DROUGHT-STRICKEN CITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10517, 4 January 1912, Page 6

DROUGHT-STRICKEN CITY.

SYDNEY'S WATER FAMINE. The Sydciey Suiii of December 22nd | stai.es: — The citj;«Mi of the metropolisl kuio'ivs, im a general way, that the term "drought" means disaster. But ho is only now beginning to und'arstand what it signifies, in the way of persona II discomfort and inconvenience. For rxnue daYspa:;'t water has been so scarce in the metropolitan area that si'.hurban residents have had to accustom l themiscl'ves to all sorts of sacrifices and to resort to lots oi old faiili.it.ncd expedients to :\\ vy (*n their household concerns. Jt is' '.:ot likely that the sled and water barrel < f five small drought smitten settler out back 'will! become a feature of Sydney's street traffic as a result of the invent serious cusis ir. the city's water supply ,a mm igelnents. But it is mo»v- than liKe'y .;ihat before 'o>ig, if pre-e it conditions continue, the street "ate; caits will be employed oxd.isi'eiy in supplying private houses with the inclr.S'pensabile element that i? now to lamentabliy scarce. , Already the boy, bribed with a pony, going begging for water f oil! Imu;« to house to satisfy the ' vge.it ikh\l.> of Ju-UjO-hic-lders waiting for tJiie wherewithal |to '"uok their .ucvu s a c->n :; on <>jif» I:n many streets. [•'«>: two day; ile greater part 01 iji:iing:i i 'it has had iiu!e or no wato>\ From hii/al<th !> >. vest westward there has Uen a 'avrfiae for 48 hour*. Other ja:ts of the metropolis- lnwe suffered sianiilatr disabilities., For. hundreds, of families in the dironghlt-istrickeii districts' there has> been no' breakfast lately, or (tea either. There has been, no wr.itor for the kettles or for the washing up, or for the hath, or the matutinal wash. Never before was water r:> popular—and scarce. And. the

; -.ao of it that has been obtainable lias been of the bush waterhole sort smellfail and dirty, and needing to be filtered as well as> boiled. There is no present hope of abatement of the trouble. The only remedy suggested officially is for the public -who have a water .service, to economise, and let the others who have none secure a trickle through the now/empty pipes. It is cheering to reflect that there (are millions of, gallons of water to spare in the big reservoirs, water enough to kee,p tlifi city flooded almost indefinitely. All that is wanted is another connecting main. And this main, which should have been constructed long ago, will take three years to complete. It has not been, .started, yet, and there is no present indication of any official intention to start it.

With the population of Sydney expanding at present rate®, the ouitr-loo-k for three years hence is a pretty dismal 1 one.