CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE CONDENSED.

Sister Marie writes to express her thanks' to all those who responded so generously to Ihu recent request to present her with a testimonial. Her years of service in Dun«im are full of many pleasant vocolleotions regarding the practical sympathy, and many personal kindnesses bestowed by those who were interested in her work. "Lowburriito" writes to disabuso th~ ix>lice in Dunedir of tho impression that Lowburn is tho seat, of the Chinese camp near Cromwell. l'olicc, like all of us, are prono to err, and this is justly illustrated by their information concerning Lowburn, whioh is a thriving mininjr and fanning district north of Cromwell, and four miles from tho camp, where the population is entirely European, save for a solitary "Celestial," who is evidently too particular to live with his own countrymen in "Chinatown." "Travcllor," who siys ho is not a footballer, and certainly has no eoimeotiou with the No-lieenso party, indignantly protesto against Mr G. Harnett's statement, whioh he describes as an unvarnished untruth, respecting drunkenness in Invercargill. Ho writes:—"l was in Invercargill myself while tho footballers from England wore there, and I know Invercargill well, and can say for a certainty that there are very rarely, if ever, any drunken porsons to bo soon in tho streets of that town. But before tho hotels were closed it was' a very common thing to sec many • inebriates reeling. about tho streets. Mb Haniott's statement is tho wor© cruol after tho handsome way in; which , ho and his party wero treated by tho Invercargill people- and tho. local football association. As to his suggestion that he could not got anything to drink in tho southern city, well, there are somo people on Invercargill who could tell a different tale. And if ho comes to, Dmiedin and will meet a few peoplo I know, we may be able to teach him and tis something about tho morality of Dunedm. It is a, moan action on his paj-t to turn; round on the moment of his departure aud abuso the peoplo who from one and of the Dominion to tho other went out' of their, way to entertain tbem and RtVQ them a good time." ■'•!., "A Father," writing from Galloway; Flat, says it is something to wonder at that somo of the littlo children have not lost their lives in crossing tie' MttMi- : hcrikia to go to school at Springyate, considering the clumsy old punt in which they have .'to negotiate a dangerous' and treacherous river. 'Why this state of things has been allowed to exist eo Ipng he cannot underetand. At present' the Mannr herikia is in flood, and as no boat can be, used, and also as tho teacher is 'ocaied on Galloway Flat, tho school will not "be opened for some time yet, and in consequonoe the' children will lose a considerable amount of valuable time. Moreowsr/ as. there has. been such a heavy snowfall; in tie back country, the river will he in a state of flood for months, and the children who crossed to school will bo prewarbed, from doing so for a long period. The hausclioWcrahavo aeked tho board for a teaohcr, and, as the; request is a, very reasonaiilo one, tho board should have ,uo hesitation in complying with it> pM he, hopes it will do so before any of the' ckldren lose their lives. "A" expresses ra'roself as m sympathy! with the no-licenso party k its agitafiaE| for the abolition of tho barmaid system. Ho would go a littlo fnrfhor, and proJrihifc tho employment of any young.men. under the ago of 21 in breweries or bottling, stores, eta, in fact, wherever strong drink is sold wholesalo or retail, as ho is amvxnced that these are not places for youths, The wages they get are not in accowknee with the. work they do-in fact, tiey get boys' wages and do men's work. Even tho men dou't got a living.wage, and if they ask the employer for a rise in'wages he will tell them' ho can get youths to do the i work. Everything has gone up in price' in the way of food: why not put beer up Is per dozen andi pay the men a living wage. Although his attention has heen drawn to this matter on several occasions, Mr Thomson, the advocate of the traffic,'is. silent regarding it. . ■ ' •'A Poor' Man" complains that while ho receivod the other day a'notico to fill in • * email pond, about 6 x 6, in his yard, there as a sheet of water, near Friilces' street South, which in, tho summer is .a. stagnant and slimy nuisance-he alludes to that vacant section north of the'.Far- 1 mors' Arms HoteL Why is he singled but?' •" One Who Knows" writes in respect of the statement, published in our issue of the 28fh inst., in which the alleged disappearance of letters from tho Ineh.'Vralley letter-box is attributed to tho action of starlings, stating that so far no complainte' whatever have been heard .about letters ' not being delivered that wero posted in the box. '' T ~ ,'■'■'• -••'. ' "Wayback," referring to our report of Mr Smedley's lecture on Saturday night last, expresses the conviction that no'hotel- ; keepers would bo so indiscreet as to permit young men to leave their promises in the state in which' a band-of young men appeared at the lecture; the latter must assuredly have been' turned adrift Iroin somo of the sly grog dens of which we hoar £0 much. Mr Smedloy' sweepingly condemns such specimens of manhood, and "Wayback" for once admires Mr Nicholls for having taken exception, to Mr Smedley's ' remarks. Ho is prond also of tho statement Sister Annie made to the repertor., Such actions; together with a proper coni-'.-'. trol under license, would, ho thinks, go far to mitigate any evil that occurs. through over-excess on the part of a small minority. " Englishman" pxoteste vigorously thai Rugby is not the national football' game of England, and summons to his support all who have witnessed the great Association matches in the Old Country. Havinglived in tho county of Staffordshire for 29 years, he can truthfully stale that he never.' . 6aw ,ov hoard of more than two Rugby, matches being played publicly 1 in tho par-' ticular town in which ho lived, Tho Midland and Northern counties aro .composed v of devotees to the Association game; the other is naxcr spoken of. As to tho rea- . sons ,why tho New Zeahnders have proved! so superior to tho British Rugby team, he says tho conditions are so different, that, some of the New Zealand fcotballors would open their eyes could they thoroughly' understand under what difficulties the game of football is played in England. He. thinks all honour is due to the British footballers, who, for the pure love of the game, play, : 'it under fifty times the difficulties experi-' enoed.by their more fortunate Now Zealand; brothers. " A. H. L." thinks the omen of Dunedini have greater cause for protesting against the statements attributed to the manager of the British football team than the .people of Invercargill have. Probably,, he says,' :Mr Haruett!s unwarrantable statements about Dunedm girls and Invereargill people emanated from a mind surclm-gcdi with prejudice and egotism. Havmg travelled in New Zealand for a period of over 20 years, "A. H. L." has nover, heard of anyone, excepting Mr Harnett,: accusing the women of Duncdin oft coquetry, forwardness, immodesty, or; immorality. C. F. Glcgg is led by out recent refers ence to tho burial of a Mre Ann iMilno, who accompanied her soldier husband to the Crimea, to mention another woman warrior, from Edinburgh—a Mrs Evans, wife of a sergeant-major of the 4th, (King's Own) Regiment When but a young girl, newly-married, Mre Evans accompanied her husband to Scutari, and wis counted in the regular army for intrepid conduct ou the battlefield and in camp. She tsaa the only woman ailowtct to wear the Alma, Balaclava, and Inkerman medals. During the time she was in; the army sbo was in gxeai demand as A nurse, and passed through sickness aruS fever herself,-and was in her turn nursed by a. young recruit. Mrs Evans was alrv* in February this year, and in receipt of Ss a week from the Patriotio Fun^. "One With Experience" complains of. the water supply in Rolmorston. So far, he says, as the tow.n is concerned, although there a constant supply of water in the Shag River, which runs Waetdcally to tho "back door" of the borough, yet tho citizens cannot depend for five minutes on the supply. The contract for supplying the town of Palmerston with water is hold by Mrs Gow, who controls tho supply by means of a water wheel attached to""the. Shag Valley Mills, but as the recent flood swept away the dam, whjoh was used for driving the water wheel, it is impossible to tell when water will be continuous. Ho suggests that the Borough Council should pnrchase an oil engine, say 12 h.p., which could be erected alongside of the railway oil engine on the Shag River banks at a cost of £170, and as the council has a centrifugal pump tho erection woidd cost very little. The Railway Department has a 6JI h.p. oil engine, with a centrifugal pump, and this engine, working eight, hours, throws 16,000ga1, with ono tin of kerosene for consumption.