Public Opinion

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 59, 11 March 1942, Page 4

Public Opinion

ROOF GARDEN OF POST OFFICE [ ! Sir, - I read your sub-leader in the!; iis.-ue of the "Chronicle” of the 9th s inst. with a degree of amazement, j | Since then 1 have been wondering j .'what you were trying io convey to ( your readers in that live lines and one j (Word of false and misleading informa- < it ion. When it is obviously so neces- ? sary to minimise friction and discon- J |tont in the minds of a community one < iis ant to wonder why a self-respecting I journalist will be so petty as to descend , To publish stuff that is not only incor- ‘ reel, hut is certain to cause irritation t and discontent. Few men. sir, have ( the privilege and opportunity you have of giving a lead to the citizens 7 and reminding them of princinles that may prove invaluable in these days s of uncertainly and doubt. Articles 'ike your sub-leader, even if true, are f nothing but. piffle. For your informa- f lion, let me point out again that the ’ City Council did not produce one slab c of the number used on the roof of the J Post Office buildings. During the past three vears, to •’ 31/3/41, in the council yard 37.000 j concrete slabs were manufactured, eaca containing one cubic foot of concrete; 24,000 square yards of slabs ‘ were laid, and footpaths of 800 chains, or approximately 10 miles, were provided for the citizens. Not nearly enough, Mr. Editor! Yet taking it bye and large, not a bad job of work. I was disappointed to find in to-day’s “Chroncile” not one word from the editor as to who kidded him up a gum Ire* 7 ' in the matter of the slabs on the Post Office roof.—l am, etc.. J. J. SCOTT. Deputy-Mayor. ] < Accepting the correction of Mr. R. ! G. Talboys, the architect employed to! 1 supervise the work of constructing a l roof garden, that the concrete slabs 1 were made bv the contractors and not 1 ] bv the City Council the work still re-I mains an unconscionable waste of;i oublic money in wartime. The ou fiic < are a c ked on the ground floo’- of the s Post Office to save money, while the I

Councillor .1. J. Scott’s political parfisanship evidentlv prompts him to turn a blind eye to this waste. If he desires, as he avers, "to minimise friction and discontent in the minds of the community,” he can besl attain this end by joining with the "Chronicle" in supporting its protest against such an outrageous waste of public money in wartime. Public men in these days have a duty to perform to see that people are not discouraged in their supnori of the war effort by such obvious and patent extravagance as the high cost of construction of a roof garden on the Wanganui Post Office, and it is surprising, indeed, tha* the public men of Wanganui Cilv and district (Councillor J. J. Scott included) have remained strangely mute upon this obvious instance. That the concrete slabs used were not made in the City Council yards is of small moment, but what is of moment to the citizens of Wanganui is that the samp concrpte work could have been made available for the sides of slit trenches, or for paving streets, if it had not been used in the extravagant way that it has. Does Councillor Scott approve of the construction of the roof garden on the Post Office in wartime when every available shilling is required to finance the war effort? Let him noi continue discreetly silent, but let him make his position plain by stating either that he approves or disapproves !—Editor “Chronicle.”