Honour to Whom Honour is Due.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13332, 22 March 1911, Page 8

Honour to Whom Honour is Due.

TO THE EDITOR. -Sr, —A letter appeared in jour Monday evening's issue over the name of Wm. J. Brown, who was rescued from drowning at Castlecliff by Mr C. Newombe. For contemptible ingratitude this letter would be Mrd to beat. I had at first no intention of taking any notice of this letter, but on it being represented to me by many prominent members that in fairness to Mr Sewcombe it should not be allowed to pass unheeded, I made it my business to glean the particulars which, as supplied by Captain Melntyre, our worthy pilot, who was an,, eye-witness of the occurrence, are a? follows, viz., > That Brown was "showing Off" before a number of people on the end of the breakwater and jeering at them because they were exercising caution in storing about, and to indicate how fearless Be was, turned a "hand spring" on one of the stringers. He was not so clever as he imagined, and missed his footing and fcdl into the water, it will thus be seen ■what a brainless act it was which caused him to be where he found himself, particularly in view of the fact that he could not swim. He was. I understand, held Ui; by fishing lines thrown to him from the breakwater, but it was impossible to get Mm to shore with these, on account of the breakers, and the fact that the rocks do not- reach quite to the end of.the iiiles. When Newcombe appeared on the scene be at oncme volunteered to go out with the life line and, at considerable risk of being knocked about on the stone work and piles did so. He got hold of Brown and brought him to where it was possible to bring him ashore with the fishing lines. Brown informed Jfewcombe when he got him that he could not have held on much longer, so apparently Xewcombe was a very great factor in the rescue. It is within my knowledge that Charlie Xcweombe is not at all anxious to take any credit to himself for what he did, and when I was told of the rescue on Sunday afternoon it was mentioned by some of the club members in a very casual way. So far as Brown's attack on the Castlecliff Surf Club is concerned, it is not necessary to take any notice of this. The general public are too well acquainted with the history of the Club's formation and the devotion of the member's in giving up their time to practise in order to make themselves efficient to save life should an accident occur, to pay any attention to effusions such .as this from Brown. In conclusion, let me say that had Kewcoip.be only. w;aded out \ip. to his neck, i.i place of swimming into rough, broken water, to help a man in distress, the least that any decent fellow would say would be "Thank you." Verb sap.—l am, etc., DAVID MoFABLANE, President, Castlecliff S.B.C.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In this morning’s Chronicle Mr D. McFarlane (president of the Castlecliff Surf-Bathing Club) has inserted a letter I cjinnot let pass. He says that “for contemptible ingratitude this (my) letter ■would be hard to beat.” Sir, in my letter in Monday’s “Herald” I gave Mr Ncwcombe credit for doing all he could for me as soon as he heard of it. What more does he expect me to do? Surely it was only just and fair to let the public know who did save my life. In reference to the particulars gleaned from Captain Mclntyre by Mr McFarlane. allow me to state that they are not true, and that if they persist in them I shall take steps to prove that such is the case. Again, let me say that I was pulled into the rocks by the rope and lifebuoy that was passed down to me just before Mr Newcombe arrived. Had neither the rope nor Mr Newcombe come ■when they did I should have been drowned, as I could not have lasted much longer. As it. was, the rope came first, and the man that had the rope saved me. I have not made any attack upon the club. I have only stated two facts, which they cannot prove untrue, viz.: Ist, That all saying gear was locked up; 2nd, That had they not been so, I should have been saved much sooner than I was.—l am, etc., MM. J. BROWN. Eiver Yiew Boardinghouse. P.S. —A gentleman has just called on me and offered (if necessary) to publicly state that Captain Mclntyre’s statements art false. Further. I have six more eyewitnesses willing to do the same. MM. J. B.

fA. “Herald” representative, in company with Mr McFarlane, this morning interviewed one of the men who were fishing with Mr Brown and who witnessed the accident. He practically substantiates what Mr Brown said in his letter on Monday evening, that but for the fishers throwing out their lines —about a dozen in number —to him he would have been drowned. Our informant admitted that the accident was due to the failure of a gymnastic feat on the breakwater, and thought Mr Brown, before leaving the beach, might have thanked his saviours and Mr Newcombe for the assistance they rendered. Harbour Matters. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It is a source of much gratification to me to find that, after having advocated (when contesting the Harbour Board election two years ago) the purchase of an up-to-date sea-going dredge two years ago, without success, now some of the most powerful minds in the town are working m the same direction. Not the least part of my pleasure is the fact that you yourself, sir, now seem to be convinced that there is some sense in my scheme of dredging (see your leader of February 4, 19G9, and leader of March 14, 1911). I have not taken any hand in the controversy during the last few days, as a more influential pen than mine is working and putting the ease both for the dredge and inner harbour much better than mine would do it. I hope Mr Hatrick (to whom 1 refer) will allow himself to be nominated for membership of the new Board, and I can promise him at least one staunch henchman thereon if I can succeed in winning a seat for myself. In passing. I should like to refer to Mr Murray’s denial that he promised 22 feet of water on the bar yx two years, and to quote from your leaderette referred to above. The quotation is as follows;—“ The present Board believe that another two years will see the completion of the present work, wit)i 22 feet of water on the bar.” Sir, no denials or shuffling of words will alter the fact that the Board members did lead ns electors to believe that their scheme could be completed in two years, with the satisfactory depth of 22 feet as a result. So far as the dredge and inner harbour questions are concerned, I believe they will have a successful run at the coming election, and therefore I am content to leave them; but

there is a question much more important than either, and that is the question of ways and means. Nonv, sir, it should not be left to any elector to suggest methods of raising money for the proposed new works, contending, as I do, that before the old Board go out of office a satisfactory proposal should bo drawn up by them and placed before us as electors for our consideration. But, so far as I can make out, they sit as “dumb dogs” on this subject, and arc apparently waiting for someone to help them out of their difficulties, I saw in a “local” the other day that they had sat in committee to consider their future conduct, hut without result. Are they waiting for “plans and proposals” from the engineers? There are several questions I should like an answer to, viz.: -—(1) Does the Board propose to remain content when the walls are extended to the bar and the promised 22ft obtained? (2) If not, is extra depth, up to 30ft, aimed, at; and by what method is it proposed to obtain it?" (3) After the depth is obtained for oversea ships, is the Board intending to provide berthage inside, and if so where? (4) If an ambitions harbour scheme is adopted, what will it cost, and how is it proposed to raise the money? (5) If the money is to ;bc raised over a special rating area what is that area to be.? (6) If the boundaries of the area only comprise Wanganui and the surrounding townships what will the probable rate be? (7) If any of the surrounding country is included how much will bo taken in and how will they (the country ratepayers) be affected? Sir, I could go on asking questions, but for the present the above will suffice, and they are pertinent, and should ho replied to at once. And if the members of the present Board seek re-election they should lose no time about it, but should take us into their confidence, remembering that where confidence is shown confidence will be bestowed. —I am, etc., ALLAN EOBINSON.