The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-07-17 00:00:00

STARTLING FACT FOR THE PROMOTERS OF
THE PIKE SCHEME.

The decision to be come to, this day, by the adjourned
meeting of the Council, on the water question, involves
results, for good or for evil, more momentous than those
attending any other question that has of late occupied the
attention of that body. It may involve even the solvency
of the corporation itself, whose members are united to
embark in a gigantic undertaking, the success of which no
man, we think, will dare to prophecy with any great con-
fidence, after the perusal of the following startling facts.
The town of Bolton has always been held up to us as one
whose arrangements for a supply of water are of the most
perfect description. The supply in question is drawn from
the surface of a district of country, adjoining that fixed
upon by Mr. Hawksley and the advocates of the Pike
scheme for, the supply of water. Its quantity has always
been boasted of as most abundant, and its quality as of the
purest description. What will these paities say to this
paragraph, which we have extracted from the Bolton
Chronicle of last Saturday ?

THE NECESSITY OF ECONOMY IN THE USE OF WATER.
—We have again to remind our readers that it is highly
important that care should he taken to prevent any waste
of water in the town. The Belmont lodge, which has been
at a low ebb for some weeks, now contains less than when
we formerly gave an intimation as to a scarcity, the rains
which fell a few daps since having, owing to the previous
drought, been absorbed, and produced no sensible effect upon
the reservoir; and unless the inhabitants use the strictest
possible economy, the probability seems to be that they will
experience the calamity of being entirely without a supply."
Our contemporary proceeds to give the first half-year's
fall of rain in Bolton for the 19 years from 1631, which
shows a smilar result to that which we shewed last week
had occurred in Manchester, the falling off havinc, been
from 25.22 inches in 1848 to 14.97 inches in 1849. The
fall for the three months, April, May, and June, in 1848
was 10.17 inches, and in the same months of 1849 only
5.35 inches. Our contemporary continues :
" These figures alone, which have, of course, reference to the
rain that has fallen in the town, may be looked upon as ac-
counting, in some degree, for the present scarcity; but the
following account of the fall of rain according to the guage at
Belmont, will show more strikingly how it is that the lodge is
at present so low : _

1847. 1848. 1849.
Inches. Inches. Inches.
April
May 6.3 .. 2.4 .. 3.1
June 6.3 .. 7.0 .. 1.9
We would suggest that, in order to save water, none be used in
cleaning windows or flags, in watering the streets, or, for the
present, in any way in which it is not imperatively needed.
There is little doubt that much loss generally arises from re-
pairs not being made immediately on their necessity being dis-
covered, and it would be well for consumers who have pipes
out of order, to give notice to the waterworks' manager accord-
ingly.

We beg to direct the attention of the Council particu-
larly to the passages which we have marked in italics.
Can the advocates of the Pike have any longer confidence
in the elaborate calculations of their engineer as to rain-
fall, in the face of this fact, which proves the objection
which has all along been taken to their correctness, that
the recent rains in the district composing the water shed
had " been absorbed ?" Let us ask, too, when Bolton is
in this deplorable condition, that its windows and flags
cannot be washed, its streets watered, and the faces and
hands of its population washed only when " imperatively
needed." what would have been the state of this town
had we been placed in sole dependence upon this very
district ?

We are enabled, from authentic information, to state
another fact connected with the water supply of Bolton,
viz., that at this moment the poor inhabitants, who are
unable to afford a proper filter, are compelled to tie a thick
flannel round their taps, to purify the water from the
insects and decayed matter which renders it unfit to drink
in its natural state. Yet this is the sort of stuff which
we are asked to substitute for Out present splendid water,
which, in this season of drought, is being distributed at
the rate of between six and seven millions of gallons per
day, being an increase of between five and six millions of
gallons over our previous weekly supply, for domestic
use, for flushing sewers, cleansing courts, watering streets,
and answering fully every requirwent of a sanatory
nature !

HARRASSING GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE
WITH AN EMIGRANT SHIP.

We have frequently had to notice the urbanity, and at
the same time, the firmness and impartiality, and espe-
cially the consideration for the welfare of the poor emigrant,
with which the business of the Government Visligration
Office is conducted by Lieutenant Hodder. And hence
we are sorry to observe that a new official has been sent
down by government, to act with Mr. Hodder in carrying
out the regulations of the board, who, like most other
newly appointed people, dragged up from nobody knows
where, appears disposed to give himself unnecessary and
annoying airs of authority. A few days ago, a fine ship
was upon the point of sailing across the Atlantic with
about six hundred emigrants on board but preliminary
to her sailing her stock of biscuit required by act of par-
liament to b provided, in case of the passengers stores
and the other provisions of the ship running short, must
be passed by the officers ; and our new official was the
party who came on board for the purpose. It appears,
however, that a few of the bags had got damp ; and the
whole quantity, although as it subsequently turned out
to be wholesome food, was refused to be passed. A day
was thus lost. The charterers, a highly respectable firm,
offered to put on board a stock of new bread, which was
done ; and it was hoped that the vessel' might get away
by the next morning's tide. It was, however, a few
minu'es after four o'clock when the gentleman was asked
to go on board to pass the provisions, and he refused,
although it was important to save a tide, to do anything
in over hours. Ultimately, on the next day, the original
bread was passed by Lieutenant Hodder himself, as good
sound food, the stipulation being made,. however, that
the new stock should be kept on board by the captain to
be used if wanted.

This arbitrary detention for two days of a ship with 600
emigrants on board is a serious affair, in vrhatever light it
is viewed ; and shews what care should be exercised by
the Government in the selection of parties to fill offices,
to which such powers of harassing men engaged in busi-
ness are attached. No Liverpool officer, acquainted with
the high standing of the firm to which we refer as the
charterers of this vessel, would ever have dreamt of shew-
ing the airs of the gentleman of whom, as new to his
office, we think the firm have just right to complain. But
Whig patronage, of course, never looks to the fitness of
those upon whom it bestows its favours.