20th September 1939
Water Supply. Public Relations.
The average person who turns on the tap and sees the water flowing does not concern himself much as to how it gets there or what it is like, so long as it is apparently clear and wholesome. He is satisfied if it is alright for dilution, ablution and any other uses to which he may take a fancy.
On listening to Major Kay a fortnight ago, and being asked, for my sins, to hold the fort today, his remarks on relations between the Engineers and the P.B.I. made me think of a subject for today; Public Relations. Incidentally, as a sapper officer with a field company in the last war I found that our relations with other troops were excellent; after all, we were there to help them, and they appreciated it; even when we had to take charge of large working parties of tired troops I did not find any resentment; set them their task and let them go and they never let us down. Moreover our men all knew the trenches better than anyone else being up continuously and this in itself helped our relations. The R.E.s started in the war with a very fine record, both technically and when downing tools and helping in a scrap, and this was more than upheld. The following ditty-comes to mind :
"The Israelites of old made bricks without straw,
But this is the regular work of our Corps,
The work of his Majesty's Royal Engineers
With the rank and the pay of a Sapper."
The question of Public Relations has been under consideration for some time by a Committee set up by the Institution of Civil Engineers and its activities have recently be decentralised in order to get down to brass tacks as regards Public Relations in the various fields of engineering.
With regard to Public Water Supplies there is considerable scope in the matter of providing the authorities with material to assist them, particularly in the way of films, slides, exhibits, and even lectures. In Douglas we have had several useful opportunities, the biggest being the recent Health Week.
In the first place the public should know the history of their water undertaking, and should have reasonable opportunities to become familiar with the main works, so that they can take an intelligent interest in developments. Then major developments take place there in of course considerable publicity. in which the Press are of great assistance in publishing historical and descriptive matter and photographs.
There are various ways in which public relations can be improved. Health Weeks should be taken advantage of as they afford excellent opportunities of meeting consumers and answering questions. Then from time to time there are special meetings of various bodies either for a lecture or visit to works. In this way we have, in Douglas, met Members of the Legislature, the Municipal Association, the Medical Association, The Central Young Farmers’ Club, and several other parties.
The co-operation of the Education Authorities is good, and classes of older boys and-girls shown round works or given talks display a very lively interest. I sympathise with them having to write essays when they get home, and it would be very interesting, possibly instructive, and sometimes amusing to read some of them; I think the lecturer should be given the opportunity of annotating their efforts.
Where smaller authorities are interested in the doings of their larger neighbours much useful information may be given by visits to works etc. and the larger authority may sometimes learn something from the smaller ones too. What is necessary for one authority may not be applicable to another, but the ideals and. fundamentals are the same.
Waterworks are expensive, and most of the money spent is for materials and work which is underground and so never seen. Moreover water needs no advertising as it is a universal need. If only we could say n Buy more B-coli-Free Bountiful Beverage, only 3/- per thousand gallons supplied on demand to your own chromium- plated taps;” or “Welcome Water Washes Winter Woollies Wonderfully;” or even, “Why Drink Whisky, Water is Cheaper”, people would take far more interest in their water supply. Or if the piping system were overhead it could be made quite artistic and be put to many uses, as clothes lines for instance, and we should have no difficulty in getting reports of burst pipes, except of course in very hot weather when small punctures over deck chairs in the garden would no doubt be popular.
In the past, and. possibly to some extent today also, certain public authorities were considered fair game, notably railway companies and tax collectors, and to a lesser extent gas, water and electricity concerns. This attitude can be reduced by public relations. Gone, too, I hope, are the Good Old Days when the larger authority was apt to lay up trouble for itself. perhaps for generations, by high-handed treatment of the out-districts which it supplied. The surreptitious shutting down of valves at night in time of drought, opening them before the adversary’s man came along; aftermath, fifty years later, the smaller authority sticking to the letter of an old agreement and causing the big authority to build extensive new works and supply the smaller one at a loss.
What we want today is co-operation; it is the consumers’ supply and they are also the ratepayers. The ordinary householder can and should help the authority to give them the best and at the same time economical service. The landlords should also help. and-can help greatly, by prompt attention to repairs. Consumers can help best by notifying any cause for complaint, any leakage (or better still by getting a plumber to attend to it at once) or faulty taps and fittings. Dont wait for the authority’s inspectors to find these for you; if the inspectors do find unsuspected leakages help in getting them repaired, dont think they are trying to make trouble. If you want any help or advice dont hesitate to ask for it. You may have troubles or problems which we dont know about, and we may be able to help.
Don’t send little Johnny round to report that there is a smell in the kitchen; it may only be the cheese
Don’t think that the water Authority are out to fleece you; water is really the cheapest commodity that you have, and the Authority’s Motto, if they had one would doubtless be very similar to that of Rotary. (Adopt, Adapt and Improve’ – Ed)
T.C. Greenfield
The Greenfields 