CORRESPONDENCE.

Bruce Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 74, 20 September 1917, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

» —. Wo do not Identify or hold ourselves responsible for anything appearing under this column (To the Editor), Sib,—Your issue of Monday, 10th met, contains a letter over the signature of W- fl. Salmond, referring to some ren marks made by a member of the Borough Council deputation which waited on the County Council at its last meeting. Mr Salmond is in ,error [in aeoribing the cutting of the'ditch to the Borough Council. At that time the late Mr Goodall occupied the dual position of mayor of Milton and chairman of Toko. Boad Board. It was in the latter capacity that he made the agreement with Mr Parker. Being a settler in the vicinity at that time, I entered into a contract with the late Mr Goodall (as chairman of the Boad Board) to build a stone culvert from the corner of the church pro* perty across the road to connect with the ditch on what was then Mr Parker's property. In this connection I might mention that a proposal was carried by the Board to carry the water in a ditch along to the ford in front of Mr Salmond's residence. This was so far oarried out that the late Mr Elder Brown was employed to take the levels, and draw up specifications | for the work, bat it was found that the bed of the creek was on higher ground than the starting point. Ido not know who w§B responsible for the proposal ; it might have been one of the late Mr Goodall's erratic undertakings,—l am, etc., Jas. L. Newbigging. •' Glengary," Sept. 15th. (To the Editor). Sir, —When the deputation from the Borough Council interviewed the County Council regarding the flood water at the north end of the borough, and when Cr Russell, in his characteristically bom* bastic manner, referred the deputation to their own minutes of 1877 to 1879, and remarked " You will find it all there 1" the all being the cutting of a deep ditch (through what is now Mr Salmond's property) he was talking flap* doodle, I have very carefully searched the minutes referred to, during which time the late Mr Goodall wae mayor, and also the years 1870 to 1873, during i whioh period the same gentleman waß Mayor, and I emphatically assert that there is not a word about a ditch or drain anywhere outside the boundaries of the borough, And why should there be ? Is it not the height of absurdity to imagine that the Borough Council would undertake such a pieoe of work so far from its precincts. Now, Sir, what did strike me during the perusal of the said minutes was that Mr Goodall was not only mayor of Milton, but was also a member of the Tokcmairiro Boad Board at the same time, and that would account for his name be* ing associated with that work, whioh was no doubt done at the instigation of the Boad Board, Mr W. H, Salmond, in his letter of the 10th inst, refutes my statement that the ditch was out by Mr Parker, Well, all I can say to that is that one of my councillors, who was one of the deputation, distinctly says that Mr Salmond informed him that Parker cut it, so how he can reconcile the two statements is beyond my comprehension, Unfortunately there are no records as to who authorised and carried out the work, as I understand the records of the Road Board were destroyed when the fire took place at the County Council chambers, but it is still a fact the ditch carried all the water until a second culvert was turned into it some few years ago ; by whose authority it would be interesting to know. Mr Salmond makes a few caustic remarks re the borough drains, to which my only reply is that I was under the impression that he was always too courteous a gentleman to butt into a thing which did not concern him and which he knows nothing about, Thank" ing you for this space,—l am, etc., Charles King.