WOMAN REFORM CANDIDATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 179, 30 July 1926, Page 12

WOMAN REFORM CANDIDATE.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l see that the cry of a "broken j pledge to Reform" by Miss Melville is : again becom ng a slogan for the adherents of the later aspirant for Parliamentary honouis. To refute this charge would entail taking, item by item, the sum of the unfair treatment Miss Mel-; ville received, which at this time of day: should be unnecessary. When any: pledge . contains a certain condition, j :ind that saving clause has not \ '•<••>- -T~r?o'i mit. such pledge ceases , to be binding. The proviso in Miss .uu viuP'.-i j. i-ii ty exacted that ail pro-r-iodi"*-" , sViil't ho conducted in a constitutional and impartial manner. This was not done, co, that Miss Melville became a free agent. Reform lays down certain rules for the conduct, ot its meet ; ngs. When these rules are violated and protest is made, nn im- . partial inquiry must, in justice, be ' printed. Mr. Potter explained how partin] a certain hurried inquiry, was. There is no cx-casion to drag this matMr up again. Reform is now 'n the position, that, after the notoriety given to its treatment of a woman, candidate, to "save its face." t must even bestir itself for another, who, be very sure will be Riven no Labour neat to contest. | If it is conceded that Miss Melville broke no pledge, and was treated with ' nfeat injustice. I st ; ll cannot understand how any kindly Reform woman can be willine , now to profit by her dietresses, and "to shout with the bigger crowd."—l am. etc.. ' , J. G. MIDDLEBROOK. j

AFFORESTATION INVESTMENTS (To . thp r ''To- ■ •Sir.—Some time arro the Director of l the State Forest Service. wh"n the sub- \ jeot of afforestation investments was' under public review. ' sujrsrestod tV>at probable investors, should consult their i solicitors before taking up shares ofWcd | by the various eompan : es operating. ( No doubt to a certain extent this was safe advice, but one fails to understand how the trained lecal mind can grasp, guide and readily forecast the actual, real, practical outcome of afforestation, t which expert knowledge can only be j pained.by a long period of practical ex-j perience and research. There are men in the timber business in this country to-day—men of the very highest education and keenest intelligence —who have i niade the question of forestry and all j matters appertaining thereto one of j continuous study. They know the con | ditions governing every timber, country' in the world, and the almost certain | developments that will take place during the next twenty to thirty years. and how. these developments may affect. New Zealand. Long before the need of afforestation was made known to the people of this country these men had explored every avenue in connection therewith, and by their practical knowledge of all classes of timber, combined with their experience in logging, mill ing and marketing with the real costs. loss and actual results, they are placed in a position, whereby they can give the. most valuable advice to the public. Admitting, the irresistible propaganda, put forward by promoting companies, and facts quoted that to the shrewdest investor' appear incontrovertible, it requires the practical man with his hard bought experience to help the public by showing how to guard against unforeseenrjievelopinents that may affect their investments, the actual results from cultivated forests, and more especially the timber trees that will come into demand and hold a market. These glowing pictures of extraordinary • results that will accrue from afforesta- j tion schemes are no doubt very inspiring j and hopeful, but the sooner the public get the practical faots and guidance from practical men the sooner the great question of afforestation can go forward on safe • lines. Theoretical enthusiast!* and promoters are without doubt tho- I roughly sincere, but they are liable to become obsessed by the spirit of their propaganda, and may be blazing the trail to failure by the very reason of their superficial knowledge.—l am, etc., OBSERVER. THE BOHEMIAN ORCHESTRA. ,

(To the Editor. > | Sir, —If one could fully understand j why do the nations so furiously rage ; together, and the people—including "A j Female Fiddler" —imagine a vain thing I (I quote from memory), it would be | easier to understand her attempts at j minimising the triumph of the Bohemian Orchestra; which means very largely I the triumph of its conductor, Mr. Colin Muston. Never in the musical history of the Dominion, nor, probably, of the neighbouring Commonwealth, has there been so comprehensively efficient a pro-feseional-amateur combination, excepting only that of the New South Wales Conservatorium. Certainly never bo large or brilliant a string section, nor a more competent leader than Miss Edith Whitelaw. Coming to chronology, "A Female Fiddler" breaks down most woefully. She declares "the first attempt to form an orchestra for the performance of big works was made by ■ Captain Young, who, many years before, the inauguration of the Bohemian Orchestra, invited the musicians of the city to band themselves together under Lie conductorship. Captain Young conducted a small orchestra, and eventually handed it over to Mr. Arthur Towsey." Either your correspondent must have a shocking memory, or she was in the nursery at the time, and created an orchestra as children will create anything in -their great game of "pretending. ,- Captain Young did not so invite the musicians of the city, or if so, never had £*ny response. What did happen was that the "Orchestral Society,' fully organised, was awaiting the appointment of a conductor, when Captain Young was invited by the executive to conduct a single rehearsal. That proved quite sufficient, the batonist revealing the fact that he had had very limited experience. It is unpleasant to state this of one who died many years ago, but I can regard nothing so heinous as a circumstantial distortion of history. Apart from some possible private house coterie, then one single farcical reheorsal was the sole link connecting the deceased gentleman with Auckland orchestralists, and constitutes the whole pretence for giving him precedence over Messrs. Towsey, Hill and Wielaert (to whom all honour) in the record of "splendid services rendered." After this exposure, it is hardly worth while considering the lady's opinion as to the relative excellence of the Bohemian and previous orchestras. One little detail, which can scarcely be an oversight, speaking of certain secessionists, she declares "they carried on for a time." The lady must know that no one would deduce from that indefinite brief interval a period of more than ten years. Perhaps it may interest your correspondent to learn that "the first attempt to form an orchestra -for the performance of big works" was made more than 60 years ago.-—I am, etc., ■ MALE FIDDLER,

BRICKS. (To tbe Editor.) Sir, —In reply to your correspondent "Curious," published in the "Star" ot the 28th inst., I would say bricks are manufactured in the most costly mode possible in New Zealand. I have seen bricks manufactured and sold at 16/ per thousand at a profit from material euch as is to be found here in millions of tons. The reasons why bricks are ssich an exorbitant cost here are two —(1) There is an agreement between produceie, and (2) the methods of manufacture need revising.—l am, etc., R.S. TKE TIMBER INDUSTRY. (To the Editor.) Sir, —I have a little piece of paper before mo , which states that the production from 106 timber mills in the Pacific .N'orth-Wesi. for the first 22 weeks of ii)2i> amounted to 57,000,000 feet in excess of the eanie period for 1922, and that the Pacific millmen feel that present prices are not sufficiently remunerative. It further states that on June 15 there were 8,000,000 feet for export and an unshipped balance of 132.000,000 feet to move for export. Is this not a straightout admission of over-production on the part of American mills, and is •it not patent that they' are utilising -foreign markets as a dumping ground, sacrifi-ing fair profit to keep their capital moving? I ask, is it sane policy on our part to accommodate American millers to the detriment of the life of our own industry? Herein would appear yet another rliance for 'the man who gete things done^—l am, etc., . , PROTECTION.

ONEHUNGA VALUATIONS. (To tbc Editor.) Sir. —Tn your of July 28. above the piniat.i're of "Veritas," it stated and correctly so, that the revaluation of ( nohunp-a shows in some cases an increase of 100 per cent and over. The explanation of this is that it is many years since the borough was valued, and at that time houses and building sections were few, the main part bcina; agricultural lands, and valued as such. When those estates were cut up into sections, the tc A rates were apportioned pro rata amongst the ne'.v owners; consequently, many people have, during the last ten years or more, been living in clovor. Those who bought, aud owned property which was already cut tip at the previous valuation, were •na.t'.iral'ly rated accordingly, and in many cases, as in my own, one's neighbour, with , equal land, was paying half, and less than half, the amount of rates that we were. Now, after many years, the matter is adjusted, and we who 'have paid ■ full rates for years have at last the satisfaction O" knovr;ns that all are upon nn oqual footing, with the result that our rates are only increased 5 per cent or so, as against our friende' 100 per cent or more. One wonders, nevertheless, whether "Veritas" would $ell at his new valuation.—l am, etc., REASONABLE.

MODERN ZTJXUXAND. (To the Editor.) Sir, —It would be just as galling to a New Zealander to rear! mis-stated facts about his own country, as it is to mc to see a portion of South Africa, namely, Zululand, misrepresented in a public newspaper. I refer to an article by Frederick Stubbs, F.E.G.S., under the above heading, appearing in Saturday's issue of your paper. Zululand may. for administrative purposes, be included in Natal Province, but the country is practically controlled by the Provincial Secretary who operates from Pieti-r----maritzburg. The native can hardly be called "free." He has to abide by the Curfew law in and about towns, and is compelled to carry a pass, no matter where he is. All those employed by Europeans on their farms, are allowed a small patch of land for their own cultivation, but are compelled to give service for'this privilege. It is hardly fair to either section, to draw a comparison between the English and the Dutch farmer. Zululand is a hard country with tough conditions, and only men with absolute determination and backbone can make a farm pay. The statement that no Indian is allowed in the country is ridiculous in the extreme. The country is overrun with hordes of I Indians both free and "ticketed," and if your correspondent has ever occasion to travel along the North Coast road, the sight of Indian buses, carrying hundreds of Indians, scorching along this highway, a positive menace to other traffic, will hardly escape his attention. Eshowe to the average African, is a "dorp," meaning a haphazard collection of several hundred houses, a few trading stores, several bars, a couple of second-rate hotels, and an occasional church planted on the side of rutty and distorted roads. It is about 260, not 1100 miles north of Durban, and the population is scarcely 4.000, much less 40,000. I cannot believe that the gaol is the haven described by Frederick Stubbs. There is only one law the Zulu understands, and that is, not kindness, but force, which is amply distributed by the native policeboys, who know how and do administer it. Everybody will admit that the Zulu is a wonderful specimen as far as physique goes, and I hesitate to describe him as an unjrainly barbarian in European drees. If Mr. Stubbs would walk down West Street, Durban, on a Sunday afternoon he would no doubt be amazed at the sight of elegantly dressed Zulus, the domestic servants of Natal, strutting pbout in tailored regalia that very many Europeans cannot afford to wear. They may have acute powers of observation, but as yet have pretty dormant memories, henc their poor logical faculties. The Zulu does not touch his own property, he leaves that to his wives to do. while he goes off to work for the white man. save a few pounds to buy more fat cuttle and incidentally ™>ore wives, rett"^ ; nsr six months for a "rest." It is very hard to fo'low from what part this correspondent writes f rom ; Tn thf native state the native fits >n with >iic (Wrintion a<* to houses and dress, but the black gum-ring on the head denotes that he is an ,c lnduna" or' *£nY»rf!lor in the triho. not a chief, while the clay addition to the back of the head of the women denote that they have a husband, married or not. The value of 'and is also incorrect. Cultivated cane land can be obtained between Verulam and Eshowe up to £150 per acre, but in the fever belt, where no white man can live more than a few years, £4 would appear to be an average price. Unimproved land is very hard to get, and in most cases not worth the trouble of paying transfer fees.—l am, etc., , .._ . _ j, *f LOWE.

MILITARY TRAINING. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Your correspondents "Courtney Post" and "Fide Non Armis," together with their remarks re the above, call for some reply. They contend: (1) The trainees receive no benefit from night drills, consequently the system is pure waste. (2) The officers take no interest: in the trainees or the regiments. . (3) j The camps are not a success and are J attended by trainees against their will. Now let mc deal with the last cause first. In the first place I have been right through the territorials and am now over-age, yet when the last camp came f a'ong I welcomed it, and went volun-! tarily still being a member of the force, ', principally because we have officers who do take a great interest in us and our regimental efficiency, which spirit goes right through our ranks down to the j newest joined private. As to the work I in camp, we had two complete companies | of new men, stranee to the work, an \ j who were well beaten at the competi- j (ion* in pports and drill he'd <\t the end of the camp, and already these com-' panics have started to work- with a will so they won't be 'ast at next year's camp. " As to health in camp, after ten days' camp life in the open, we all came out with a tan on our faces, and an extrn keenness in the cv» f o1 *"» 't a= possible, and also that a bit of discipline once in a while is a £ood thing. Now for the interest of the officers in their regiments and men. Sir, this feeling does exist, but does not appear upon the surface because of the attitude of the men, for a large number take absolutely no interest in themselves or their comnan} , . They come to drill forgetting that they are clothed in the King's uniform and it is up to them to act acordingly. The officer's remarks are care'ess'y attended to. until it is a wonder they have any interest in the'r '. companies when tbeir efforts are de- \ feated by a certain section. Yet there are a large number of civilian officers in the forces, and if there was more attention to duty on the part of the men there wou'd be still more and no shortage of instructors like at present. As for night drills they at least keep a section of boys off the streets one night a week, and in these.days of apparent loose control by parents, remind boys pi a thing called authority and discipline. Now, sir, don't think I infer the present system is perfect—far from it —but I th ; nk the above impressions are held by the more sober-minded trainees. —T am, etc., TRAINEE.