NARROW ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 82, 27 December 1884, Page 3

NARROW ESCAPE FROM DROWNING.

Napier, December 20. Mr J. T. C. Cook, sub-editor of the " DailyTelegraph," had a narrow escape from drowning this morning. While having his morning swim in the sea, he found he was being carried out by the current. After a long effort to reach the shore, unsuccessfully, he cried out for assistance, and was heard by Mr W. Miller, the gaoler, who ran down the hill to the Police Station, and procured a life buoy and rope. Amongst others attracted to tke head was Mr Fred Howard, of the Post-office, who seized the buoy and swam out and succeeded in placing it over Mr Cook's head, just as he was sinking for the third time. He was then hauled ashore by the rope. Cook had been in the water about three-quarters of an hour before he was rescued. He was carried home, where ho remains in a weak condition.

Abolition of Survey Department.— Tangental writes : " The many professional men here in various branches of civil engineering will hail with delight the proposed reform in the Government Survey Department mentioned by your Wellington correspondent. The statement of its being a training school for Parliamentary prot(sg<ss is undeniable. These young fellows are paid various amounts, and at the expiration of three, years are turned out as ready-made civil engineers and surveyors, brought up in all the technical idiosyncracies of the head of tneir department, and are retained in Government employ to the exclusion of all others, 'be they who they may.' Ex perience, practice, and knowledge, myself and others have attained at Home and in the other colonies, butupon arrival here find that the Government have turned out, at the public expense, numberless young protege's, who are to have the future and present public works to carry out, and our request for employment is met by the stereotyped reply, 'No vacancy.' In the meantime, our central Main Trunk Railway line is being carried out by these raw hands, superintended by a few elder officers, whose hands are tied to these Government appointees. Natural sequence, delays, alterations, and re-alterations will take place before our railway line will be, in the hands of formation contractor. The general public will see, therefore, thai the best way will most decidedly be a fair and open field of competition to all professional men, by which means the work of the colony will be done in a better and, quicker manner and a cheaper rate,"