HARD ON SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2146, 11 January 1881, Page 3

HARD ON SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Among the exhibits in the New Zealand Court at the Melbourne Exhibition were specimens (sent by an Auckland company) of South Australian jarrah and New Zealand totara. The object of this was to show the greater resistance of the latter to the ravages of marine worms. The specimens of both timbers were taken from the Mungaro Bridge. It may be mentioned, says the “Post” that about six years after the Mungaro Bridge was built it was decided to draw the piles and replace them with jarrah, which, it was thought, would last “tor ever and a day”—a popular error which the Mungare Bridge authorities no longer indulge in. The jarrah was substituted, but not long ago it was found that the South Australian piles wore perforated by worms, while some totara piles, which had not been removed for some reason or other, and which had been in the water six years longer than the jarrah, had entirely escaped the ravages of the worms. Samples of both timbers were exhibited in the New Zealand Court duly labelled, much to the annoyance of the South Australians. The Commissioner for South Australia has written to Dr. Hector protesting against the exhibition of jarrah timber in the New Zealand Court, and urging discontinuance of such a reprehensible practice. The Commissioner had spoken to Dr. Hector in Melbourne on the same subject, feeling aggrieved at finding the boasted jarrah of his country beaten by the modest totara of New Zealand. The New Zealand Commissioner was, however, equal to the occasion. He admitted that it was perhaps hard on South Australia for New Zealand to show off the inferiority of a neighbouring colony’s products, and he would not willingly be a party to it, but it was necessary to keep the j*rrah on view in order to exhibit the specimens of New Zealand marina worms. Notwithstanding this the Commissioner has again written to Dr, Hector on the subject.