7 6 
The London Water-Supply . 
[February, 
supplied with soft water-such as Glasgow, Manchester, 
Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax -are chiefly manufacturing 
centres whose inhabitants are liable to suffer from over- 
crowding, from unhealthy and hazardous employments, and 
from a polluted atmosphere. . 
As regards industrial uses, soft water is also generally 
preferable. For brewing, indeed, the reverse holds good ; 
but it is very easy for brewers to procure their supply 0 
hard water by sinking deep wells. Prof. Ansted, indeed, 
remarks that “ dyeing, bleaching, paper-making, and some 
kinds of chemical manufactures require the absence of cer- 
tain ingredients occasionally present in natural water, but 
none of these manufactures either need or could obtain 
chemically pure water. Some are much easier and better 
carried on by water containing much organic impurity. 
To the ideas expressed in this passage exception must be 
+ aken As a rule chemical manufactures and tinctorial ope- 
ration's succeed better the purer is the water employed. 
There are certain exceptional cases, such as what was 
formerly called “madder-work,” where_ the presence of 
bicarbonate of lime in the water is essential. In dyeing so- 
called “ sad colours ” salts of lime and magnesia are also 
useful as economising dye-wares. But in the majority of 
cases the dyer, tissue-printer, and bleacher would use 
chemically pure water were it to be had. Elsewhere Prof. 
Ansted informs us that “ a manufeaurer at St. Denis found 
that for wool- washing muddy and mfeaed water from the 
Groult was greatly superior to the clear water of an Arte- 
sian well ” At this statement we are by no means surprised; 
the water from the Artesian well would assuredly be hard, 
and therefore unfit for washing, whilst the impurities of the 
r ; ver if of an excrementitious nature— would have a di- 
realy detergent effea upon the wool. Finally, we must 
remember that it is much easier to harden a soft water, if 
such hardness is required for any special purpose, than to 
soften a hard one. . „ . . . 
Let us now turn to the last consideration— the seleaion 
of the hands in which the water-supply of a town is to be 
vested. Mr. Bateman is an advocate for everything on 
which the material prosperity of a town depends— such as 
police, sewerage, water-supply— being m the hands of the 
inhabitants themselves, and all, we believe save those who 
are diredtlv or indirectly interested in the prosperity of 
water-companies, will cordially support this view. We have 
the greatest respeCt for private enterprise whenever and 
wherever it is kept in due order by the presence, or at least 
