CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20733, 19 December 1932, Page 17

CORRESPONDENCE.

CO* 1 ** 50 ",oo r i:> t ,l ° last column "or' our (#«%,„ „•:!' -vwusc i:s f'om noticing %5 »«"■ B INEVITABILITY OF GOLD. 2,-A-our comM-ondcut "-VD.*,," ./_ cn Jer the ai-i've hcaumg in your *\j7* l-* tb ic -" T ' a lT :<rcnfl y imagines if he >3 annihilating Ihe currency jLentrith one Mo« : but he is evi'SflT incapable ot oftWn.g any effee- - "crtieißfi of currency reform *° *ul>siiiutes abu*o for argu- ' *Tyo advocate of cwre'icy rclorm cither thai iho world's 1 ako'uM be sunk in the Pacific or Cire should Jo away with all med- « of t-Kkaugc and revert to batter, *f * wastes about H,'. column liirov-ing brickbats at *T ercauon ot in-, imagination. If ,r is to »ct satisfactorily as a medai evdiangc it naturally follows itai the purc.mouut consideration must . t» maintain an equal b-n between tiffiSß-y available ami the goods pro- :*!} but under tin' present financial *££ .jjo-e who control national finno national obligations what*S! Uieir own ioten-sts being the Their policy or al*L,j r increasing; the amount ot ST'ia circulation until there ivas {SU, and the, decreasing it until ZTwas too little, nas been vesponf*r "booms" ami "slump? at *L or I'M regular intervals. *«VS " -.viU probably attribute Ihe f ]ump to the .'ffeds uf the KjTtVar hut n !-tUli - y ot naancial {£„ will show him that during a ZjUet 150 vears prior thereto, there STft ttrious* slump on the average X» oßf e ia every 11 years. Sureh; he think that p. system that lails TfcwMntly is incase of improvehe seriously contend that f«ff fvsteui controlled in the interL.af the natioo -ould possbily M to better results than Ihe Lw that ignores 'he national in2ZZ*. Can anvone possibly advance a -teto valid reason why any group of Sjloald be allowed to retain the dwernot onlv to depreciate the value «f wopcrtv of every description beuJssio'lhe rest ot the community, Jjjso to put millions of their fel-yw-ntn out of work, and in danger of jgrmiou. simply in their own selfish i*»h(jwiug tue effect ot siunips troin •hewaat of vi.-.v of high finance, allow atTquotP Wr Henry Deterding, mans«t2 director of the Eoyal Duteh Oil STirho stated last year that m his tStitn if wo ever get out of the previßisre SO per cent, of all the wealth. .i, far back as 191« the late Lord Mdtfeett. speakiug in the House of CommsßS, Kid '"England's financial system Jj tie bar to her industrial progress." «fte Mttteitr and maldistribution _ of jeom* alc»e prevents everyone en.joyfcg to fke fell extent the real wealth ifoods of every variety ) that has been irodseed in obvious abundance. The TMti* w obvious. Why wait until the nraatrV is in the throes of revolution *efore"*ppjjfog jt» "NJ-B-" HB*d not ave sta f g d that -TtO is Mt one of that monstrous regitaent of n*w eeonomists that have ttSen oa vm a plague of locust ■God foijsid.'* No one leading his effaioa fcoiud possibly have mistaken list lot anytluug but a surviving relic of the "BOM-backed conservatives" of tie m&3k Sjfffl, to whom all change nm ssstium.—Tarns, etc., O. ATMORE. December 16th, 1932. W IK -RDITOR 09 THE VB.X3S. sir,—lf is clear that I cannot expect iktKjg&ti of mv critic "Peck"when tltalfer Parliament at next Election —i fflUßble event, for no one in the mtiik&s any faith in the ParliamenMm «f to-day but their cocksure '*£&, ted new men are wanted. My if somewhat like the voluble fife «eo3Kraiists of the day, in that he (giMßf to have got lost in a tangle and d"f» not know what he %%&tPg about. He assumes I am a fteglf eapilalht. He is wrong. I am jptsarae cla-s as himself, a man with wife and a largo family, with Ktjhnai three weeks in arrears. My Bp'iStetot therefore .is not one of pardetermiacd by selfish, personal H|%?*t I urge what would help the Wtm* Dotninion. Gold, besides holding placo as the best medium Wjfefkouiage man has ever found —it St'lipeat as if it were designed for flfcqpcM purpose useful in many t«ad employs host 3 of -workers in trades. The gold-finders, jewelHfcfartists, and many others, live tlf bv their use of it. To-day. tie advance of science, gold can ifiateteted from formations that the fftftprs n-onld not have looked at, of everything it is the Metio! eommodity that ia in greatpuad and shortest supply in all iJSKiteis of the world. Our primary VpUcs have reached the stage of They have the proWE.lvt cannot sell them. To proi will make the glut still IceK still lower. Why not o hunt for the gold which nly "behind the ranges?" >n"found yet. because it looked for. except in a id spasmodic fashion in region?. We cannot have taken from their present The Government would i-stake '* them and keep lies, and would buy all workers found. I submit ible proposition. I know j men who went to the 'oast to look for gold. hest-out store they took three day?, and set off town trackless region?. Id in quantities that con- i it prospecting there would I it "discover a rich field. Id thev do? They were d reluctantly had to give j cases the Government b prospectors, f make n e have many fine aero•er aviators at Sockburn. i tot the Government em:onver stores to prosnecio the untrodden wilds? and encouraged the prose can Bay what success Jid the work would be a i more valuable than the rhich the unemployed are dawdle the days away — ( them! We cannot sell (duets. We can sell yold, can find. Whv not turn not wanted and does not i wanted and will pay?— N'OMIC PROBLEMS. IMTOJt ot ■';:* rsEis i- interesting and otber>*are«i in your corresponat various times lately 'ttr economic troubles. In *s I think those of your "Tired Tim" take pride ia the latter the frenzied emanating from "His-

toricus" of everything with which he cannot see eye to eye are outstanding. Although "Tired Tiiil" does not suggest anything constructive, he does at least set us thinking. At any rate he has set me thinking and I assure you that I find it such a painful process that I feel much more tolerant towards our political leaders for entirely avoiding it. Of course I do not hold that "Tired I Tim" in setting me thinking has solved our country's problems: but I do believe that if he sets us all thinking, and we think hard enough, sooner or later someone, perhaps even in Parliament, will find a way out of our difficulties. My reasoning and the suggestions which I put forward may be entirely wrong, as 1 do not claim to be an expert in economies. After some brilliant thinking 1 have come to the conclusion that the chief j cause of our troubles is that our production costs are too high when com- • pared to the purchasing power of our 1 markets at home and abroad. Having | arrived at that, conclusion 1 consider ! that in order to put things right we | must either reduce our production costs while maintaining the purchasing power of our markets, or increase the purchasing power of our markets without increasing our production costs. It might be possible for us to increase the purchasing power of our market at home, and I have no doubt that that would be a great help, but we have no power to increase the purchasing power of our markets abroad. Therefore I believe Tve should confine ourselves to the I former course, for T think we have the i power to reduce our production costs I without reducing the purchasing power of our markets anywhere, and I believe I it can be achieved without recourse to Communism, repudiation, inflation, or higher exchange rates. T hold that our high costs of production are very largely due to our mortgage system, and that the only way out is to alter the mortgage laws. Any mortgage should at any time be legally worth not more than two-thirds the value of the property mortgaged, or such portion of the value of the property as is represented by the mortgage. Further, if interest, or a portion of interest, is not paid within a reasonable time of tho due date, say, three months, the mortgagee should have no further claim on the mortgagor for that year's interest. Also there should be no moratorium. Under such a system I believe we could, in a large measure, regain our old pre-war prosperity, and be a free and independent people once again. The system would be a fair one to the mortgagee, because, should the mortgagor at anv time through incompetence or dishonesty default in his payments, the mortgagee could exercise his right to sell the property or take it over at an agreed valuation, in which case, in terms of real wealth, he would be in exactly the same position as when he originally sold the property or advanced the money on mortgage. On tho other hand it w"ould also be fair to the mortgagor, because, should the mortgagee at any time exercise his right of sale, then, "no matter whether the market value of the property had .risen or fallen, he would find himself in exactly the same position, in terms of real wealth, as when he bought the property or raised the mortgage. As regards the remission of interest unpaid when due, I hold that the mortgagee should share the lean vears with the mortgagor. Of course it -would be necessary to have a clause in each mortgage agreement to protect the mortgagee against loss through neglect of property, and also a clause to safeguard the interests of the mortgagor up to an agreed amount for improvements. Such a system would keep property values at all times at their true level, and would enable the farmer to develop and work his land, or the business man to develop and run his business to the best advantage. If we do not make some alteration to our present mortgage system, which is obviously obsolete, and the most unjust and oppressive system in the world today, we shall never get out of tho muddle we are in. Inflation is dangerous. It is easy to start but hard to stop. Eeducing salaries and wages reduces the purchasing power of our home market and is playing into the hands of the revolutionaries. —Yours, etc., -Mc. "December 17th, 193'-'. PAPANUI MEMORIAL HALL. TO IUT IDITOB. OT THS PaXB3. Sir,—l regret that Cr. J. McCombs lias preferred to remain silent in connexion with the withdrawal of the Papanui Memorial Hall Amendment Bill. His silence can only bo taken as an admission that he is behind the whole business, or perhaps ho wishes to hush the matter up as quickly as possible. As a member of the Hall Committee, I have been shown his letter, together with a letter from the City Council, in replv to a request to be furnished with reasons why the Bill was withdrawn from Parliament. Although we were assured of the full reasons of such a drastic step being taken, neither of the letters contains anything other than the old arguments that have been put forth since 1928, and exploded every time representations have been made to the City Council.' Cr McCombs insists in his argument that'the rates levied by the City Council are a liability which belongs to certain ratepayers in the Waimairi Countv, and which were incurred by a poll o'f the ratepayers in the Papantu Memorial Hall district. This argument is definitely refuted by the fact that when the poll was taken the whole area was within the Waimairi County, and the poll was taken solely for the purpose of raising the £OOOO loan. It was understood then that the hall would not be liable for rates, and no rates were levied while the nail was in the countv. There is no objection to the rate to provide the interest and sinking fund for the loan, but only to the additional burden of City rates that have been imposed upon the hall since 1926. M- McCombs states that the proposed remission of rates would be illegal. This is probablv so, and it was on account of the hardship imposed that tho maioritv of the City Council agreed to promote the Amendment Bill to legalise the exemption from rates. Ihe position is similar to that in 1028 when it was illegal for the Hall Committee to handle the finances of the hall, but the P-ipanui Memorial Hall Management Act was placed on the Statute Book giving the committee wider powers. In the letter from the City Council, it is stated that it would not be just or equitable for the ratepayers of the whole City to have to make up the rates which are collected from the hall, especially as it is revenue producing. The same can be said about St. James's Park Prior to the poll being taken it was privately-owned land, liable for ratei but now it is exempt, and the Citv Council collects revenue, although small from the use of the park as a football and cricket ground. This applies to practically all the Citv parks and tho whole City has to make up what is lost in rates through +hese areas being exempt. The Spreydon Hall is revenue producing, but is exempt from rates on account of its standing on a reserve, and coming under the Domains Board Act are many points that should be considered regarding the Papanui THll—the fact that it is a war memorial and that a large amount of money was publicly subscribed to build it Thould in itself be sufficient to place It on a rate-free basi*. It is possible *W if the Rating Act had been framed Subsequent to the Great War, all me-

morials -would have been classified in the same category as churches, schools. and other institutions, which are at present exempt. _ Kcalising its mistake, the City Council should take immediate steps to have tho Bill re-introdueed at the forthcoming special session of Parliament, and remove the injustice it has imposed on the Papamii people.—Yours, etc.. J. STUKTtOOK. December 17th. 1932. [The above letter was referred to Or. J. McCombs, who said: "When this matter was explained to the City Council, only three Councillors (two of them members of the Papamii Hall Committee) voted in favour of going on with the Bill. The position in regard to Spreydon is in no way parallel, for the City would have to pay and receive the rates: but in tho case of Papanui. the City pays three-fifths of the rates, and residents in the Waimairi County two-fifths. If any protits are made, they are shared in that proportion- There seems to be no reason why the City ratepayers should pay all the rates, more especially as more than 90 per cent, of tho ratepayers in. the Cityhad no voice as .to whether the hall should be erected. Nor did their representatives on the 'City Council have any say in that matter." The burden is being placed as tho law provides, and in. accordance with a poll of the ratepayers in tho district. It is not the members of the City Council who should be called upon* to explain—the Waimairi County should be asked to explain why it thinks the -whole burden should be thrown on to the City.*'! THE DALLIMORE MISSION. TO IS! EDITOH Of THE PEESS. Sir, —In the course of my letter to your columns on the Dallimore mission, I expressed ''amazement'" at a certain pronouncement of his Grace the Archbishop in the Cathedral last Sunday. In the next issue I was taken to task by the Rev. H. O. Hanby lor what he was pleased to characterise as an "indecent atlack on the agent Archbishop personally over a mere initial," while you yourself were charged with remissness for admitting the letter. Under the special circumstances I deplore tho necessity of defending myself against such an unwarranted outburst, but the responsibility rests with Mr Hanby. I ask Mr Hanby to accept my assurance that I possess at least as lino a sense as to what is decent ami what is not as his own. A» to anonymity, I have frequently adopted it because it, helps to fix attention upon ihe merits of the contribution itself instead of on the irrelevant question of the public status of the writer. However, I have no objection to removing that obstacle to Mr Hanby's graeiousness, and accordingly append my signature hereto. And as to age, if Mr Hanby knew how far "S"' had advanced in the matter of seniority, he might be prepared to accord him a little more liberty in dealing with that condition m others. Let me then remind Mr Hanby that age has its responsibilities and its own self-respect, and that it is a questionable compliment to be deferential or indifferent to a preacher's utterances on account of his great age. Moreover, age has its own sensitiveness, which demonstrative sympathy may wound. Would Mr Hanby care to be in a position in whic'h his deliverances were tolerated good-naturedly on account of his advanced years? I take the Archbishop more seriously, even more respectfully. Besides, who has not remarked upon his woincerful vitality, and sustained mental vigour I-' His public activities both in and out of the pulpit seem scarcely to have 1 abated since he was supposed to have retired. Nor is the case altered when the advanced years are those of a high church dignitary. If Mr Hanby had not been in such a hurry to rush to the defence of the Archbishop it might have occurred to him that by no stretch of tho imagination could "amazement" bo made to' mean attack; and a little further reflection might have suggested the possibility that it implied the very opposite ot what he at first supposed. I would not be a bit amazed at anything some preachers said unless it were really good. My amazement in the case under discussion was owing to tho disappointment I felt that such a pronouncement should come from such a preacher. It would be fatuous in tho extreme if I gave the impression that I. had anything to withdraw, modify, or regret. Instead of that I feel it my duty to reiterate, with increased emphasis, the surprise I expressed m my first letter. In all conscience we have enough bad folk now in the flesh ; but, if, in addition, we are to conceive of hosts of evil spirits, so free to carrv on their diabolical machinations, that "all the ills of Nature'" are caused by them, even to material disasters overtaking Christian enterprises, then faith is confounded in the hurly-burly of a divided spiritual empire. I accept without demur Mr Hanby's exposition of the attitude of the Anglican Church with regard to the Hickson mission. I never doubted it. The truth remains that the net result ot that mission was disappointment, sorrow, and bitterness. The fact that it was sponsored and organised by & great Christian communion instinctively cautions of enthusiasms, i(i walking warily where innovations are concerned, suggested guarantees of the higiicst kind, and worked wonders ot expectation among all classes of sulferers. I protest that when normal consciousness returned it was as though God Himselt had arrived from Wellington, had briefly sojourned in Christchurch, and then departed for the South, leaving little or nothing behind but disillusionment and despair. Mv sole object in touching this subject was to indicate what T believe to bo the extreme darner to religion itself of associating therapeutic phenomena with religion, and theories ot ihc ftiiiirvrnjvhiral. ours, etc.. the supcinatural SARGIXS O\.) December 18th. 193L>. LAKE ELLESMERE OUTLET. TO TU? SDITOR or TJIII £»»•«. £i Ti I am glad that Mr Gillett has written again. It is good to find that T was mistaken as to his attitude to those who had schemes to submit, and better still to be assured of his candid criticism of my proposal. Mr Gillott asks for a short resume of the report submitted (with drawings) to the Public Works Department more than a year ago. The ground was well covered in a letter which you published on tho 3rd instant. But Mr Gillett asks for some additional information. "On what existing works, if any, his scheme is based," etc. My scheme is the result of my own studies purely. Had I heard that a similar problem had been solved elsewhere I should have regarded ours as ceasing to challenge the genius of our engineers. As to the proposed works being not urgently necessary, unsuitable as works for unemployed labour, and too risky from an engineering point ot view : fa") A good bargain is at least desirable- '*>) would casting of concrete piles' and bagging of concrete (to serve ?n place of rubble) not be suitable works for unemployed fcbourf, (c) will Mr Gillett, after careful study

f of my details and arguments, still hold that the works I propose are of a too risky nature, and that it is not perfectly reasonable to anticipate success ! J Mr Gillett would prefer those other propositions in which "the engineering factors would be known to a nicety, accurate estimates could be prepared/' etc. But such jobs are for mere gloriiied tradesmen. This outlet proposition is one for real engineers*. 1 ghall endeavour to supply Mr Gillett with data on which to base some idea as to cost of putting my proposal into practice. I think the cost will be very low in relation to estimated value of improvement to lands affected. I am already under a real obligation to ''Engineer" and to Mr Gillett in that they have each assisted towards saving my scheme from premature burial. As to the attitude of the Public Works Department, this, I am convinced, merely represents the attitude of official hcaquarters. When I had fully explained my reasoning to the district engineer I was given reason to believe that that gentleman, if not fully convinced, was at least favourablv impressed. —Yours, etc., J. ¥,. HOLLAND. Avoea Valley. December 10th, 19K. j KISH POACHING. | TO THE tWTOS Of THE I'KES3. j Si)',- I road in to-day's Press a very j hitter letter signed by "Red Heckham j Peckham." There should bo no need j to remind ''Red Heckham Peckham" t that poachers who reside near the rail- | way would have no difficulty in operating in creeks 10 or 12 miles away, in week-ends, and that few musterers live near the Midland railway, but are scattered all over the back conn- | tr.v. "Red Heckham Peckham's ' J lniowledgo of the railway system of Canterbury is sadly at fault when he states that only in one place does the railway run near tributaries of the snow-ted rivers. Has he forgotten, or did he never hear, of branch lines which run to Fairhe, Mount Somers, Methv«ii, Whitecliffs, and Waiau.— | Yours, ere.. ; ISAAC. I December 17th, .193*. j ST. JOHN AMBULANCE. j ■i'O IBIS EiHIUR OF THE I'ftESß. | Sir. -At the close of the annual appeal of the St. John AmTmhuiee Association and Brigade, I wish to express my thanks and those of my committee for your sub-editorial on the morning before our badge day, and our appreciation of tbe : symnathetic t<ni y J adopted in tho context of your article, j which we feel sure had a definite effect ( upon the result of our returns. —Yours, j J. TIESTELL THOMAS. ! Chairman of Committee?. j .December loth, l l J3l\ KING'S BROADCAST SPEECH. , •10 CilS. EDI'IOi) 0» rilZ l'BitSS. ; Sir. - Could someone fell me if i lie re ; is any public place where thoso who | have no wireless set of their own I could hoar the King's speech on ; Christrnos Din?— Yours, etc., i ENQUIRER- i December 1/th, 1032.