NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 105, 2 May 1908, Page 7

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Artillery matt.—We do not preserve the MS. of letters that- have been dealt with. We receive so much correspondence that a selection only c_.n-be published, and your view of the matter was fiilly expressed in the thlree let- * lets inserted last hight7 .' ■ Albion, Kariio.—(l) An Englishman by .birth cannot play for Scotland in an International Association football match. It is necessary to have the birth' qualifications. (2) Association football at home is much, the same as cricket, both amateurs and professionals play together. J.P.—No appointments oi Justice of the Peace have been gazetted for 1908, up to April 22, although several have" resigned. We are informed that the list of J.P-. is now uuder revision by the Justice Department. THE PARNELL SCHOOL. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Will you allow mc to add my protest against the action of Mr. L. J. Bagnall (chairman of the Education Board) in flippantly treating the matter of. the Parnejl School Committee's recommendation that all school doors should be bung to open outwards? Your subheader in to-night's "Star" deals very properly with this matter. Tho duties of a school committee have been and are so limited that it is almost a perfect farce for them to send on any recommendation to the Board, and I sincerely trust that the Parnell Borough Council will exercise their powers and compel the Board to have the doors so hung that there shall be not the slightest possibility of such a dreadful disaster as that which recently occurred in America. The fact that Mr. Bagnall complacently remarks that for over half a cem__ry no panic had occurred nor serious accident happened does not justify the Board in ignoring the Parnell School Committee's recommendation. I strongly urge all school committees to combine and insist that the Board shall set up a commission to report upon the means of egress in all the schools of the Auckland province.—l am, etc., F.C. April 29. 1908. IS'GREAT BRITAIN DOOMED? (To the Editor.) Sir,—l was really pleased) to read " Britisher's " reply to Mr. Kelly's article, "Britain Revisited," and thoroughly 'endorse his ("Britisher's") statements re this country and its people. Without being prejudiced against them, they are inclined to be a little insular, and so wrapped up in their country (which of course, is very patriotic), that they know little or nothing of outside matters, and some of them have a very hazy conception of the United Kingdom, its wealth, power, and government; and do they know that, practically speaking, every acre of their " God's Own Country" is mortgaged to the Old Country? Apropos of the coming visit of the American fleet, when New Zealanders view it tbey will then be able to gauge Britain's might in a naval direction, by multiplying it forty times, and making allowance for the more up-to-date, powerful and better-equipped type of vessels (of our fleet), and then they can picture the British navy, for which they vote the insignificant, sum of £ 40,000 per annum. 1 myself do not sec why. New Zealand should be so inflated with their own importance as it doe 3 not become a young country to be so—a country that has ho history (as far as Europeans are concerned), no traditions, and, in a certain sense, no independence; in fact, it seems to mc that they arc running this country as a sort of trial ground for Utopian experiments. Whether these will prove a success or not time alone will prove. I am inclined to think that Macaulay's prophecy about the New Zealander standing on the ruins of St. Paul's is a very, very long way oil' from being fulfilled.—l am, etc., FRANCIS JOSEPH BONNER. THE AWAKENING OF CHINA. (To the Editor.) Sir,—The arrival in Auckland of a Ling, and a dry little Ling, too, gave some curious sidelights on the idiosyncrasies of the yellow-man perilous. He brought a message of assurance. "The dragon," _aid he, "is awakening, certainly; but, my dear friends, be not alarmed —lie has only one eye open. Truly a baleful glance of that one amygdaline optic cost our cunning little neighbour and brother, Japan, an appreciable loss of bales, but," continued this small, though interesting, mandarin orange, "that dear diminutive brother of ours provokes j_alousy and retaliation by the sublimity of his cheek. As to our army, , of which you are so suspicious, I can assure you, on my honour as a conscientious Ling, that it consists of nincompoops, who cannot shoot straight, and never wanted to join. Remember." quoth the only Ling, "that you are not overburdened with our race, and that those you have in this Dominion are only the common garden sort, generally discovered among cabbages, and the linseywbolsey specimens of the laundry genus, or genius." Well, the arguments adduced are.'doubtless, sound. There is no danger, as far as New Zealand is concerned. The few Chinese, more or less, that come here, prove themselves useful and peaceable citizens. But when that big yellow dragon extends the muscles of both eyes, the effect of his optic, .'and adoptic, nerve will probably astonish the Western Beasts, or barbarians. As to naval.eats, the Carthaginians unintentionally . taught • the Romans how to flagellate them off the face of the ocean. Our motto must be, "Watch and prepare." But China will never be put down by ill-treatment of Chinese subjects in British dominions.—l am, etc., MAURICE R KEESING. GUN FIRING AT NORTH SHORE_To the Editor.) Sir,—As I am a constant reader of the " Star," I read the letters of Mr.-Herbert A. Metcalfe, " Bang, Bang," and "Gunner A., No. 3, G.A." Mr. Metcalfe accuses "A Canadian Lady" and myself of gross selfishness because we object to what he calls three or four days' firing. 1 would ask him to carry his memory back to February last, when soihe of his mates ■were firing every morning at 5 a-m. and evening at 6 p.m. I should also ask him how long do the bells of St. Matthew's Church ring? For only about a. quarter of an hour or so; and although 1 am not a musician I consider church bells are preferable at any time to gun-firing. "Bang Bang"-is, in'my .opinion, like a good many more whom I have met,_ one who has never travelled himself, and looks upon all others: in the same light. I suppose if " Bafig, Bang" has been to Kawau, he lias made l a foreign voyage; hie ignorance must be excused. When 1 tell "Buig,Bug"t--&lMmdtora_t3»