OAMARU LIMESTONE

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 1763, 25 June 1877, Page 8

OAMARU LIMESTONE

[From the Timabu Herald, Juno 23.] The reputation of the once famous white Oamaru limestone has suffered not a little during the present unusually wet season, and we should think builders would he cautions as to how the}' employ it m future. It reems that this stone will not bear exposure lo wet weather, and 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 preen color, and we are assured by several persons who speak from dire experience, has not proved l>y 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 Oanu.ru stone, is not much better m either of these respects ; but of this we have no positive proof- Various means are suggested by which both these valuable building materials may be made to retain 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 tbe stone white enough to answer the purpose of ornament. Ano'her plan which we have seen tried, is to paint the stone with a compound ot boiled oil and white lead. Tue effect of this is absolutely to exclude all damp, and also to impart

a brilliant and permanent whiteness. We are told, however, llisit ;>aint thus made has a tendency m fine to cake and full off m flakes, neu >»itating a renewed coating, and eau-i:>g a consuleralil*) expense. We off r these remarks " for the benefit ol whom they mar concern," ami we s!;-.;i be »lad j to publish any information un the subI jt-ct that may be siijipiieil i.s by others I better informed than we aiv.

A Disgraceful Government Job. — A silo of the Colonial Architects !<..iMiturc took place the otln-r day, anil a \: mo was purchased by the Government for i 10— probably for the furnishing of one of il:j Ministerial residences. A correspondent ot :h; Post, referring to the nutter says:--" At a certain sal.- ci the TeriMcv, it wa* ami :; iced by the uujtionrer that the Government would bid for the piano, and it wis knocked down to them at £90 m•■ c or less. Possibly the Yoge!iin asso.'i>u;ons of the instrument enhmced its value. Now, there arc several Ministerial residences (so I was informed), and it is to be ] r.sumcd that the p : ano was lor one i>f them. A question then is naturally suggested by tic transaction, viz , is the Government re fuiviUhing these residences with tlu> iivibii-c lntmey, and so ministering to the luxury of nun who aro in<le|!endtnt, while at thy s:ime tine, the pro-fx-ssiuiis of economy are sounding m our cars ; nay, while hundreds are driv v from the public sei-vic-, and deprived of tiie necessaries of life for themselves and their families. I trust, Sir, that you will look inf > thi« matter. Tho» Parliament will soon meet, and I, (or one, should like some explanation. It would bo interesting to search Uie estimates for the £90 item."

Destitution m Napier.— A telegram from Napier m the Wellington Argus of tho Ist inst., says:— At a meeting of the Municipal Council. a letter was read from the Inspector of Police, calling atte:i'io:i tj the lurge amount of destitution iv Xnpier ; also, stating th.it he had paid £60 out of his own private pocket, for the relief of thosa requiriug aid. Ho desired thn Ccuncil, aa he could not stand such a dmin on his private resources, to make some provision. The Council debated tho matter, and concluded to lay the matter before the General Government, and to ask for a refund of the £192 stopped from the subsidy for tho relief of the destitute. Business v more limn ordinarily dull, even for this season of the year, uumberi being unable to find employment.

Tub Lati Fatal Football Accident. — The Neto Zealand Herald of the 13th iust. writes as follows: — The inquest, which was held yesterday touching the cad Jeath of Mr Pilling, naturally resulted m n verdict of " accidental death." No jury who heard the evidence adduced at the inquiry could haTe decided otherwise. It was undo perfectly plain —even had it not been known beforehand — lliat no animus existed between tho deceased and the innoceut cause of his deith ; that the two were on terms of intimacy; and that tho game was p!ajcl — ai many games hare heen played m Auckland — m aeco'dance with the rules which tha Auckland Club, m conjunction with other New Zealand clubs generally, have seen fit to adopt. The evidence went m this way : The deceased, v good player, was m the habit of charging his opponents by lowering his head and trusting to hit strength to enrry him safely through. Against this practico he hnd been warned by a v ry intimate friend of his, who gare eridence at the inquest, and who stated that he lnd told him he would break his neck by it. lie persisted m his practice, and the result has been what every one — football-player nnd nun-football-pl»yer alike — drplores. The jury attached a rider to their verdict ; m laut, from tha summing up of the Coron r, who declared tint the game was " fit only for savages," and the idras file witnesses seemed to entertain on the subject, they could hardly have done otherwise. Thiit. rider was that the rules of foutbiill should be modified, wi'h a view to tha prevention «>£ such accidents. This it what principally concerns us. The past we cannot undo. The question is, Can the g-imc be made less likely to produce accident* m the future ? As to a suggestion which has been inudc that the proper way would be to pace football m the mine category as dog-fighting, prize-fighting, and such like •ports, and declare it illegal, that, wo think, is hardly worth of serious comment. Men as well as boys will havo some amusements, and if they d-> not play football will pcrlmps tike toother sports or methods of spending time more baneful m their results. The game of foctball, us at, present played, ii said by Mr llai-l-tain to be a very dangerous game, and this opinion wng borne out by the next witness, Mr Forder, who BtJte.l that he should not play the game my more. They were the only two of the actual players examined, but the medical evidence went to show also that the game was dangerous, though one of the two medical gentlemen declined to fay that he thought if, ought to be put down or abolished. Then comes the question, can it be modified ? Modified, that is, so as to partake less of the rough and tumble style than it does at present. If the Rugby Union rules are st 11 the rules adopted, it ii hard to see how much change can take place as far as the actual danger of the gume is concerned. The death of Mr rilling resulted from " changing," and charging cannot be eliminated from the Rugby game without destroying its character altogether. It hag been suggested that iho Astociation rules should be adopted, and it must be remembered that since these havo been m force no very tenons accident has been experienced, and yet they have been played by men for a longer time than those of the Rugby Union. At any rate, the fathers and motheis of Auckland will expect something to be done m the "natter, and it would be well for somebody, say Mr Thomas Henderson, to call a meeting of football player* and discuss the matter, ccc if any alteration can be effected m thi existing rules of the club, and if not, whether any other can be ddopled. The necessity for changing the roles is app.irent by events oc-curriug not only here but m other colonies. A U-legram we rrceited yesterday reports the death of a young man m Adelaide, cau.«ed by injuries received while playing football.

Local Industry. — We have be»-n showa some samples of tomato sauce, prepared by Mrs Young, of Winchester, from fruit grown m her own garden. For ma-iy yeart the manufacture of thii wholesome and delicious condiment, as an article of commerce, was confined lo Auckland, where Oson and one or two other large makers drove a thriving business m it. Mrs Young, however, Ins now demonstrated most satisfactorily that the climate and soil of South Canterbury are unsurpassed for the production of tomatoes. Her sauce is m every respect excellent, and, being diiposed of at a very moderate price, already commands, we understand, a considerable sale. What a pity it is that a great many more countrj residents do not follow Mrs Young's example. Every year enoimous quantities of nasty, an wholesome, adulterated sauces, pickles, and preserves ore imported into this colony at an exorbitant price, when all the while they can be produced on the •pot at a much less cost and of the purest quality.