CORRESPONDENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12638, 24 May 1919, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

“DIGGER.” I TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, —Referring to your article in yesterday's issue, under this iicading, I think the writer will have to go a good deal further back than ho does to trace the origin of this word. It is hard to see how it could have originated in ft “ two up ” school unless it had reference to tho depth one had to dig down into an already depleted pay - book in vain effort to nominate the elusive heads. As to its not appearing in 11 Shell Shocks” or tho ‘‘Chronicles ’’ —well, I must remind him that there were many words used in the Division which never found their way into either of those publications, or into regimental records either, unless, perhaps, embodied in a crime sheet. i\ly earliest recollection of tho word dates back to a, fatigue party in that very unhealthy suburb of Armeptiercs called Houptiues. iWe wore delving a cable trench and a Hun machine-gun was playing a not inconspicuous part in the various distractions. There was one pick man to two shovel men, and the former job, involving more exposure and work in stony ground, was decidedly unpopular. Hence the cry “ Mow one of you diggers, what flbout having a fly at tho old pick?” was frequent enough to create a habit. The term (it was not originally one of endearment, but could be graded, as it were, by the quality of the adjectives prefixed), gradually got absorbed into the Army vocabulary until it reached its present customary use. Its only' drawback in my experience was that when the average Maori Pioneer had reached a certain phase of “ estamination ” he never could settle whether the word was being pronounced with a “d” or an “ n.” If he decided on the latter, recriminations followed, and in some cases, orderly room.—l am, cto., L.G. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l was rather interested in your article on “Diggers” appearing in this evening’s “ Star,” and beg to offer my humble criticism of same, for, truth to tell, it is needful of much. For instance, your writer suggests that the name “digger” originated at a “twoup” school at Maples. If you can snow mo how “two-up” can be connected with digging I’ll go “he.” As far as I can remember I first heard the word “ digger ” in tho trenches at Bois Grenier (Australian sector of tho Armentieres front) in April, 1916, and the origin of the name is not hard to find. In those days working parties were kept very busy at nights repairing and making new trenches, and of course the tools used were the spado and pick- As the party filed along tho sap they were generally supplied from the engineers’ dump with those implements of torture, in the proportion of two to one; that is, every third man! had a pick, the remainder spades or shovels. The men then worked in reliefs. the “picker” first loosening tho earth wliich was then,shovelled out by tho “diggers.” When one “digger” was tired he would promptly call out “Next digger.” Hence the worldfamed name of “ Digger.” Now with regard to the Now Zealanders having a monopoly of the name, your valued writer is “up to putty” again. As I said before, I first heard the name with the “ Aussies” in April, 1916, and since every “Aussie” calls every other "Aussie ’ “Digger,” and since there are over six times as many “ Asusies ” as New Zealanders, I therefore conclude that the monopoly of the name should be claimed by the Australian and not the New Zealander. However, we all did our bit to deserve such an honoured name, and who cares where it came from or who was, the originatorP—l am, etc., SERGEANT 20th Bn. A.LF. TRAM ACCIDENTS. TO THE EDITOR. ( Sir, —In view of the recent tramway accident, I should like to draw attention to the dangerous overcrowding of the cars used on the Hills service. On a Sunday some weeks ago, an electric car ascended to the hill terminus with nearly one hundred passengers on board. Every available seat was occupied and I counted over fifty persona standing. In the near future we may expect another startling piece of news, telling us that the brakes of one or these heavily burdened cars have failed to act, etc. The Tramway Board will hardly be able to call this catastrophe an “ accident.”—l am, etc., PASSENGER.