CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 147, 21 June 1917, Page 8

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr. A. Sanford opposes the establishment of State-aided trade banks on the German principle. He says:—"lf a State-aided trade bank were started in Auckland the first clients would be men who by their dishonest trickery had lost the confidence of local bankers." Mr. David Miller. Marsden Point, commenting on the addreSß given at Wellington by Sir Henry Richards regarding India and the Empire, says: -'Are our brothers in India worthy of less respect? They have a material and spiritual ancestry that any nation might be proud of. Why not give a willing, even enthusiastic, ear to the unanimous claim of their National Congress for Home Rule? They do not ask or desire exclusion from the Empire, but they do demand as much magnanimous treatment as was shown in the creation of the self-governing Union of Soutli Africa." Mr. G. McKnight writes that he can verify from his own experience the resolution of tho General Labourers' Union and the statement of the secretary, Mr. Wesley Richards, regarding loans to workers. He states:—"lf Parliament grants the request for an inquiry—giving full scope in the matter —the public will find that the system of loans to workers, which was supposed to assist workers to acquire homes, has been used for years by persons all over the Dominion to get the use of State funds, and use them to exploit the workers for their personal profit." "Efliciency," replying to Mr. Cole_ addrees on industrial efliciency -before the Auckland Industrial Association, says: "Mr. Coles maintains that for efliciency we must have training and discipline. Quite so; but what about the reward for em_ieney? The meeting of the Efficiency Board held in Wellington came to the unanimous conclusion that clicking requires great skill and training, and takes a man years to become expert, yet less than a year ago a clicker received £2 12/0 a week. It is only the demand exceeding the supply that gave the clickers a chance to get a decent wage. How is it that a cutter in the tailoring trade gets £G to £7 a week, and a foreman clicker and pattern cutter £4 a week—if ho is lucky?"

We have received two letters commenting on the air raid on London. Both correspondents call for more drastic treatment of enemy aliens in Xew Zealand.

Mr- A. Morris Nvrites expressing appreciation of the evidence of Messrs. Kent, Bartley and Warner in the recent art case.

"Shellback" comments upon evidence given before the Military Service Board as to the scarcity of seamen. He alleges that it is not so great as stated. Information on the point should be sent to the Board.

"Taihoa Parks" does not believe that a park at St. John's Lake will be attractive. He suggests that Orakei Basin would be a more suitable stKvL and would be easily accessible from the city.

" Victim," referring to some comments at the Land Board upon the statement that a returned soldier found that some of the cattle he had left on his land had been appropriated by neignbours, says that if any proof of such appropriation existed the cattle could casil}' be recovered. He draws attention to the judgment of Mr. Justice Stringer in the Supreme Court on May 24 and 25 with regard to the ownership of cattle alleged to have been stolen.

Miss Willoughby, lion, secretary to the National Service league, writes: — " We would like to see a training college started by the (iovernment where every disabled soldier could be taught and given expert advice on the most suitable craft or industry he could follow, such as shoe-making, pictureframing, bookbinding, basket-work, etc., with an outside branch for beekeeping, poultry farming, fruitgrowing, and hothouse work, etc."

" M.H." states that, having on a dark night sat plump down on a young couple occupying a seat in the tram sheltershed near Market Road, Remuera, he desires to urge the authorities that " it would be a boon to elderly people if the authorities were to put a light in front of those shelter-shed 9. Incidentally it would enable people to see the stoppingplaces better."