CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume II, Issue 42, 1 March 1862, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor of live ' TV;..■;.*.' Timaru, lltli Feb., 1862. Sir, —In the ' Lyttelton Times ' of the Ist inst, the attention of the public is very properly called to tho inefficient way in which, certain government olhcials here attend to their work, and indirectly to the indifference of the Government at Christchurch, aa to whether their officials at such remote places as this perform the duties for which draw public money. Probably the all-absorbing Railway scheme casts such a halo around the originators thereof, that everything not pertaining to this great work is in utter darkness, and the valuable time of the members of the Executive cannot be spared to attempt penetrating the same. 'Timaruite' refera in a very temperate way to the neglect of public property hero by parties to whose charge it is entrusted, but 1. think lie scarcely brings the whole case fully before the public. I think the following additional fact may assist that purpose. During the last year repeated applications were made to Government, that it would cause the Timaru moorings to be examined. The decided opinion of several nautical men was, that, from the time the moorings have been down without undergoing the ordinary and requisite examination, they must be iv a very unsafe state. Whether or no any instructions were sent to the officer at Timaru whose duty it is to attend to this matter, is best known to the Provincial Government and Timaru official. At all events both seemed totally apathatic on this point until the Superintendent came down southward, drawn here by the influence of the separation movement. Prompted, no doubt, by the force of circumstances jnst then, to evince a conciliatory feeling, his Honor gave orders for the inner mooring to be lifted and examined, and what was the result? Why the mooring chain was in such a state, that no one endowed with common sense would knowingly have trusted a boat to it. Shackles were without bolt pins, the shackle bolts falling out as soon as a bight of the chain was lifted by a slip-rope, and the links were worn in the nip from I.} inch to \ iron. To these moorings were commonly riding the regular trading vessels to Timaru. Evidently, the old song is correct " the sweet little cherub who sits up aloft," or some accident would have happened ere this; hut if tho Government expect the said cherub to take entire charge of property aa well as lives at Timaru, they have more faith in him than we have. I certainly expect if something is not quickly done, we shall find the cherub thinks Iris watch is out.

In the ordinary work of life, people generally take catv to get value received for salary p.iul Lt is perhaps tou nnich to expect that our Government should begin to do this now that the Treasury overflows, as they did not do so when in very different circumstances. Still we think they should be reminded that thoy are trustees fur public property even at Timaru, and are in duty bound to see it not lost or injured by the neglect of their paid servant. I am. Sir, Your obedient servant, TUIARUITE, No. 2.