MARRIED WOMEN TEACHERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 305, 24 December 1926, Page 13

MARRIED WOMEN TEACHERS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —From your valuable paper, under date December 21, I learn that the Canterbury Education Board have again led the way in that they are now refusing to give positions to married women teachers whose husbands are in receipt of a good wage. This is late in coming, but better late than never, and considering the number of unemployed teachers, and also the number of unemployed in other walks of life, I consider the Canterbury Board are to be congratulated. Another decision of that board, to insist on all their teachers being certificated, is certainly in the right direction, and also shows that we have still to look to the South Island for genuine reform.—l am, etc., EX-TEACHER. THE TIMBER HUDDLE. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Canadian cedar has occupied the same position in British Columbia that kauri has in New Zealand, where the standard of quality of the matured trees cannot be disputed. But who would place matured kauri and the sapling ricker in the came claes, and that applies to the cedar now being dumped on thie market. This cedar ie cut from tHe young growth and has not attained the standard of durable quality or resistance to borer. The absurd part of the whole business is, that cedar ie specified for weatherboards, and allowed to pass by the authorities, while our good matured 0.b., rimu and matai ie prohibited. Thie cedar softwood going into houses to-day is carrying a large proportion of sap and its soft new growth heart is not much better. But the public goes blissfully on and never get a thorough graep of the situation. In regard to building by-laws, the statement made by Mr. S. Leyland at the Chamber of Commerce meeting, was quite correct, but the reply of the chief building inspector showed that 'he did not know what he wae talking about. The railways are now losing money and all through absurd regulations imposed by local bodies. Because of this, American timber is now dumped on to this market by the millions of feet, and our railways are losing a revenue of 5/9 per 100 ft, average. Twenty-five yeare ago Sir Joseph Ward reduced the railway freight on timber and this action doubled the amount of timber carried immediately. That was' good, sound business, but the present Government increased the rate recently by 25 per cent, and blocked the timber traffic. Instead of the production of our forests reaching the utmost volume and creating wealth - for our country and freight for the railways, matters are now in a more parlous state in regard to conservation and utilisation than when the State Forest Service took over and we have had to listen to theorists and amateur experts until we have just had enough. Immediate steps must be taken and practical men called into action to straighten matters out, otherwise our largest industry is in danger of collapse from the situation created. The public must take notice of these matters, as they are of such vital importance to everybody and surely they are not going to allow the country to be switched on to the wrong track all for the want of a little commonsense and management. To-day we are losing on the railways, we have plenty of unemployed, plenty of emigrants, no land policy and a retrogreesive control. Do we look forward to a happy and prosperous New Year or a state of chaos?—l am, etc., I TIMBER MERCHANT.