CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 16991, 13 March 1919, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE

Every letter must be accompanied by the name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. Rejected letters cannot be returned under any circumstances whatever.

THE LEITH POLLUTION. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In ro this matter, I notice that Cr Green (chairman of the Water Committee) makes a most serious charge against Cr Macdonald. He accuses him of “keeping Booth's dung-heap up his sleeve to throw into the faces of the electors.” Is Cr Macdonald going to sit down quietly under tliis accusation of municipal prestidigitation?—l am, etc., Wiremit Tomoana. March 13. CR GREEN AND LEITH POLLUTION. TO THE EDITOR. _ Sir,—Cr Green’s letter in to-night’s ‘Star’ is so ridiculous and so full of inaccuracies that it is not worth noticing. We have appealed unto Caesar, so letCaesar decide.—l am, etc., Gordon* Macdonax.d. March 13.

WATER AND DRAINAGE. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Tlio first portion of your article in Monday evening’s paper, dealing with the water supply, appears to ho fuilly answered by the reports which have since been published on the matter, -so we will now bo able to partake of our accustomed draughts of “Adam’s ale” undeterred by visions of possible diseases of porcine origin. Personally, I think it is regrettable that anv member of the City Council should lend himself to such “ scare ” methods of drawing attention to a matter of public interest. Dr Macdonald’s skill in his profession is undoubted, but that does not qualify him to apeak with authority on water supply. It seems to me, an untutored layman, that that ia rather a job for a aanitaiy expert or hydraulic engineer. Through the courtesy of a friend I have had an opportunity of perusing the doctor’s pamphlet on water supply, and after reading it my first feeling was one of profound astonishment and deep thankfulness to find that after partaking liberally of the Dunedin water for over oO years I was still alive, and, what is more, able to read of the awful secret horrors which had all these years been assailing me on every side with every pint of water I drank. The second portion of your article, dealing with the Tainui ditches, ’s hardly just towards those responsible for the now work that is being done. This new way of flushing the ditches with sea water may bo what you call an “ experiment,” but you have only to nek any of the residents around here to discover that the experiment has already proved a higlily successful one. Although the scheme is only partly completed, the ditches are at present, after a spell of warm weather, in a better condition than I have ever seen them. I am not acquainted with the enfineer, but let us give credit where it is ue.—l am, etc., Ravelston* Street. March 13.

MR EATON EXPLAINS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —There appeared in your issue of Friday last an excerpt from a letter appearing in the Christchurch ‘ Sun ’ or, Monday week, and signed by Mr Joseph Hamlet which reads as follows : In Victoria square last evening a gentlemen from Dunedin—a Methodist parson—wound up his virulent peroration by waving his hands to heaven and praying fervently to the Almighty' thal He, in His over-ruling Providence would cause to become withered the first finger on tho right hand of every man \vno did not, on April 10, strike out the top line ! By what term would you designate this? Intolerance or defamation? Great God! I’d rather be crucified than act like this on the platform. On this being submitted to me as the speaker referred to, I characterised tho statement as grossly misleading and unfair, and I have to thank you for adding my comment in Friday’s issue. The facts are that at the close of an address in tho open-air, after reviewing tho social miseries which could justly be laid at the door of the liquor traffic, especially the miseries Inflicted upon childhood, I declared that I could almost wish the hand to wither that on April 10 would seek to make possible the continuance of these crimes against humanity. Strong language, I’ll admit, sir, but no stronger than this ; “ whosoever shall cause one of these little ones, . . to stumble, it were better for him if a great millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea.” When men remember that through the malign power of drink the hand of efficiency, of fatherhood, of motherhood is being daily withered it cannot be wondered at that speech is stern. Rut I recognise tlvje are good men who are strangely blind to these facts, and therefore on tho occasion referred to, when a voice of dissent was raised, I paused in my address and, recalling the strong expression, 1 said instead, that if on April 10 a man sincerely sought Divine illumination and guidance, he could not vote for the continuance of a traffic so prolific of cruelty and crime. Mr Hamlet, in addition to gross exaggeration of statement, had not the fairness to mention my immediate correction.—l am, etc. Clarence Eaton. Dunedin. March 13, 1919.