30 The Mourne Water Scheme. 



he anticipated that this peat will settle. I do not know whether 

 he expects it will settle in the reservoirs, or in the conduit, or 

 in the people. My opinion is that peat does not settle rapidly. 

 These rivers run down very rapidly, and what comes down in 

 the shape of clear water is really spring water, filtered through 

 the sandy parts of the mountains, whereas the dirty water is 

 peaty water that comes down direct off the surface. I do not 

 wish to throw any cold water on the scheme ; I merely wish to 

 point these things out for the information of the citizens who 

 have to pay for the work, and I, of course, leave it to the 

 engineers to say what is going to be done with the peat which 

 contaminates I may say, from an approximate calculation, three 

 parts of the water flowing down the mountain rivers in the 

 district from which the new supply is to be taken. 



Mr. Conway Scott — I am, and always have been, in favour 

 of the Mourne scheme. Mr. Macassey says adopt the Mourne 

 scheme for one reason, and one reason only — ^your present 

 supply is too small. Granting that, I say there is another 

 reason, and a more important reason, that your present supply 

 is unsatisfactory (I do not wish to go the length of Professor 

 Letts or Mr. Brown), it is not a good drinking water. I think 

 it is an absolute necessity to get a new water supply, and there 

 is no place where you will get such a supply as at the Mourne 

 mountains. Regarding the objection raised by Mr. Brown, I 

 do not know that you will go anywhere without getting bog, 

 but if the Water Commissioners have purchased out all the 

 ground at low rates, why not spend a few more thousands and 

 cut the bogs out altogether ? 



Mr. Francis Curley — I would like, Mr. President, to ask 

 Mr. Macassey, through you, how it is that we have got such an 

 inadequate supply from the Stoneyford scheme .? If there is a 

 large amount lost owing to the construction of the reservoirs ? 

 and if it is a fact that an eminent authority gave very high 

 certificates with regard to the Lough Neagh scheme, which 

 were kept from the public ? 



Mr. P. C. Cowan — On the whole, we have a fair working 



