CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6, 7 January 1908, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

■■- * « ANSWERS TO CORBESPONTXENTS. Thames was declared a goldfield in August, 1867. '• One who has been inside." — You do not enclose your name and address. BOAPJXEN-G MOVING FERKY BOATS. .(To the Eklitor.) Sir, —It is high "time that some 6teps were taken by those whose duty it may be considered, to check ferry-steam-er jumping. It is not so much to safeguard the lives of the jumpers tuem-eeh-es but, (as on Friday last) the lives pi those who, impelled by the excitement of the hour, accept a risk to save others. Tie sequence of events was as follows. A lady jumping to catch a steamer travelling about four knots, goes overboard; 15 seconds later, man with clothes on goes to the rescue, followed 10 sees, after by second man, also elo-thes on. A boat launched safely by the steamer's mate would, have been In ample time, when another gallant rescuer, with what idea in his head I don't know, jumped on to the gunwale of the boat, adding thjl-ee struggling men and an upturned ban to the already sufficiently acute situation, A second boat then put out with a passenger; the mate and a would-be-rescuer got aboard, a>ad two more rescuers were pulled aboard I steamer. The lady, the least flurried of ( lot, wa.3 lassoed and hauled on to the stringer of the wharf; another rescuer was hauled up with a lite-buoy rope, —nobody drowned. Comment is of course needless. A little less favoured condition of weather, and a little less prouiptj ness on the part; of the ferry captain I fai'jjJrt have rendered a comparative comedy into a positive traged3 : . The question before the Court would be: Who's to blame? Who. —I am. etc.. •SEA BBKBZE. (To the Editor.} Sir, —Over ilie lea tnble the other evening we read the account in the "Star" of the young lady falling into the harbour at Devonport, and discussed who was to blame. Not the girl; shn probably had to get to business, and could net afford to lose half an hoar. Nor. the boat; bat the ''bus; and the authorities who allow the 'bus to disregard its time-table. It is time tie Borough Council took some action in the matter.—l am. etc, E. J. T. . (To the Editor.) Sir, —The accident which occurred at Devonport recently to the young lady who jumped for the steamer °again calls attention to the dangerous practice, universally followed by Shore people iof jumping on to the moving steamer 3 j whe n they themselves are late. It seems to mc that the only way to prevent the practice is for the company to close the gates a second or two before the steamer is timed to leave. If that were done when the bell is rang, and the steamer kept tied up till'the whole of those on the wharf are on board, there would be none of this stupid adventuring which so nearly ended tragical!}- for the girl. The Ferry Company posts notices al! over the place, but I have never seen them once try t° prevent a passenger from leaping. Women above all, cumbered as they are I with their skirts, should be prevented |at all casts. ! Thero. will bp a. dreadful accident one Jof these days, through the practice, and i 1 hope this suggestion, or some other ) method of preventing it, will be adopted I before disaster occurs.—l am, etc., PASSEINGEE. i DR. BAKEWELL'S PI'KEEOHE IMPRESSIONS. (To the Editor.) Sir,—My absence from this neighbourhood must be my excuse for not answering your correspondent, B. Andrews, who sifrns himself "Chairman, Pukekohe Town Board." As he distinctly charges mc with falsehood, I must, however, give him a few lines of reply. With regard to the question of the scoria on the road between the cottage where I lodged and the Post Oflice, B. Andrew's reply is that the entrance is no rougher than "it is to the yards at Kcmucra." Allow mc to inform him that this is simply an ignoratio olenchi. 1 never saw the yards at Remuera, I do not know that there are any yards at llemuer.T. B. Andrews seems to be totally destitute of any sense of humour, or he really could never seriously proceed to prove that there are children, and even babies, in such a district as Pukekohe. Quis dubitavit? I only said j that I had never seen any under the age of fourteen in the streets. B. A. is mistaken in saying he lived next, door to mc, as he speaks of some children living opposite. Now. there was no house opposite to the one I resided in. Before making accusations against a writer who is known where B. A. was never heard of, B. A. should verify his quotations. lie will hud that 1 never made any such statement as the one he accuses mc of making about children in Pukekohe —viz.: that J never saw ''a child undor fifteen.' . The chairman of the Pukekohe Town Board ought to very grateful to mc ior calling attention to and praising up his little town. Some day or nther it will have five or six thousand inhabitants. As B. A. has had the impertinence to write of mc with out using the usual prefix to my name, I have dispensed with the usual prefix to his. How does he like it?—l am, etc., E. H. BAKEWELL. Onehunga, December 30, 1007.