THE TOWN CLOCK HIDES ITS FACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 8

THE TOWN CLOCK HIDES ITS FACE

Sir, —Being a visitor to town from tho country and being somewhat of a country "bumpkin, I suppose it was only to be expected that some of the smart people in Auckland would take a rise out of me and it happened in connection with the above title. I was looking at the picture in the Herald, which said the " Town Clock Hides Its Face," and being simple I asked some of the other guests at the hotel I was staying at " Why does it hide its face?" One smartly said " That's the puzzle, it is a guessing competition." Being a sport I thought I would see if' I could find the reason, so up I went, only to be told.l was. being hoaxed. But, if it had been a guessing match I could have picked it quite easily and the reason is the clock was ashamed to show its face because it was to be cleaned up with the aid of a scaffold built of Yankee timber. I think it is a shame in a country like ours where we have millions and millions of feet of suitable timber of our own, both browing and already cut. They tell me this job was, partly undertaken to give work to the unemployed. Well, that is quite good, but it would have given a good deal more employment had our own timber been used, and the money woidd havo been given to our own people for milling it instead of going out o£ the country to America, and, further, the local article could have been .produced at a lower cost. We are being advised on all sides to give preference to British goods and especially to patronise local industry. I notice the City Council has done so in the matter of tram railsgood for them—and I notice the resolution was proposed by a friend of mine, Mr. Phelan. Well, ho has forgotten more about timber than he knows about rails and he should get busy and try to stop the use of Yankee timber or any other timber but our own. Botorua. C. R. Tapper.