300. W.Davidson,· continued, 6557. It must go into the creek?-Yes. _ , 4th Dec. 188S; 6558. The road keeps close to the Watts ?-It crosses the Watts and a tributary of the Watts, and it is precipitons from the road always down to the -Watts. Anything of an objection": able character on the hillside mnst go into the Watts. - 6559. And with teams going along the road you are bound to have a number of dogs?-Yes; you ,cannot help that. I have taken action in this matter entirely on my own judgment. I would~ not set my opinion in the face of scientific opinion in the matter, but I think it would be bad. 6560. How do you propose to protect the timber on this Goulhurn water-shed ?-It would be permanently reserved for water supply purposes; it would be then, to some extent, vested in th~ Water Supply Department, and there would be no possibility of anyone going in for the timber. I would secure all the sawmi1l timber. 6561. Has application been made by your department for reservation of the Victoria Forest on the Goulburn side ?-~o, I have not done that yet. 6562. Would it not be desirable to do that 7-Yes, I think it will be done. 6563. _Would not the reservation of that land tend to preserve the water on the other side of the range ?-I think it would serve to maintain the permanency of the creeks. I do not know if it will make more rainfall in a year than if the trees were gone, but it will conserve the water. : 6564. Is it not a fact that after the clearing of so much large timber on Mount Disappoint­ men t there was a very considerable decrease in the registered rainfall of the Yan Yean 7-1 am not aware of that. If there was a decrease, I think I have heard it was in eommon with -the general decrease; but there was no doubt whatever, from the early gaugings of the Department, thaUhe cutting ot the timber on the southern slopes caused a diminntion in the volume of the streams. _ 6565. For many years before the Yan Yean was made,-there were some observations made at Yan Yean which were compared with observations in Melbourne, and year after year the rainfall at Yan Yean was wonderfully greater than in Melbourne, but in late years after the cutting of timber at Mount Disappointment the rainfall in Yan Yean was the same as in Melbourne, and-in so~e cases less than in Melbourne; and the same at Macedon 7-My recollection of those rainfall records are not quite in accord with what you say. I think we nsually have about four inches more rainfall in a year at Yan Yean than in town. Again, I do not think that the Yan Yean records are affected at all by the timber-cutting in the Plenty Ranges, because the Yan ,Yean is, only 700 feet above the sea. The ranges get up 2,700 feet, and are twelve miles beyond. vVe have riever had a rain gauge until recently in the ranges, and since we have constructed the Wallaby Creek works we have a rain gauge there, and we get nearly double what we get at Yan Yean. , 6566. Has not a great deal of young timber grown recently?-A great deal. 6567. Would not that cause the rainfall to increase 7-We had no gauge before; I would like to go throngh all the records before answering that question. ' 6568. The next question is with regard to the quantity of water supplied'to Melbourne, having in view the possible establishment of a system -of' sewage by water carriage; can you give us any information on that point ?-At the present time, with a system of deep sewerage and water carriage, and only our present appliances for bringing in water, I think some of the districts would be in a very bad way for want of water. We are delivering now into the eity, or did last week, an average consnmption of 80 gallons per head per day, and yet, in many of the districts, as at Emerald Hill and some portions of Williamstown, and some portions of Essendon, they had not any wate,!, during the day; under a condition of that kind there conld not be anything mnch worse; it would not be a water carriage system. Then, to have an efficient water system to Melbourne, it is essential that every pipe in' the city 13ha11 be kept fully charged, under a good pressure, throughout the whole twenty-four bours. To do that, even now, without the water-carriage system, we would havt;l .to increase the mains very largely; in fact we are doing that now.' Then we wonld want additional mains to· provide not less than ten gallons a day; that, with the present population,would be 4,000,000 gallons additional a day. ' , 6569; What sort of main would that require 7-Speaking without calcnlation; by comparing with other mains of which I know the capacity, an ] 8 or 20 inch main would deliver that. , 6570. In regard to the supply of water to Melbourne, do you think when the Watts water is brought in there will be an ample supply coming into Melbourne?-Yes, I think there', is no question about that, when we get the Watts finished, even in its half developed state. 6571. Prior to the formation of the embankment and reservoir 7-Yes, we will have water .in sufficient quantities for a population of 750,000 people, including that required for the sewage system. , - 6572. At what rate per head 7-We will be able to deliver then, I reckon, 75 gallons per head per day. ' _ 6573. That is very considerably larger than what they estimate in Great Britain 7-Yes ; I . think the finest water supply in Britain is Glasgow; that is supposed to be 50 gallons per head. But it is nothing like it in London; the New River is the best;' they give about 24 gallons. Liverpool is about 18, and Manchester 22 gallons. All those places are duplicating their works. Liverpool is spEmding about £3,000,000, so is Manchester, to bring the water from the lakes in Cumberland. 6574. It is considered at home that 50 gallons is the maximum ?-Yes. 6575. Do you attribute the difference of quantity here to the difference in climate or un­ necessary waste 7-1: do not think there is a great deal of' unnecessary waste. I do not think there is much water pufto a bad purpose in l\felbourne; the conditions are different. More water is required because ofthe climate; people bathe here more than at home; and another thing is, Mel­ bourne is built differently to any town at home, in that the whole' of the settlement· is on 301 allotments with gardens. I think the fact that Melbourne js a city of gardens accounts for the big W. Davidson. contintied, consumption of water; and it is quite clear to me we are getting into trouble because it has been ~th Dec. 1888. snch a dry winter and spring; we have to keep the gardens in order from theYan Yean. 6576. You said the pressure would have to be increased if so much water is required; could not something he done for the sewage in the way of tanks, as in the old country, to save the water? -Yes, but the tanks they use in the old country are connected with the intermittent water supply. The Melbourne supply is not designed for that system at all. I do not think the tank system, as I remember it in one town at home, could be brought into use in Melbourne at all. It would be a good thing for householders to provide themselves with tanks, and always keep them full to meet any emergency. 6577. It would be a very bad thing to introduce here-the system of having tanks in the honses connected with the sewage system ?-Yes, I do not think in connexion with the water sewage system here, the tanks should be allowed in the house at all; if they were kept in the yard away from the water closets, it wonld be all right. 6578. You do not think tanks holding fresh water would facilitate the drainage system ?­ It would be a proper thing to have the tanks in connexion with the water-closet system, but not in connexion with the house: Supposing it takes 10 gallons per head per day and the household consists of ten persons, the water required for flushing would have to be delivered in the house to meet any failure in the mains. I do not think it shonld be part of the ~epartmental system to put them up. I . 6579. Do you think it would facilitate the drainage purposes, ifthe water supply was rather deficient, that the tanks in connexion with water closets would assist inlany way in diminishing the pressure or allowing for the diminished pressure ?-Thefact of having the tanks would ensure the flushing of closets when, otherwisc, they would not be flushed. 1 6580. Would it be desirable ?-I think it is an element of safetYb whether it is wanted once in twelve months or not; it could not do any harm. 6581. Would it do any good ?-In elevated parts I think it would, where the pressure ~s deficient. 6582. What are the precautions taken .to keep the water pure in its passage from the Dividing Range along the clear-water channel?-We have on the upper side, in all cases, a deep drain to intercept all water from the adjacent lands, and at suitable places all the water accumu­ lating in those drains is taken underneath the aqueduct, and taken to the Plenty.