78 HALIFAX WATER WORKS. JOHNSTON. 



....water for the city. After considering several propositions this 

 committee reported to the council recommending : the purchase 



, of .the company's works by : the city," and also tHat the Birch 

 Cove Lakes be acquired and connecte'cP to' a reservoir on 

 Shaffrotlis Hill, from whence the wafe'r be ; distributed by 

 three lines of pipes, one supplying the north, one the south 

 and the .other the middle district of the city. This scheme was 

 proposed and advocated by Mr. E. J/ Longard.' Acting upon 

 this report, the council again approached irne ; cblhpa',ny, and at 

 a special meeting of the latter 'it Wa : s resolved "to sell the works 

 to the city for 5 '2,OOQ, which offer the city accented, delivery 



. ; to be made on the first of May, 1860 ; but as the city neglected 

 to secure the necessary legislation, the agreement 'fell through. 

 In the following year, however, the sale was made to the city 

 for 56,000. The transfer of the works 1 'was made on the 30th 

 June, the formal transfer of the deeds, etc., being itiade o'n the 

 5th August, 1861. 



The water company's capital when the works were taken 

 over by the city was 44,000. r There were 960 water takers at 

 an average rate of 13 per annum, with special rates to the 

 military, breweries, bakeries and distilleries; and 700 was 

 being paid by the city for rental of fire and street hydrants. 

 There w r as about 21 miles of pipes laid for the supply of the 

 city. After the transfer, the works were managed on behalf of 

 the city by a board of three paid water commissioners under 

 authority of an act passed 15th April, 1861. The commission 

 was composed of J. A. Bell, chairman, and Messrs. J. L. Barry 

 and E. J. Longard, the latter taking the place of Mr. J. R. 

 Morse, who was elected by the city council "but declined to 

 serve. These gentlemen continued to act u'ntil the control of 

 the works was vested in a committee of the council (the board 

 of works) on the 30th September, 1872. 



Before the purchase of the works a commission on water- 

 supply, with Mr. Henrv E. Pugsley as chairman, was appoint- 



