CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14472, 28 September 1912, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

. 1 AMATEUR BOXING CONTESTS. TO THE 3DITOR OP "THE TRESS." Sir, —I was present at the so-called boxing exhibition at the King's Theatre last Tuesday night, and I was much surprised t<3 see that most of tho contests were sheer clogging, clinching, and attempted knock-outs. It is time that the Christchurch Sports Club saw that the contests were carried out &s advertised, viz., boxing exhibitions, otherwise tho sport will soon die out.— Yours, etc., SPORT. TRAMWAY MANAGEMENT. TO THS EDITOR Of "TUB FBESS."* Sir,—ln view of the increasingly bad state of our tram finance and the imminence- of a. rate, to make good the deficiency, it is time Borne protest was made against tho squandering of money by tho Board. Tho incessant removal and alteration of posts must entail a continual heavy expenditure; and the manner in which the permanent (?) way is being continually dug up and tinkered with, forces the conclusion that either tho original work was scamped or that a serious and unnecessary leakago of money is now going on. On many routes the joints or bondtugs of every rail have been "adjusted." and in other cases tho lines apparently regraded. .Ono of the latter cases ;s nov occurring in Lower High street, and the track was no**sooner re-Ind and rolled, than a part was actually immediately dug up again—surely a sign of utter want of proper supervision. 1 would ask Mr Gray, who alone seems to take any business-like thought for the Board's financial interests, to movo for a return showing cost of all repairs, etc., to overhead work and

i permanent way incurred during the- ■ last twelve months. Failing any satisi factory explanation, to my mind, tho Board will stand convicted of a continual careless waste of money.—Yours, etc., SUPERVISION; '. THE ARCHIPELAGO OF TEARS. TO THE EDITOR CF "THE MESS." '. Sir, —I havo read witli pleasure Pro- ! , fessor MacmUlan Brown s interesting i article on "Tao Archipelago of Tears," iin your last Saturday's issue. It is. in- ' structive and entertaining. Particu- j l j larly worthy of note are tho Profes- ! sor's remarks anent the present prosf perity and general well-being, of tho ' islanders. These he attributes to tho [ infhienco of the missionaries, and in a . few words provides a terse and telling j I argument in favour of practical Chris- . tianity. , [ ''They (tho missionaries) got the j Dutcli authorities to tackle tho pirato I question in earnest." '■They havo driven, poverty and shiftlessness for ever from this region." 1 "For they havo persuaded the Gov--1 eminent to "prohibit tho importation of ' that other great source ot sluminago 1 and human waste, alcoholic drink." ; "Ho (tho Chinaman) is allowed no : opium." ! "Whether tho subtlo poisons filter in ' or not, in any quantity, it is impos- " siblo to say; but the Chinese look pros- ! perous and keen, and the'natives havo • manifestly full command of themselves." "I cannot say that I havo ever seen • so universally * happy and prosperous > a community." . t What a tribute to the missionaries, and to tho value and effectiveness of ' prohibition 1 Surely. Sir, if its benefits have been so great so near to us, it 1 should be worth our while to give it a " trial here! It may. naturally, bo ex- j ! pected to benefit us in New Zealand , ; also.-Yours, p pANNETT> J KOWAI TRAFFIC BRIDGE. TO THP EDITOR OF S "THE MIESB." | i Sir,—As a ratepayer of tho Taw era !, County Council, I feel it incumbent on '. myself to enter an earnest ' protest . against tho action of that Council in } proposing to construct an expensive . traffic bridge across the Kowai river j without first consulting the ratepayers. This bridge, which will benefit but. , J few of tho ratepayers, but will benefit _ i considerably one individual who, by the. i way, is an influential member of tho I Council, will cost something in tho _ vicinity of £2000. Now, I maintain it is tho duty <jf tho Council before proceeding with a * work of this magnitude to test tho \ feeling of the ratepayers by taking n i poll. But in this caso nothing has 1 been done, for the simple reason that r I the Council knows the ratepayers would > not entertain the proposition for a " single moment. They know too well that these who find the money for public works in the county would not consent to bave their money spent in building this bridge, and so the Council has thought it expedient to flout the ratepayers by proceeding straight away to build the approaches to the bridge. , With an ardour worthy of a better 1 cause, this Council has compelled rate- ' payers to clean unfrequented roads 3 loading to nowhere in tho hills, but 3 havo neglects to keep in repair the ' bridges on tho well-used roads, with 3 ' the result that several of theso bridges ' i are unfit for boavy traffic, and have * notice boards up to that effect. There » are also appeals from the back country for roads to enable closer settlement, but these appeals go unheard. Ratepayers in other counties are forming themselves into protective associations to combat the arbitrary actions of County Councils, and I think I it is time the ratepayers of tho Tawera - County shook off their apathy and - banded themselves together in order s that only the best men were placed en t tho Council, and that tboee men had tho interests of the whole, not a part, i of the county at stake. " Hoping that the ratepayers of the i Tawera County will not allow them- • selves to be thrust aside by the Council, i but will awaken at once to action.— * Yours, etc., !• RATEPAYER.