CORRESPONDENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 195, 16 August 1918, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. POKER. —No; both hands are equal in the absence of a local rule clearly expressed before the game began. INDEMNITIES. ITO the r.ditor.) Sir, —The British public have an idea that the Germanic Confederation could not afford to pay a big indemnity. lt is considered that Germany, having few natural resources, relies for lier prosperity on her powers of manufacture. Germany has enormous natural or primary resources. From the invaluable •Whitaker" I may take three: — 483,156,000.100 tons of coal actual relerves, 4.000,000,000 tons of iron ore »etual reserves, 50,000,000,000 tons of potash actual reserves. Now if we take the coal at 10/ per ton, the iron ore at 5/ per ton, the potash at 10/ per ton, we arrive at a gross total of in value £237,678,000,000. and in addition to this there are the by-products produced annually from bituminous coal, phosphate iron ore, and the enormous potash deposits (the latter have been proved to the depth of 6000 feet). From coal they extract aniline dyes worth £100.000,0(10 per annum; from iron ores phosphates for manure worth £20.000.000. I am, etc.. 'I- . i

PRICE OF WHEAT. iTo the Editor.) Sir, —Your correspondent '* Worker " asks why the disparity of prices between Australian and New Zealand wheat? It is easily explained. Australia is protected with a Customs tariff more than double the Dominion one. obviously to protect the grower under normal conditions from the dumping of Indian and American wheat, as the world's wheat calendar shows a harvest for every month of the year, and it is conclusive that protection was necessary, which the war has 6ince revealed. The Australian Governments, especially the New South Wales one, offered exceptionally easy terms to prospective whcatgroweis, land at 17/6 per acre, supplied the seed wheat to-be paid tor on harvesting, and otherwise encouraged the industry in every conceivable manner, anil the labour employed was infinitesimal to New Zealand's system. For instance, the Australian wheat lands are simply scarified, and when the crop is ready it is stripped, and the grain lost in this process creates a second growth, thereby saving an immense quantity of seed wheat, and the straw does the manuring. With Australia's dry climate very little storage is required, and its railages arc much lower than New Zealand's. With ample efficient labour advantage has been taken of these conditions to make it one of the granaries of tlie world since 1018. It had a severe drought and crops a failure during 1914 and 1915, and imported wheat soared to 7.6 and S/ti per bushel, and American Hour was transferred from Eastern ports to Australia. It is apparent Australia is not a country for New Zealand to rely upon for its food supply, our New Zealand wtieatgrpwers under pre-war condition, "were 'continually harangued by Free Traders at every sitting of Parliament to remove the paltry protection on wheat nnd flour, and Bomo who were not in the business furnished figures to show that the w hcatgrbwer shruld be a philanthropist and take the risk of elements and markets to ensure cheapness. The result was that a large j number of wheatgrowors ceased, to avoid I disaster, and went in for sheep raising.) and it takes quite twelve months at the! least to change one's mode of farming.! and there must be a pecuniary induce-1 ment to do so. This opportunity gave the Free Traders scope to show their mettle, but there was no response, the same as in dear old England. I reinem-' ber many years ago in Canterbury wheat i was sold as low as _/l per hushel f.o.b.J through the absence of ample protection.; while Australia was getting over 3/ per bushel. What was the result . Wheat-! growers and a number of their backers: collapsed, and it was only the frozen mutton and wool industries that rallied Canterbury. In America to-day wheat is S/ti per bushel owing to the heavy drain on its supplies by our allies and England, and is not short of efficient labour! the same as New Zealand. Ample protection is just as essential as the alien' poll tax to prevent wages being brought j down to the Asiatic level, as we. may be forgotten for a time, and we nre now I experiencing this as regards shipping an<l j requirements. New Zealand should mak_| itself self-supporting, as outside markets; are as tricky as the weather, and how will they be after the war with an empty world as regards stocks, with a keen demand for everything as well as money? I will not answer other anonymousl correspondents.—l am, etc.. P. VIRTUE.

HENDERSON TOWN 1.0.N KD MOVEMENT. ITO the '• •»• ir.i Sir,—Further inquiry has disclosed that there is very considerable opposition to the proposal to form a Town Board at Henderson. The petition in favour of the proposal contains only 44 valid signatures, as against the counterpetition's 80 signatures out of a total of 130 householders in the area. About KOOO acres are not ratable, being in the City Council catchment area, which must be deducted from the 33,000 acres in the riding; id in the £ at present pays the loan rate on £327,000 valuation, as the Town Hoard area with v valuation of £120,000 will be requireto take over at least half of the loan of £12,000, a further rate of >1 in the ,C will be required to meet this liability. The riding is now in ilebt on its general account to the extent of £2000. half of which will also lie a charge if the Town Board be granted. A matter of 9 miles 720 chains of metalled roads are within the area; the inaintainaiice at i'l per chain is considered too low, but at this figure would absorb the entire income. The Board would start business with, in addition to thi. , footpaths to be maintained, drainage and water service to be provided for, and the usual overhead charges in conjunction with formation of

such I-Oards, together with office rent Cud administrative charges. It is safe to say that a general rote of 3d in the £. a charitable aid rate of Jd in the £ wiU not more than meet the charges for the first three or four years. I understand the Waitemata County Council is y opposing the scheme mainly on account of the proposed boundaries.—l am, etc., . B. F. CRANWELL, Henderson. THE PROPOSED ZOO. (To the Editor.) Sir.—l think it a splendid business propositon to secure the zoo and place it in one of our numerous parks. So few people visit the parks, outside of the Albert Park, and the Domain visitors seem few and far between. As places of recreation some are a complete failure. The animals would be such nn attraction for country people and those living ; in the suburbs that we might have a - chance of getting from admission fees | a portion of the interest and cost of the . upkeep of so many useless parks. As a!' ratepayer I feel our City Council ought ,' to secure the zoo while they have the i ; chance.—l am. etc., J. H. HANNAN. '

Mr. M. Rarnctt suggests Gillies Park, ' Parnell as the most" suitable site for | the zoo. He instances what has been done in Sydney, where the zoo has been placed on a site touching the water. I "' Humanity writes: " It has for a long i time past come home to mc that the j humanity of keeping wild animals and birds in captivity is very questionable. It would be kinder to kill these poor creatures: their stuffed skins, well set up, would be of equal educational value (whatever that may be) with their animated bodies. - '

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