Norwich bulletin., 1910-11-23
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Alderman Ely Expresses His Views.

MT. Editcr: The hour is at hand With the needs of the immediate future staring us in the face, let us not waste time considering what might have been.
 Let uS try to forget that, though the water famine has been known for many months past to be inevitable. no curtailnent of the use of water has been rigidly enforced by the city of 1 ffeials. Let us forget that livery sta 'bles, garages and private citizens are st1il washing carriages and automo- piles with running water; that eleVa- tors consuming enough water at each ascent to supply a person with drinking water for several months, continued to operate until quite recently; that rail- road locomotives are still using city water: that at least one church organ was run by water motor last Sunday. Let us not forget that, as yet, no ef- dcfent effort has been made to locate and stop the unWarranted consumption of water in the early morning hours, and that factories are still using city water for manufacturing purposes. Let us forget that we would not now be without water except for a certain in Junction, and that the city meeting to discuss the water situation has been postponed for many weeks for the al leged investigation Of various sites, al ready fully covered by written reports of experts made some years ago and new on file.
 Let us also forget that since the time the present conditions were first known to be inevitable, there has been ample time to lay pipe to some running water supply in the surrounding coun- try. Let us forget these unfortunate facts.
 The immediate future demands our attention. That no provision is under way, so far as is known at this writ ing, for a further suitable supply, when Mohesen lake is drained two or three weeks hence, is rather astonish- ing. It might be said that we have the much talked of artesian wells The writer voted against driving these wells when the matter was brought be- fore the common council, on the ground that the supply, if any, from that source would come too late to avert a crisis and would be a negligible quan- tity for the amount of money expended as compared with other sources of sup ply, and because three wells were driv- en in 1899, in the same vicinity. and later abandoned. The way in which the driving of these wells llas been spas medically carried on and the results thus far have caused me no qualms of conscience over my stand regarding them.
 If Mr. Ryther's, scheme is as good as he suggests, by all means get him here and let him explain it Perhaps
 
 of the problem. If so, I have not heard of 1t, as I am not on the executive committee.
 There Is now nothing ahead but to pump water from the rivers.
 Granted that this method will pre- vent us from being entirely without water so long as the sewers and fac tories continue to drain into the rivers, consider the quality of this water sup ply Some of us are ignorant. Some of us are lazy This river water will be drunk by many, and the results can be imagined without description. In the meantime our papers come forth with large headlines announcing that pIenti- full supply of water is assure1. while in small type it is modestly suggested that we curtail the consumption of wa ter. Good intelligent housewives are doing this, and will continue to do so. In the meantime consumption of wa ter far less necessary than that of tfe homes continues. Why? Because it is