CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 10, 11 January 1918, Page 2

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

"Visitor" thinke there is a cad deficiency in the manners of young New Zealanders, who, he eaye, "often grin in an offensive way at any person who is not dressed exactly to their taste." He observed that some of these street groups would form an interesting study, from a Darwinian point of view.

"Tenderfoot" does not agree with the statement that there is a cry. for semiskilled lahour from all parts of the provinces He eayß that inquiries at the Efficiency Board's office and the Labour Bureau had disappointing results. "Two men who,' arrived here less than a month ago have already 'beat it , for the land whence they came. New Zealand methods, in epite of what the local untraveHed native may think, are 'nothing to write home about,' to nee a little expressive American slang."

•Mr. E. Haydock, commenting on the eecape of a young lion from the Onehunga Zoo, suggests that the proprietor should be restricted from keeping more than two animals of one species, and should aleo be required? to erect a concrete wall not less than 30 feet high "round the establishment for the protection of the public and to. minimise the noieo caused by the Tearing of the lions. He cays: "I lived for some years "witliin 500 yards of the Bellevue Gardens. Manchester, and never heard the animals roar from where 1 lived. This latter establishment hag a stone wall about 25 or 30 feet high all round, which accounts for it being neither dangerous nor a nuisance."

Mr. David W. Miller, Takahiwai, Marsden Point, is of opinion that the time has arrived when much wider powers of self-government must bo granted to the- inhabitant* of India. He says:— " When the Secretary of State for India describes the present Indian Government as "too wooden, too iron, too inelastic, too antediluvian for modern purposes," it is evident that India's appeal for iHome Bule is eminently overdue, and a complete justification of Mre. Annie Besant'a untiring advocacy of a' more enlightened Government policy. The Bishop of Calcutta has aleo recently spoken strongly as to the "hypocrisy" of fighting to maintain Belgium's independence, but giving but tardy attention to the legitimate aspirations of the peoples of India. Why not recognise the Hindus with the same frankness and magnanimity as wae meted to the Boers of South Africa? This would at once liberate the soldierly, statesmanlike and generous qualities of the millions of India, who, notwithstanding the slightly darker skin, are of the same Caucasian •stock as the British."