LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16288, 22 January 1915, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE ST. CLAIR BEACH. Sir, —I have often thought that the Ocean Beach Domain Board has never received the credit to which it is entitled for its excellent work in .connection with the reclamation of the ocean beach and sandhills, chiefly through the personal efforts of its energetic chairman, Mr Hancock. The system adopted was that of assisting Nature by means of brushwood groins and by planting marram grass and lupins, and allowing tho drifting sand to complete the protective work. The face of the sandhills towards the ocean regained its natural slopes, and erosion by wave action was thereby obviated, and the work proved most successful. Now, unfortunately, several other public bodies haVe stepped in, and their scheme for the construction of a public road and footpath, about 50ft wide, hae been commenced, and the most useful part of the Domain Board's work will in the main be destroyed. Why construct a road for vehicular traffic, at all? There is already a good metalled road on-the land side of the sandhills, which provides a circular drive from DuneHin to St. Clair, via Cavcrsham and Forbury road, and thence bv Tahuna, Tomahawk, and Anderson Bay to the city. The present footpath from St. Clair to St. Kilda along tho sandhills and" through the lupins provides a favourite stroll, and widening this path by a few feet is all that is necessary.

I fool sure the road scheme is not required, and will prove a costly blunder. Your correspondent "St. Clair" puts t/he matter very clearly from an engineering point of view, and I am convinced his views are sound, and that it is quits possible that the erosion of the beach will be continued to the northward by the action of the 6ea on the nibble wall with a similar result, if not to the same extent, to that already obtained in the vicinity of the vertical wall of the new esplanade. Experience of the effects of the walls that have been erected on the beach at St. Clair from time to time has been entirely ignored, and I fear that if the present work is persisted in and maintained the ruin of the beach at St. Clair will ere long be an accomplished fact, and a dusty and sandy road will bo a poor exchange.—l am, etc., Observer.

MALE PATIENTS AT THE HOSPITAL. Sir, —On my visits to the Dunedin Hospital I have often pitied the men patients for the weary hours many of them have to pass in bed. A large number cannot read for any great length of time, and are unable to do the needlework with which women can almost always beguile the time. The idea has occurred to me that some ladies might find a congenial task in going through the wards and giving instruction to male patients who are willing to learn to knit and crochet It. would be a great resource for those who are confined week after week, and doubtless some who become proficient could in turn instruct their fellow sufferers. In this way not only would help be given to the Hospital inmates, but garments might be made for the men at the front and others in need in this time of war and distress I am sure also that the care of many cases would be expedited by parrying out this suggestion, as the patients' thoughts would be taken off their* ailments, and the effect would bo to encourage a restful cheerfulness, which is so beneficial in sicknoss and convalescence. Hoping some of the Dunedin ladies wili take the matter up.—l am, etc.. W. F. Kennbdy. Dunedin, 20th January.