CORRESPONDENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18511, 7 March 1930, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

CUTTING THE FIRST SOD. To the Editor of the “ Tlmaru Herald-” Sir.—ln a footnote to his last letter concerning the early history of Timaru Harbour, I notice that Mr Thomas Foden states that Mrs (Captain) Cain cut the first sod at Timaru, of the Canterbury Railways, opposite the Grand Hotel. Mrs Cain, and not Mrs Beswick, as recorded in the Jubilee History of South Canterbury, certainly did perform that pleasing ceremony, but it was in a somewhat different locality.' I am sorry to have to disillusionise your correspondent, and a great many others who have had a similar recollection of the occasion, and I hope that, in my so doing, they will recognise that I am but making an endeavour to finally clear up what has been so far a very much disputed point. When searching through old papers and records, for items of interest, dealing with the ancient history of Timaru, that would be suitable for inclusion in the publications covering the fields of the different jubilees, I had the good fortune to find a photograph of the whole scene, which clearly proves that the site of the sodcutting was in the lowest part of the dip on the cliff, immediately in front of the two-storeyed white house at the northern end of Le Cren’s Terrace, built by the late Mr John King, and now occupied by Mr Flamank. The actual spot would be, approximately, a little more than a chain distant from the north of the north-eastern corner of the section on which Mr F. J. Rolleston’s residence stands. Parts of the northern and the sea side of the well-known sod and post and wire fence with its fragmentary live stuff, which for many years afterwards surrounded the small paddock (up to the overhead bridge right-of-way), then owned by the Rhodes Trust, the northern portion of which paddock Mr Rolleston built on, are shown sufficiently distant to accurately identify the then surroundings. From this description the old hands who are left, should have no difficulty in visualising “in their mind’s eye” the site within a few feet of what was its actual position before the railway cutting was excavated.—l am, etc., A. J. MORRIS, Timaru, March 5. APPEAL FOR HELP. To the Editor of the " Timaru Herald." Sir.—l would like, through the medium of your widely-read paper, to bring to the notice of a sympathetic public, a very sad case of hardship. The husband has been stricken down in the prime of life by a slow and terrible disease (creeping paralysis), rendering his life little more than a living death. His wife, a little woman of less than medium size, has been putting up a brave fight against almost overwhelming odds to keep body and soul together, and to provide for her invalid husband. One source after another of employment has failed, until now she has nothing to which to turn to" supply her daily needs. Moreover, those special requirements of the poor invalid, who should have a diet suited to the nature of his illness, cannot be satisfied. On top of this falling away of all employment, certain relief has ceased, leaving the woman and her husband with arrears of six weeks’ rent to face, although she believed that she would at least be secure, and that she could be sure of a roof over their heads. All this reacts very detrimentally on the heaith and mental and nervous condition of the invalid, and may end in a tragedy; in fact, living, well, not living, but merely subsisting under these conditions, is a tragedy in itself, and I am sure no one living in comfort themselves would allow this condition to continue once the facts have been brought to their notice. The poor little woman is too retiring to make this appeal herself, so I am taking this means of making her needs and circumstances known. If it is only the “cup of water” or the J “widow’s mite,” it wijl be something ' to help this unfortunate sister to feel that the whole world has not turned against her. The liberty to work is what she wants, and she is only too willing to do that, and do it effectively, but until suitable work can be obtained, any offerings in food, clothing or cash would help her and her invalid husband to keep life in their bodies, till such time as an opportunity for work comes along, for they are now actually on the verge of starvation, and she has had recently to sell , her coat -to provide food, and should j work offer, the woman would have to go to it, if wet, unprotected from the elements. Hoping this appeal will not fail in meeting with a ready response from those more happily situated.—l am, etc., DO UNTO OTHERS. ETC. [The name and address of this unfortunate couple can be obtained at j “The Herald” office.] KEEP SUNDAY QUIET. To the Editor of the “ Timaru Herald." Sir. —I wish, through the columns of your paper, to express my appreciation of the stand taken by Mr Dawson and other members of the Timaru Harbour Board, in not allowing boat sports on Sunday, and I, and many others, agree with Mr Dawson when he says that the pleasure of Caroline Bay is spoiled iby too much sport already. Let us ; keep our quiet day of rest. It is one | of the greatest blessings we have; and I in these days of noise and racket of motor traffic, it is more essential than ever.—l am, etc., INTERESTED. Timaru, March 6. SOUTH CANTERBURY ELECTRIC POWER BOARD CHARGES. To the Editor of the “ Timaru Herald.*' Sir. —I wish to draw the attention of consumers in the South Canterbury Power Board area to the way in which they are being imposed upon by the Power Board. I know for a fact that consumers on my line (and the same applies to all lines), were persuaded by a representative of the Board to sign individual five-year guarantees, on the understanding that they were to be supplied with power at the following rates:—Lighting 8d for the first 36 units, and the remainder at cooking rate; cooking 2d for the first 300 units, 300 units at lid, and the remainder at Id per unit, and id per unit for waterheating. Is the Board honouring this agreement? They certainly are not. They have increased the lighting from 36 units to 54 at Bd, cooking from 300 units to 600 at 2d, and 300 units to 600 at lid, and they have put a minimum charge on water-heating. It is high time the consumers in South Canterbury made a combined effort to protect themselves against these overcharges. The consumers are bound by guarantee, and why not compel the Power Board to honour its part of the contract.—l am. etc., DISSATISFIED CONSUMER. •

EARLY HISTORY OF TIMARU HARBOUR. To the Editor of the " Timaru Jleraid.” Sir.—Yesterday I visited my old friend, Mr Peter Sinclair, and as we are the only two left, who had anything to do with the first breakwater, which was started to protect the Government landing service, we had a talk about old times, and we laughed at Mr T. Foden (who was a mere boy at the time), saying he had the contract. Mr Foden seems to be all mixed up in his dates. We are referring to

February 23, 1870. He must be referring to a later date. He says we are all wrong, and he is the only one that is right. I refer him to the Timaru and Gladstone Gazette, dated Wednesday, February 23, 1870, in which appears the following:—“An upper block of concrete on the site of the one recently washed away, was successfully laid on Monday last, and due precautions were taken to avoid a repetition of the catastrophe. A lower block was also laid yesterday.” The following advertisement also appeared in the same issue of the paper:— “Timaru Breakwater. Wanted—lmmediately, twenty labourers, 1/6 per hour” —Crawford and Green.” I put that advertisement in for the contractors, Messrs Crawford and Green. Facts are stubborn things, and where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.—l am, etc., J. L. POTTER. Le Cren Street, Timaru, March 6. P.S. —In mentioning my friend, Mr Peter Sinclair, blacksmith, I forgot to say he made the lewises to fasten the boxes or caissons to the rocks.