296 



Water Supply and Small Holdings. [july, 



It has been said that local conditions will vary consider- 

 ably. It may, therefore, be fair to assume that, instead of 

 the waterless groups which have just been considered, we 

 have to deal with a somewhat similar aggregation of farms 

 which are, however, sufficiently provided with surface-water 

 to meet the needs of animals, but from which potable water 

 is absent. 



For the purpose of comparison, Estimates Nos. 1 and 2 

 may be in that case modified as follows : — 



By striking out from Estimate No. 1 items (b), (/), and 

 part of item (g) we reduce the expenditure on the thirty farms 

 by £883, thus bringing down the total cost to ^3,185. 



All the items of Estimate No. 2 are reducible under the 

 contracted requirements, and in this case ^"658 may be struck 

 off, which leaves the total standing at ,£2,120. 



These estimates show, therefore, that there would be an 

 initial saving of over ;£ 1,000 in favour of a combined system, 

 whether animal requirements had to be provided for or other- 

 wise. They also show that the cost of a combined system 

 ".all in " is appreciably less than that of a separate system 

 for domestic supply only. 



Against them, there ought, perhaps, to be placed the interest 

 which might be saved in the case of groups which developed 

 very gradually, and where the holdings were separately 

 equipped as they were taken up, in which event the whole 

 capital cost of water equipment would not, of course, be 

 needed at the outset; but the economy of future extensions 

 of a combined system to meet other possible requirements 

 may very well be taken to cancel this item, as similar exten- 

 sions of a separate system would probably be in the direction 

 of the more expensive provision of additional wells. 



As regards the cost of supplies from sources other than 

 those which have been considered, no reasonable estimate can 

 be made, except in connection with concrete cases — e.g., \he 

 cost of impounding a stream for the supply of the group 

 herein assumed, and of providing compensation water for 

 those entitled to it, would necessarily depend upon a number 

 and variety of circumstances which it would be useless to try 

 to imagine. Similarly, the cost of taking a supply, by means 

 of rams or other hydraulic machinery, from a running stream 



