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Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12506, 19 May 1906, Page 12

Second.—ln view of your attitude at the time Mr Gratban firey was dismissed from tho Public Service, for tho tree expriisKion of his perf-«nal opinions, is it not, to say the least, decidedly inconsistent that yon r-honid now demand tho instant di>nii>t-al of Mr Tre gear for v.hat appears (o be a meet similar offence?

Third.—Ts not tho administration of t-lio I>abotir Dopartmont, e-o far as it concerns the public, limited by the scope of tho law, *o that, whatever tho priv-ate opinions of tho Secretary for Labour, he cannot po beyond the law, under penalty of defeat by the judicial Courts oi Appeal, which aro open to even the down-trodden manufacturer and shopkeeper, «nd Avhose aitl would no doubt bo promptly invoked if the powers conferred by tho labour laws ■wero exceeded ? Fourth.—After the scorn with which you trait Mr Tregear's denunciation of " robber rente," is it not unfortunate that in the -same issue you should have allowed to appear a remark by Air Chae. Allifion (whoso opinion of Mr Tregoar'e doctrines would probably bo at leaet as forcibly condemnatory β-s your own), concerning the "rack ronW' charged for certain shop properties in Colombo street ? Ple-aso observe that it is not a wicked Si'xklon Government that collects those "rack rente." nor is it likely that the owners are Socialists or advocates of tho confiscation of property, except by the perfectly legitimate method of rack renting tho tenant, so «« to keop him hustling hard for a living, ana prevent him from acquiring lazy and luxurious habits.—Yours, etc.,

[We have dealt with these letters in our leading columns.—Ed. "Tho Press."!