The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1877.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 1762, 23 June 1877, Page 3

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1877.

Referring to our remarks of yesterday regarding Sir John Coode's letter to the Timaru Harbor Board,' we venture to make a suggestion which we believe will meet with general approval. Sir John Coode says that he will no', as it were, undertake to tender for the construction of tlm Breakwater nt the sum named m his Report; but that, if the Board choose to obtain n contract for it, he is willing, as Engineer, to supervise the carrying out of the works. There cannot, we suppose, be any doubt that there urn plenty of thoroughly efficient and substantial men both willing and able to undertake the contract on the spot. Why then should the Harbor Boaul delay any further as to the engineering part of the business ? We should think they could not do 4* better than tv telegraph at once to Sir John Coode to send out an Engineer m whom he has confidence, furnished with all the necessary workinjr plpns and detailed specifications. On thn arrival of this gentleman, tenders could be immediately called for and the plans, if necessary, submitted to a Government Commission. A competent En gineer being on the spot, t oroughl y versed m all the particulars of Sir John Coode's proposals, and fully acquainted with all facts connected with similar works elsewhere, there would bo every possible likelihood of the Commission approving of the plans ; and the contract could then be immediately proceeded with. If this course is not taken, but if on the contrary a long and aimless correspondence is entered into, we fear that the prospects of th*> Breakwater Scheme will sadly dwindle, and those who now have it thoroughly at heart will begin to despair of its ever being accomplished.

Alas for the rarity Of Christian charity — The offertories at the various Cburclios m Timaru last Sunday, were announced to be devoted to the Benevolent Society, and special sermons were ' preached on behalf of that most laudable institution. The results are rather interesting, and afford not a tittle food ior tv flection. The Church of England offertory produced £17 15s ; the Presbyterian offertory produced, we understand, about £13, part of which, however, line to he deducted for some purposes of Church expenditure; the Wesleyan oflvrtory produced £3 15s ; and the Catholic Church offertory produced £28 Os 9d. Now, we should like very much to be able to place

b ;fi>rc our readers exact statistics as to i hi!*' 1 , vnrimi-- i fFrrtories; We should ii'!'.f Ik k'-tr.v l/o'.v rnanv people were presint m i-ac'i congregation on Sunday last, mi ;,•* tv what was the avi-ivj™ r:.|itrit>titiun towards the funds of the Ij uyolent Society; nnd we slru'ii likn still moro to know what are the :!mi:i;4« income and worldly possessions of eacii of these congregations. Then we might contrast the figures which we have quoted, with something like startling effect. We cannot do all this, but. we are able nevertheless to venture on one or two pretty confident speculation.". We are safe m putting down the congregation at St. Mary's Church at three times that of the Catholic Church m number, and ten times m average wealth ; and we probably should not be fur cut m estimating the Presbyterian congregation at double that of the Catholic Church m nuuibfT, and four times as wealthy. Of the Wesleyan congregation it is difficult to come to any accurate conclusion. It is, we understand, sparse, and somewhat variable, and not composed as a rule of persons of any considerable means. Yet the amount which the Wesleyan congregation contributed must m any case, be miserably out of proportion to that furnished by the Catholic Church. For the purposes of comparison, let us suppose that every man, woman and child m each of the Churches gave five shillings. What must the number of the various congregations have been on this calculation ? They would stand thus : — Catholics, 112; Church of England, 71; Presbyterians, 52; Wesleyans, 15. Now we know for certain that the Catholic congregation did not number more than 112, while every one of the others numbered more by three or tour times than we have, for the sake of comparison, supposed. It would seem, then, that the Catholics!, who are almost all poor, hard-working people, earning their bread by the sweat of their brow, and who do not include among them a single member of tho wealthy classes, " lent to the Lord " on tins occasion ut least five shillings for every one thus invested by each of their wealthy neighbors. We need say no more. The subject is linrd.y one for satire. It is rather one for sorrow and humiliation, when we think of what charity really is, and what a responsibility rests upon those who have great possessions. Let the poor of Timaru — yes, and those who have the privilege of relieving them on behalf of the Benevolent Society — remembar that they owe their acknowledgment?, humanly sneaking, not to the rich, the pretentious, and the splendid ; but mainly to the humble, worthy Catholic priest and his final! but charitable nock. Ihe liberality of the Catholic congregation m contributing thus handsomely to the funds of the Benevolent Society, is nil the more to be praised when we consider what heavy calls of other kinds are being made upon them. Almost entirely unaided, they have erected a commodious and very beautiful church, at a cost which, to more niggardly or less pious communities, would seem to be altogether beyond their means. They have not been «ble quito to pay for it yet, and we believe that to-morrow a special appeal will be made to them for that purpose. That it will be cheerfully and liberally responded to there cannot- be a doubt ; but is it not most creditable to them that, \>ith this second call immediately pending, they should have contributed so largely last Sunday ? The (act is, that with the Catholics religion is a reality", and charity is one of its highest duties. With too niany other sects of professing Chris'ians, religion is a mere habit, and charity ii one of its most inconvenient accessories. We heard of a caso last Sunday which is quite m point. A poor Catholic servant girl, on returning home from service, told her mistress that she aways gave a certain sum — much larger than is often given by rich people m the Church of England — but that that day she had given twice ns * much, because the priest said the offertory was for the poor. What a lesson to the wealthy Pharisees !

The reputation of the once famous wliite Oiimnru limestone has suffered not a little during the present unusually wet season, and we should think builders would be cautions as to how they employ it m future. It reems that this stone will not bear exposure to wet weather, ;i:.il that it not only rapidly becomes covered with a most unsightly green fungus, but also permits the rain to filtrate freely through it. Several of the newer buildings m Timaru illustrate these remarks m a striking manner at this moment. Wherever Oamaru stone has been employed on a southerly aspect, it has turned a dirty green color, and we are assured .by several persons who speak from dire experience, has not pro* ed by any means water-tight. We hear that the greyish-white stone from Kakahu, the use of which we have several times recommended m preference to Oami.ru stone, is not much better m either of these respects ; hut of this we have no positive proof. Various means are suggested by which both these valuable building materials. may be made to rntain their whiteness, and may also be rendered impermeable by water. One of these is the application of a dressing composed of alum and other substances, dissolved m water, very similar to that commonly used for waterproofing cloth. We have had an opportunity of seeing this experiment tried, and the conclusion we came to was that, while the dressing no doubt excluded the water from the porous substance of the stone, and to some extent prevented the green discoloration, it yet did not keep the stone white enough to answer the purpose ofortiament. Another plan which we have seen tried, is to paint the stone with a compound of boiled oil and white lead. Tue effect of this is absolutely to exclude all damp, and also to impart a brilliant and permanent whiteneßS. We are told, however, that paint thus

made lias :i tendency m tim« to c,tk»; and I'mI! oft m flukes, m cej-ai'annu :t renewed Putting, ornl c;iti»irj^ a consi<f»Tfi!j]f! ('Sjicfise. VVV offVr tlie.^e remarks " f<-'.- the benefit ol whom they mar vr.nctrr," nnd we shall l>e glad to publish any information on the subject that may be supplied us by others better informi'ii than we are.