CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 305, 21 December 1912, Page 10

CORRESPONDENCE.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

WAGEE, WhangaxeL—"'Morry" Wood was a member of the Xew Zealand team that defeated Cedell-Siewright-'s team at Wellington in 1904. BESIGXATTOV OF HARBOUR EOARD OFFICIALS. (To the Editor.) Si r> in your report of the proceedings of the Harbour Board on Tuesday lact in regard to our resignations and the lpttcr accompanying same, it appears that statements were made to the eil'ect that our resignations were, due to our inability to obtain increases of salaries. The following is a statement of facts: — jMr Powell has never during the last year asked either the engineer or the chairman for any increase of salary. On November 27 ho. spent several hours with the engineer discussing proposed readjustments of salarips of the drawing office staff. During this discussion Mr Powell ironically remarked that, of course, he expected an increase of £200 this time, and this remark, which was never expected to be taker, in earnest, has been distorted to bear a serious meaning. Mr McKay wrote the chairI man on November 14 asking for an im- ! proved status on the stn.fi" with corresponding increase of salary. Ihe committee set up to consider the qursuoli of I increase? of salary was to meet on De--1 cpraber 11. Our letter and r^ig'E.tions were written oa December 6, and were purposely handed in before December 11, in order to make it quite evident that there was no connection between the resignations and the matter of salaries. Moreover, the engineer informed Mr Me- ] Kay before the resignations were handed in, but after they were written, that ho | had practically arranged to grant Mr McKay everything he had asked for in : his letter to the chairman. Mr P. Virtue is reported to have said in rrfr.rr.nce to j the coiiapse of part of north wall, that "the original plans were not carried out because the work was done under Mr Powell's supervision. The engineer was absent in London." Mr Virtue is evidently quite mistaken in this matter. That portion of north wall that collapsed in February, iOIO. was built by Mr Hamer while Mr Powell was absent in England, and collapsed before his return, .-o that Mr Powell never even t-aw Ibis portion of thu wall until after the acci- j vent. While wp have co desire at, thr. present juncture to discuss the statements contained in our letter of Dpcoui- i bor 6 to the chairman, we have felt it our '. duty to make the above plain statements of fact in order that the main points at issue may be clearly understood. —We j are, etc., ! F. E. POWELL. I A.M.I.Mech.E. R. J. MeKAY, 8.E., A.C.S.E. JUBILEE CELEBRATION. (To the Editor.) | Sir,—Kindly allow mc epaco to correct an error in the report of the meeting of old colonists re proposed ei'lobration of the jubilee of arrival of the ships Devon- 1 shire and Gertrude, which appeared in voui issue of yesterday. Mr. Justioe Coopar \v».s a passenger by tbo Gertrude —not by the Devonshire, as inadvertent- j ly stated. —I am, etc., ' H. DUN"BAR JOHKSCYN , . | 21st December. I ST. MARY'S HOMES. -OTAHUHV. j CTo tbe Kditor.) Sir. —In the midst of Christmas festivities may T remind your reader* of the needs of St. Mary's Home* , , .Ota-huhuf Our large family, averaging .'SO girls arid 4.5 infants, has so many needs that v-p, aTe sorely strained to make two ends meet. We have nothing to spare for cs- | tras at any time. Regular feubseriptions 1 to the funds of the. Homes would save ] us much anxiety, and gifts to brighten ! the Christmas-tide would be very vvel- J come if sent either to Miss Hancock at the Homes, or to mc. r; EORG E MACM CRRAY. St. Mary's Vicarage, Parnell. I KEEP YOUR CITY CLEAN". (To the Eiittor.l Sir,—l would like to protect against the habit of distributing hand bills,cards, etc., in our main thoroughfares. Any Sunday you go down Queen Street you will have a religious card thrust into your hand, and this is immediately thrown on the footpath; and co i , . goes on until the street is fairly littered with rubbish. Thp same applies to other notices, so that it is time a by-law was j enforced to stop this ridiculous prartice. —I am, etc., CLEAN" STREET. RECORD FOR ATTENDANCE IN THE DOMJXION. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I see a notice in your columns of a young lad having seven first-class certificates to his credit, and a very good record, too; but il is not a record for the Dominion, a≤ I know one family of nine children who can beai it. One {.irl has ten first-class, another eight firsts and one second, two boys with seven firsts each, another boy and girl with two half-day* missing in six years. Tho remaining threu children havp only six between them. Altogether the family in question have over fifty certificates. I Two of the boys hold dux "of thp school ■as well, the eldest with silver medal, the younger a gold ono. For the truth of this statement anyone writing to the headmaster. Forbury School. St. Kildu, j Dunedin, will be satisfied. Muirhead is I the name, and I can safely say they hold 1 the record for attendance of one family I attending one school in the Dominion.— I am, etc., ONE OF THE FAMILY. COX'S CREEK. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I was much struck vrith. the letter which appeared in your i=3Ue of j the 20th inst., signed G. H.Lethaby. The '; writer bits the mark when he suggests : more open spaces in order to mitigate outbreak of epidemics. While the • city in many parts is well provided for in this respect I would suggest to our energetic Mayor and his colleagues on the City Council the great desirability of securing a park or recreation ground for that part of the city in and around the vicinity of Cox's Creek. The time is now opportune, as there are some splendid I lands in the vicinity which could now be • secured. If left too long, when building I shall have taken place, the city would 1 then have to add to the cost that of compensation. The population in that locality is fast increasing, and provision should now be made in the direction indicated. This scheme may hurry forward the amalgamation of Grey Lynn with the city.—l am, etc., £. GKJEENS,

ARNEY ROAD RESERVE. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Through the columns of your widely read journal will some member of that infinitely wise body, the Remuera j Road Board, inform the ratepayers who j; is responsible for the wholesale wanton ! destruction of that picturesque reserve at the foot of Arney Road? The stately trees and ornamental shrubs, so much t admired by all, have been so mutilated, and in some oases cut down, that the reserve resembles a forest after the ravages of tbn bushman. Surely this is the limit ? Would thp City Fathers sit dumb while the speculator worked destruction on the people's playgrounds?— , I am, etc., RATEPAYER. , THE ORDER OF DRUIDS. (To the Editor.! Sir, —I ask your pardon for further . trespassing upon your valuable space, but as matters concerning our Order affect 12,000 members, I feel you will be pleased to grant it. It is very pleasing to find another of our opponents in Mr Bold ad-1 mitting that ho is not advocating the' present ratrs of payments a s sound in connection with our death claim. Mr Bold has my sympathy, as I feel sure he is sincere, but has got somewhat tangled | over an endeavour (1) to bring down a I solvent scheme; (2) a scheme so that I the members can learn to die quick, and .so avoid the rush; and (3) a desire of I beinc against (he Government. So far as the executive's proposal is concerned it is not ofsly ofT their own bat. but has stood ', the search!iuht of an actuary. With reference to Die Gisborne meeting. I am tjniie prepared to take the opinion of Brother Johnson (who is one of the oldest ' rmd mn=t resnecterl Druids in New Zea-' land) when he States th.it the G.V.P. had that evening rerrover 1 every argument they could put forward in favour of the present scheme. As I have been invited ito 3Hr!r"?= tbo Lieht of Manukau Lodge on the Bth of next month, I would b= : very oKiso! to s,->-> Rro. Bold present, as , I intend to denl fully with the matter he I has put forward.—l am, etc., ALF. THOMPSON.