ANOTHER BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 28 June 1924, Page 6

ANOTHER BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE.

To the Editor or tho “Timaru Herald.' Sir,—The writer of the article . n the Patiti Point rubbish dump has done well to bring this eye-sore under public notice, but I wonder if he has ever taken an afternoon’s strool or a. constitutional, walk in the opposite direction from the bay. He would find, after leaving tho beaten track at the I nd of the Benvenue Cliffs, a pretty walk with a delightful landscape before him in the slope of the Waimataxtai hill. On approaching the beautiful, rocky coast past the abattoirs, one of the most beautiful sea-and-rock pictures that could bo imagined, appears before his eyes. But go a few yards farther, where an open drain carries the refuse froip the abattoirs to the edge of lie cliffs, and a most obnoxious smcil nearly chokes him. A littlo further oil a beautiful, littlo pebbly beach, horseshoe-shaped, with foamy breakers splashing over the rugged rocks, a little to seaward would meet his gazo. Further on, towards tho_ Ninety-mile beach the visitor walks into another awful smell, this time from tho town sewer drain; and here one comes into contact with thousands of rusty benzine tins (splendid rat nests), hoop iron, rusty netting, barbed wire, broken bricks, and bottles, and other kinds of rubbish suitable as fuel or a destructor.

This is not all: The worst is to como! for a few yards further on one runs into a sickening stench from another drain, _ this time from Iho Smithfield Freezink Works, the open drain carrying all the refuse and offal, dumping it down in cartloads on the fiat rocks for the seagulls—of winch there are thousands —to feed on. Why could not these drains be run into one covered drain and led woll out to sea.

A little farther on one comes to a beautiful sea headland, with high cliffs -ini grnssv slope below ns a background for a view of the “misrhty ocean, stretching away northward in foamy billows as far as the evo can reach. This spot, if planted with trees, would make a picnicers’ paradise. _ But ’he approach lo it is on a par with Patiti Point. Both those beautv spots tor visitors, or picnicers are absolutely spoilt, and in my opinion, the Caledonian Grounds as a sports ground where thousands of people congregate should he closed down until the feverbreeding dump is covered. Truly, the Bay is beautiful, and the energetic caretaker end staff deserve the praise of the ratepayers, hut I would strongly advise visitors to stay on the Bay and not to look for anv sea-scanes along our boaufiful coast lino. Stay on the Bay amongst tho geraniums; the air is sweeter there, —I am, etc,, “NEPTUNE.” Timaru, 24th Juno, 1924.