PICTON.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 139, 10 June 1909, Page 5

PICTON.

[from our correspondent.] ~-. . • ■ : ■ Wednesday

On ■• Monday evening as the Union Steamship Company's cargo .; boat Pukakij was berthing at the wharf she ran bow on to the end ofe the structure, and did considerable damage to it. Fortunately the 'piles were some time ago braced together with rail- j way iron, and the.wharf has lately been re-decked, and so we still have the old jetty, though; the decking is buckled and some of the stringers are out of plumb, to say nothing of a heavy cross-beam -which was severed in two by the impact. Within the last four days several cases of petty thieving have been reported. jNo less than four residences have been entered .by burglars—the contents of drawers have been strewn on the floor, s^nd amounts ranging from 12s to £2 have, been stolen. It is to be hoped that the police will capture the miscreants, and so end a state of uneasiness among residents.. The sewerage works have not made much headway during the past month on account of the difficulty of obtaining suitable gravel if or the concrete work of the septic tanks, which are being erected on the mudflats seawards from the railway station. Now that the gravel pit in the Wairau I River is again open, a supply of metal has been obtained, and the work^ is proceeding. As the tanks-are being erected just above low Water mark the work can only be carried on during low tide. For the remaining portion of the day the workmen are engaged in cleaning up! water-tables and foothpaths and generally getting the roads in order. Foreman Branch is a good organiser, and gets splendid Work from his men. "~~

On Friday last an inspection parade of the Waitohi Rifles was, held by the officer commanding the district, Lieut.-Colonel Joyce, when there was a full muster of all ranlcs. The inspecting officer complimented the men on the improvement they showed in their work, and strongly urged the company to get its number up to full strength, and to the highest state of efficiency possible, for, said the Colonel, "One never knows what might happen in the near future." During the evening Colonel Joyce put Lieut. Mclntosh through his practical examination for his commission.

As part of the Government's rei trenchment scheme in the Health De- ' partment, the District Health Officer for Maryborough (Dr, Redman) and the, Sanitary Inspector (Mr Johnston) have received notice;of the termination of their engagements. As both these officers receive very small salaries from the Government, and the health of the district is of such vital importance to the community, it is surprising that the pruningknife has been put into the Health Department to the extent that it has. It will be remembered that before the I appointment of Inspector Johnston | each public body had.an Inspector of 1 Nuisances without any special training in sanitary matters. These were dispensed with, and the public bodies concerned contribute.at present to the salary of the Sanitary Inspector, the Government finding, the. balance of the salary. . It is intended that local bodies must, if they ; t require ;his: ser-; 1 vices,.find, all the,saJary-for.Sanitary Inspector Johnston. It is to be hoped that Marlborough local bodies will be able to retain the. services of ■ such an efficient officer.