SPRINGBURN POST OFFICE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18129, 19 July 1924, Page 8

SPRINGBURN POST OFFICE.

OFFICIAL OPENING.

(from our special reporter.)

Up to the year 1882, and far into the year 1883, the present thriving and prosperous locality of Springburn was to a large extent a swamp, or, in the words of John Hood, the oldest resident of the Mount Somers district, and one who knows the history of the whole of the foothills land from the Bangitata to the Bakaia, a "dreary Slough of Despond." Just about that time that hardy and industrious pioneer, Andrew McFarlane, took up a very con siderable area of this boggy land. It was not long before McFarlane saw the potentialities of the dreary-looking country, and realised that by dint of much labour it could be drained, and by jfticious cultivation converted into its present exceedingly fertile condition

McFarlane was a blacksmith in Scot land. When he landed in New Zealaiv! he took up a position in the late John Anderson's foundry, in Christchurch. and the experience he gained at the forge, both at Home and in Christchurch, enabled him to manufacture at his own forge at Alford Forest, where he is still living, implements which would enable him to drain the swamp find turn it into one of the most fertile spots along the foothills between the Itangituta and Kakaia Bivers. This b' set about with a stout heart and strong implements, and he had the satisfaction of seeing "the swamp" changed into what it is now—fine cropping country, on which is a villa residence, surrounded by some of the best paddocks in the whole of the Mount Somers. Springburn, Stavcley, and Alford Forest districts.

A few years after McFarlane had taken up "the swamp," the unemployment question in Canterbury became very acute. The late Mr B. G. Wright and McFarlane urged that some of the surplus labour might be profitably employed in an extension of the Mount Somcrs railway line in the direction of xUford Forest, with the object of ultimately joining up with the present Methven branch. There was a_ lot of agitation regarding the direction of the extension, but it was finally decided that the shortest route should be taken, that the extension shduld go at least as far as what is now known as Springburn, arid that it should pass close to what was then known as "the swamp." A very large proportion of the formation, and the actual navvy work was dono by unemployed labour, tho wages j being something Icbs than six shillings a day. There was at first considerable doubt as to the wisdom of extending the line, but the results have proved it was a , very wise and profitable expenditure of public money, for the line received an ■ enormous amount of goods traffic, in the form of railway sleepers, from i Sharplin and Vincent's sawmills, to j say nothing of the wool and sheep which had to be carried to Ashburton and other parts of the Dominion. To-day* there is no spot in Canterbury which is more fertile.

Linking Up Springburn. Yesterday another important event in the history of Springburn took place, when there was a very large and representative gathering at the official opening- of a new and exceedingly well.equipped post office and telephone exchange. The actual opening took place on July lßt, and to enable this to be done the Post and Telegraph Department put up a big record by ereetmg and wiring eighty-three poles a day, and covering twelve and a half miles at this rate. The new building is of concrete, rough cast outside, with a slate roof. has been built on tho standardised principle the Department has adopted, there being many similar buildings in outlyin* districts in the North Island. Inside there is every, convenience conceivable for efficient working. _ The officer in charge is Mr W. J. Stringer, who has been transferred from the Ashburton office. „ The gathering yesterday was one or exceptional interest to the older residents. Mr John Hood spoke feelingly of the many drawbacks with which the Mount Somers, Staveley, Springburn, and Alford Forest districts had had to contend in the years gone by. Nevertheless they realised that the whole district could be made into a highly fertile and profitable general farming and dairying area. There had been quite a number of residents in Springburn who could not see the advantage of telephonic communication, but he could assure them that once they realised its advantages they would all be eager to j be linked up. ~.,.■,• There was a long toast-hst, during which officers of the Post and Telegraph i Department spoke interestingly of the development of telephonic communication. A pleasing ceremony was when James McFarlane, the eldest son of Andrew McFarlane, asked Mrs Fagan, who had been the postmistress in her t store at Springburn, to accept on behalf of the Springburn residents a : cheque in recognition of their appreciation of the faithful, courteous, and thoroughly reliable manner in whieh she and her husband in the old store had dealt with the mails. On the steps of the new Post Office Mr W. Oomyns (chairman) said that although it had been opened for business at the beginning of the month, the residents had looked forward to an official opening, and that had been arranfed at a week's notice. He congratulated the Post andi Telegraph Department on the building which had been erected. It was both useful and ornamental. He must also congratulate the people in securing a postmaster like Mr Stringer, who, since he had been in tho district, had been most energetic and obliging. The telephone exchange was a "boon to the district, and they bad not been connected up with the .town too soon. He then handed Mr W. 6. Gallagher (chairman of the County Council), a key with which to perform the official opening.

County Chairman Turns Key. Mr Gallagher congratulated the residents on their forward move. The people were particularly fortunate in having a Government which placed opportunities in tho way of the public. Mr John Brown was the pioneer. He had worked for the telephone for some time, and now his dream was coming true, as the County was being covered by a network of lines. Ihe County Council had granted the strip of land on which the Post Office had been built, and when he saw the fine buildirfg that had been erected, he thought the Council would not hesitate to grant sites for other Post Offices. Mr Gallagher then turned the key and declared the office open, and many of these present took the opportunity of inspecting the building. After the official opening the gathering adjourned to the schoolroom, where the following toasts were proposed: "The King," "The Post and Telegraph Department" (proposed by Mr P. H. Jones and responded to by Mr W. MoDermott), "The County Council" (Mr F. J. Evans, response bv Mr W. G. Gallagher) "The Visitors" (Mr J. McFarlane, response by Mr R. Galbraith (Mayor of Ashburton), ''The Construction Party" (Mr W. T. Smith, response by Mr H. Shaw, and Mr M. A. Pike). In responding to the toast of the Poet and Telegraph Department, Mr

McDermott traced the development of the telephone from its infancy up to the present day. He had read a most interesting history of Springburn which had appeared in "The Press" the dav before the Post Office was opened and had gleaned quite a lot of useful information regarding the district. With the advent of the telephone, Springburn had become a suburb of Ashburton. The Ashburton Post Office was a most important centre; coupled, with Rangiora. Ashburton had a larger number of toll lines than any other Post Office of its size in the South Island. The question had been raised as to the institution of a line direct from Springburn to Mayfield. but the cost would nearlv build another line from Springburn to Ashburton. The Department could not undertake to connect up the smaller exchanges, as it would be found far too dear to run them. He wanted to see a telephone in every house in the district. The people would have noticed in "The Press" that over 200 men on the unemployed list were working for the Department. About 2000 poles had been put up in the Ashburton district in the last month, and he was of the opinion that the Department's men were working too fast for the material available. Mr Broadfoot read a comprehensive outline of the progress of.the district up to the present day. Referring to the rural mail delivery, he said he was nt present being overwhelmed with applications for rural mail routes. It would be quite possible for Springburn to have a rurnl mail service if they wishod. The Department was ever ready to help the residents of any district in rur«l mail services.

Mr J. Mulvev (Postmaster at Ashburton) also s»id a few words on the development of the telephone.