Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1940. OUR SHORTAGE OF WATER.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 February 1940, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1940. OUR SHORTAGE OF WATER.

A CORRESPONDENT whose letter appeared on Monday A complained rather bitterly of the “harshness "iJuMiee of the Masterton Borough regulations relating to the hos n wardens In support of that complaint he pointed out that la. t week about forty of Masterton’s most respected in one day branded as-law-breakers In a season rivers have carried an abundance of water he added the citizens of Masterton have been forced to break the lav 0 or see their gardens ruined.” Although the desire to save a garden is not an excuse for breaking the law, many peop e n doubt will have read our correspondent s letter with a good de. of sympathy, but it would be easier to follow his example n finding fault with the Borough Council than to show just ho the admittedly unsatisfactory state of affairs now existing is to be remedied. ,

An extremely heavy expenditure, not only on unproved headworks but on greatly enlarged mains probably wou d I) necessary before the virtually unrestricted hosing of guldens could be permitted. No doubt, however, the present wate supply may be amplified very considerably, provided the iatepavers are prepared to meet the outlay involved It is not of ’ much use, and neither is it obviously .just, to affirm, as out correspondent did, that “the Borough Council has failed in its duty to the citizens’’ and that: Surely it is high tune the council realised that our water supply is quite inadequate and fails to meet legitimate requirements. The citizens oi Masterton as a body have been slow to realise that their water supply is inadequate and ought to be augmented. Some fit teen years ago, they rejected water supply improvement proposals at a poll and since that time there has been no w, ell-supported demand for a reconsideration of the decision then reached.

From time to time individuals have taken the matter up. For instance, Mr J. C. Ewington did so a few years ago, urging that from the point of view of protection against, fire and on other the improvement, of the water supply should no longer be neglected. As far as we recollect, Mr Ewington s initiative on that occasion received very little support either from members of the Borough Council or from private citizens. Certainly it was not effectively supported.

The people of Masterton. have the matter in their own hands. If they want a better water supply, for the hosing of o-ardens and for other purposes, they can get it simply by signifying that, they are twilling to pay for it. They cannot, get it°on any other conditions. The Borough Council consists ol estimable citizens, some of whom are persuaded only with difficulty to undertake the rather thankless duties of civic administration. With a reasonable assurance that the people ultimately concerned are prepared to foot the bill, the •conned no doubt would be quite willing to promote a much more ambitious scheme of water supply improvement, than it has meantime submitted to the Local Government Loans Board.

If however, it is felt that the council is lagging’ behind the times in this enterprise^—if it is believed that and other electors of the town desire, a greatly improved water supply and are prepared to pay for it it is entirely open to any citizen or citizens to put the matter to a practical test at the next municipal elections. A test on these lines probably is desirable, but any element of caution now entering into the policy of the Borough Council where the water supply is concerned may find its explanation in the fact that emphatic protests from'time to time against the shortage of water have alternated with the expression of equally emphatic objections to any increase in the rates.