Page 10 Advertisements Column 3

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18871, 25 May 1923, Page 10

THE LEITH FLOODS. TO THE EDITOBSIR,- It is markedly evident throughout Mr Ferguson’s letter in last Monday’s Daffy Times that ho is being severely shaken by the bombardment of facts from Mr Clarke. If this position is stated correctly,” “I am credibly informed,” “rightly or wrongly ho is regarded,”, “the case as it strikes me,’’ “the common opinion freely expressed by the residents” and other portions of his letter, sound very shaky. He is approaching conversion. Now for facts. Mr Ferguson states that Mr Clarke only allowed the council to clean the bed of the Leith under threat, lie is wrong again. The representatives of the council had the same authority to carry on tho work on the Monday of the first flood as they have to-day, and the threat which Mr Ferguson mentions was made three weeks later, and was the result of the misunderstanding created by “the common opinion freely expressed by tho residents and others.” Unfortunately, Mr Ferguson was misled by the same “freely expressed opinion.” l In his earlier letter ho stated that the residents' of Woodhaugh and the northend were endangered by tho flooding of Mr Clarke’s property. Does he vet know that this is not a fact and that the northend is safer for every head of water that, escapes from the lied of the Leith on Mr Clarke’s property, because it re-enters tho •Leith below the danger point as far as lower Woodhaugh and • the north-end are concerned ? It, therefore, reduces the flood waters, which did the damage at lower Woodhaugh g,nd North Dunedin. He asks Mr Clarke to give his right, I suppose Mr Ferguson gives his sympathy. Mr Ferguson’s call to imitate and emulate the “true civio action” of tho property owners in George street north, is amusing. “I commend this spirit to Mr Clarke.” he writes. I have no doubt that Mr Clarice would gladly give £SOO in addition to the “true civio action” asked for ii tho council would turn the Leith completely off his property and fill up tho old bed to the level of the sections as was done for tho residents of George street north. There is not a hitch nor has there been in tho harmonious working between the council and Sir Clarke with reference to the clearing of obstructions in tho bed of the Leith. The hole into which Mr Ferguson has fallen and is trying to swim out of, was created absolutely by the “common opinion freely expressed” “rightly or wrongly” mentioned by him. The various departments of tho City Council have done splendid work in our district during the floods. They are not receiving anything like tho credit (hey deserve for the rapid work they did between the two floods which undoubtedly prevented a far greater loss of property opposite and above tho sawmill than anything that was experienced during tho floods. “Local Resident” is welcome into this correspondence. Ho was angled for. Now. “fair play is bonny play,” and, as ho is an interested party, ho must first sign his name, when he will ho enlightened with a full account, of “the mysterious stick on the boulder bank,” which, ho says, “bluffed the Corporation people off Mr Clarke’s side of the stream.” And finally. I am proud to bo a chip of the old block. An incident in the same locality, some years ago, is not, altogether irrelevant and contains a touch of humour. The two top storeys of my father’s flock mill were blazing furiously and a detachment, from the City Brigade was lighting to save the lower storey and machinery. I was rushing breathless over the bridge when I hoard a dear old lady audibly remark. “That old Clarke knew what he was doing when ho set fire to the Old Mill.” There was no insurance. More “common opinion freely expressed.”—l am, etc., Geoff Clarke. Leith Valley. CASTE AND CLASS. TO TUB KDITOB Sir, — I should like to draw your attention to a statement contained in a report in thi s morning’s issue of the Daily Times concerning my lecture last evening entitled “Ancient Customs in Modern India.” The report reads: “Diverting from the subject for a moment, the speaker said that in Britain there was class, but, not caste, while in tho United States there was caste, hut not olass. She was trongly of opinion that there was need in Britain for caste of tho American type—by which, in the case of a white person marrying one of another race, tho children wore of the ether race." This is quite incorrect, ns such a statement was not made during mv lecture.—l am, etc,, A. G. Strong, Professor of Household Arts. Dunedin, May 23,