BOOKMAKER AND TOTALISATOR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 86, 11 April 1922, Page 8

BOOKMAKER AND TOTALISATOR.

'To tlie Kdiiur.. Sir.—"Owner," writ ing in the '-.--lar" published on Friday, the 7th inst.. takes exception to the watersiders at. their mrntiiirr passing a resolution in favour of ihc re-establishment of the bookmaker. Firstly, I congratulate the water?i<lers nn their t>r<iadminded policy and stand in opposing anything in the shape of monopoly, be it in sport or matters of State. Unfortunately we have drifted in New Zealand into a perfidious groove of lying propagandist, a system usually adopted In - ,-iic-ii persons as "Owner." who shelters under a nou-de-pliime in the columns of jl newspaper. I challenge "Owner" t-o *~ -furnish proof of one case in the past of where one of the honest owners that lie refers to iias had his horse or jockey interfered with by any recognised bookmaker.— I am. etc., R. Ft VAX. CRUELTY IN COURSING. (T.j u.e Emior.i >ir. - "A Lover of tJrpyhoullde" duef not put irp much <>f ;i defence in 1 lie interests of coureing, kindness to animals is essential to a balanced and gentle mind. A moment's reflection ■•>ughi u> convince, any rational person t.h-at the hare is in ;i state of terror from ihe time, it is pursued—in fact. I have Been hares and rabbits drop dead a« the dogri gained upon them. Before taking pleasure in coursing the sufferings of the hare had to he ignored, ibut it' "A Lover of Greyhounds" was placed in. the same enclosure and chased by a bull-dog iie would very little sport in itthe 100 yards' start of course conceded. The farther we recede from barbarism the more delicate w tlie sense of wrong wheu avoidable pain is caused to innocent, helpless and dumb creatures. If the aspirations of present-day humanity Consisted in working "upwards and letting tlie brute die" the different formfe of cruelty which jrive ecstasy to degenerates would have to be eliminated.— I am. etc.. JOHX GIUXrVEX. TAXATION TRUTHS. (To the Editor.l ■"■ir. —Your sub-leader under the above title will no doubt interest Mr. Massey to whom it is addressed. What you arid -Mr. Asquith say is quite true: "The income tax is a tax on saving; it restricts enterprise." and also does all the other things that taxation, and especially heavy taxation, ever does. But we have ■ iiir debts to pay. and the Government to curry on; there is no surplus, and therefore our taxation is not exeeeeive; it is j not more than enough to pay our way. I But it is unbearable. What, then, can be done? The remedy is to spend less. In striving after that end the Government lessens salaries. It is true they 'mist do so. but it is not enough, and. the hardship may be too great, though it is certain that all wages must come down. The remedy adopted by the Government does not go far enough; they should etopspending on unnecessary vorks. You are not faultless in this matter, and your morning contemporary is more guilty even than' yourself. Between you. you have assisted the agitation to urge the expenditure of some millions on an electric scheme at Arajjuni, when both you and your contemporary know quite well that no revenue can come from it for many years, and an adequate revenue probably never. What is true of Arapuni is true c.l all the electric schemes, the sites of which are far from large towns, and so on with some other public works. Let the Government stop expenditure on non-paying propositions, and we shall soon right our- . selves. Just to stand by silently or approvingly when we carry on fish shops at a loss of £4000 or so a year, and act on similar methods when millions upon millions are involved, is to do what would bring any commercial undertaking to bankruptcy, and would inevitably bring anyone so acting under the jiains and penalties of fraudulent bankruptcy.—l am, etc.. J. H. UPTOX. EVOLUTIONARY THEORY. (To the Editor/i to criticism in recent letters in your paper of Darwin'fe origin of epeeies and theory of evolution, it does lrot seem to be generally known that there were three generations of Barwins, all doctors and free-thinkers, evolving the evolution theory and thereby proving it. On the other hand where faith takes the place of free thought, we have the two largest brunches ot the Christian faith, producing a world's war and such things a« are happening in Ireland. By reversing Christ teaching of peace and goodwill, and trying to .stand still the consequence is evolution backwards.—l am, etc.. JOHN A. MUXRO. (To thp E-ditor.) Sir.—Mr. Wesley Richards and many other recent correspondents seem unaware of the vital distinction between "evolution"' and that particular theory known as '"Darwinism." The truth of the former is recognised now to have been established beyond the shadow of a doubt, and, moreover, has been held by philosophers as far back as HeraelettUS and Buddha. "Darwinism," however, is but one particular theory of "how" evolution hae been brought about not "from whence we came." as \l r Richards suggests in his letter. It is laughable to anyone conversant with Professor Bateson's works to note the way Hr. Richards seeks 'to infer that that ardent materialist, in denying the validity of '-Darwinism." subscribes to Mr. Richard's own belief in special creation as revealed in the Book of GenesK Professor Bateson, while led by this investigation into the phenomena of Mendelism to reject Darwinism, is none ihc less a believer in evolution, though holding an open mind upon the way in which it has been brought about. Tt is evident that Mr. Wesley Richards is ignorant of the fact that there are various other evolutionary theories be >ides the one put forward by Darwin and Wallace. One such is that held by the r.ainarckia,n school, and accepted overwhelmingly in Franks, and almost as completely in America and Germany. This is undoubtedly the explanation of i lie American opinions on the question ■ >f Darwinism as quoted by Mr. Richards. In conclusion, it might "be worth meni ioning that both Spencer and Haeckel, whom even Sir. Richards would hardly cLaim as supporters of his view?, were less supporters of Darwinism than of the theories of Lamarck.—l am. etc.. F.W.C. B Beadle ako -writes in support of the evolutionary tneorv. [This correspondence is clgged.—*EdJ