of revenue to the Borough, increase of burden to ratepayers, and winds up with a direct charge of attempt to defraud, an insult to the County Chairman—the hand that has fed him—about that gentleman having interpolated without the knowledge of the other contracting party the clause he refers to. The last statement is as untruthful and as unjust as the previous ones, and all are as truthful as our narrow minded editor could, obeying the instincts of his nature, find it possible to state. It is refreshing to find our contemporary siding with the Borough, and accusing the County of all soris of! wrong doing, when for years it has been looked upon as the mouth-piece of that ill-used body. We vow turn to the terms of the new draft agreement laid before the Borough Council this morning. Into this agreement two new features have beeu introduced, in clause 3 " water from the large race is not to be used for goldmining or quartz crushing purposes or anything incidental or conducive thereto or connected therewith, and clause 7 that the County shall have the right to convey or deliver through any of the mains or other pipes belonging to the Borough free of all cost, charge or expense, all or any water required for the purposes before mentioned." Why not hand over the Borough supply to the County altogether, just as well as allow the mains to carry all or any water they like P The first clause with a vengance curtails the means of the Borough deriving any revenue, and the last gives the County just what it requires to utilize its water, means of delivering it without the trouble or cost of laying mains for itself. Another clause compells the Borough to keep all its pipes and mains <&c. in good order to prevent waste ! of course, so that no obstacles shall ever prevent the County from supplying all its customers. Why the County must surely be jesting with the Mayor and Council when it asks such an arrangement to be agreed to. We shall be much surprised if the Borough Council accepts the agreement ia its preseut form.- If any

new arrangement is to be made, why not one with the County 8 by which the Borough should have the right of taking from the large race any time it was required, say 150,000 gallons of water per day, without any restriction as to how it was to be used. We commend this suggestion to both Councils.