LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 115, 7 February 1908, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE MAYORALTY. "Sir, —Tho Mayoral-election looms near, nnd so far tho only notification in connection therewith which the burgesses have had is the announcement; that the present holder of..tho oflico desires yet another year in the civic chair. No one is surprised; but-, is tiiore ;no other aspirant ? It would appear, as-though the leading citiscns cf Wellington aro oither devoid of interest in municipal mattors, or that' they supinely shirk ; the duties' and responsibilities of n position which represents the highest -..honour, their fellow townsmen can confer upon them., Either case represents a-far -from healthy state of public affairs in such a. progressive and important -city'as this. What is it underlies this, deadly apdthy' towards, if not a ' shrinking from, . the-holdingVof this high and- honourable posi-tion'?:--The answer'to .that; query would pro-. b'ably;be of great service, to the city. (. Is it that a system has,developed which is tending ito degrade our municipal institutions into aUVone; J.nan show'' .Is- it ;that tho..repeated tacit-.handing over of the chief' maglstracy ,; of this eityUo, the same man for sue-, cossivo years is casting a blight on tlio growth oi .'a healthy-civic interest, and.. rivalry,, r'riongst: the' citizens ? ■ Take the. present (Joyhoil. l '.V':'lts.v'usefulncss' : would :he enEanccd- by a' change of chairmanthe' city would.' be. the better 'for- less Mayor and , .Council: in* the orderingvpf - things."" Is 1 i t -to bo said ■ tli.it' Wellington, can ' produce only one man; .ovcry 'three, 'or foiir years fitj. ■ or"bold enough'; .to preSide'oypr'its destinies,! ,It'Vis:,;tame*vthq.: citizens walfc 'up,; and set abqut; ; theTs6leq'tion'df Voile:,; or; more;.-from outfthoir.' number'to'at'lcasttry conclusions; y/itlv-.tho*present;Mayor in April next.—l am,' vv; • V- - r Fobruary; 6.-. 5 -j. - CITIZEN. : £, AS !T IS AND AS 'IT'SC.

: \ 'X^-ri: : SHOULD EE/.' t;- '•• :Bir^ln''-yournisu6'';pf i 'tho 13th' irist^ : ','lriteglio"; "sta't'eji that I'mado 'an'elaborate but ". ineffectual -/djsplKy,- of •my knowledgoof the subject;.^;'l.did',\.not.v. ; 'l made'".plain, 'stater one^;ofwhich ; ho",denies, cxcept' . tho asseHion/that' IreTandMiover iwns a 'lcing- ; dom only;' at'vtho time T stated". Ha says I do 'not know tho meaning of the, word y'.'nation." " I takojt, a nation, means/the; body of inhabitants of a country, united under an independent government of their, own." Cole-. ridge sa'y3: '.''A ]intion is tho unity of a pcople."; : If thisbesd/thenlrelarid never was a ratioiK. : ; . a lhteg]io" rambles t away : back . beginriiiig; of'tho world,' writes about; civilisation, fountains of knowledge, - orators,. statesmen;. and' mathe- ' iriatica;.-'Tliis; is beside-the 'subject',', and like <dll'of'his;way;6f.'thin!m^ , oloud tHe'';iasUe:;'::We. are" riot living centuries' ago.'.'; Neither-will ourxhildreii.: The subject is-"lreland is, and as' she should be." ; : It certainly was not for; want'of kings; tho country* wqs'npt •agnation'; MTlierd'wero"always. '• seycralilbiit never:orio ! reining bvbr' si united . people/', Tho r'couhtry.. was always; divided'aiid was ilndtfr tribe?. Tho; only, difference politically 'and "civilly/be-; ty/ee'ri ireland'aiitf Now Zealand was the Irish 1 did: not : prisbhers.'; Hb; says: .' "See what ; distinctioii 'tliey liavo risen to.''iii foreign; tends",~. "under. 'the/bannerof /freedom';", Sii'saj-'l'.'/ He proves;'niy ; argument;'u'p to the' hill: The people have ;riofc:frpedpm at Home: They l a'ro liot. toi think' br act for". themselves; I :^'jEycry..Useful ;; faculty,'/iVpotri/ fied;Nnumb(;d';td 'sleep'under' cunhiiig' opiates; administered by' taskmasters "United;'lrish 'league,'; jvh'o'lhold their: poor • dupes' in niord: cruel bondage than ' eyei' was; /meted otit tri ftHc 'SoutH'American slave's. ■' ' "Integlio" writes of the/co'ilfiscatio/n,'under Henry 11. vHo/ thus permits ino to/remind him: that in'that mdnarch's; time ono of/'thdmany Irish kings reigning iit.the time (Der-I .inbt).jhad been .bpaton in battle by a neighbouring king' arid' sent over to Henry' for as ; sistanco. ; Also:that Pdpo Adrian IV. : made a gift of tho wholo of Ireland.to-Hcnry by special "Bull (which- has;.never been revoked) Sending Henry .a'igold ' ring, set with .inagnificent pmeralds, .as . a-'.token' of; investiture, As;to:;confiscations under/'the/others; mentioned'b'y'. ■'Intcglio, i , h'o' : sriould ; "knowl;iat thrddgK - 'all^tho"' ages :a"conquering'' jVedple "in-: «i& on. an indemnity being.paid by the counr try. 'conquered.' .What about 'Germany-; arid thp French, or; Japan iand Russia ?.; He says, thank goodness .this is all .coniing'to an end vrndei''; tlid 'liehigii 'iu(lu,cnco of .-tlie jlome Rhlers.'..; Benign, .I; suppose,; means " kind, gentle, r AVella 'few; illustrations., willper- ; haps ShoTT how; "Integlio's" friends, act up;to that\meaiiing.;,,. At'tho.first ,insurrection;iri the iigeti a'nd \,veiidrSblp ; Lord : Kilwarden, Chief Just tice,of Ir'elantl,,atid;his:neplieV,.Rev. Richard Wolf, ;Wthp.ut. any': reason ih\the'world.' The.v butclieie(l -Sir; F. Cavendish and Mr. Burke i ill Pho'enix.'Park in dpeh-daylight. Tlicv. shot Cajitain-Kiiig in !thc ,streets'.of Sligo. Thev shot iMr.. Wliite-Blnke ;and liis mot]ier, who was. 'dvdr:. <p. jyeiirsof: age, coining out. of. churpli,.': while;, a.. w'hole . coiigregation- looked, at* the bleeding victims- lying on the ground: .."lntegirp". arid,his jieopje ard alwavs prating -about. the gldrious' past and how poor Ireland has fallen since the /Union. .Well,-co, to the bliie.bodks.arid see. At the time of the Union, Irish 'shipping was 600,000 tons. : In 1905 it .wasjseven million' tons ; 50 .vears ago there.wcro 42S riiiles of.. railway, ■ to-day there, are;3ll3 miles.: Then they carried six million passengers ; ;npw,; despite tho: grdat .decreaiie in population, they carry 29 millions. Twenty years 'ago tbdre, were two and a half million pounds :on deposit in savings banks ; to-day ! . thcrd .aro. 1.0, riiillions: In'joint stock banks thero were 2!) i millions; now ; 46 millipns. At the time of the Union, the. population, of Belfast was 2500 ;.now it is close on 400,000. In' 1861 tho tonriagp of Belfast was—lnward, one million: and a auarterin 1901,' two. millions and a, half. The: rateable value of tho city. , was. £279,000; ;now. it is'over one million arid & quarter. Belfast is "Unionist. In 1861 the population;of Cork was 80)000;. 1901, 75,000. with'a rateblo value of £150,006: tonnage in 1861 : 709|000; now'6oo,ooo. under the ... dominion/ . of; the , Unitod- Irish Leaigue... Li .1850 Cork had a large,ship-build-ingl, industry,; now not. a mail at tho trade. Then' Belfast "had;,loo nien ,at..tho : work; today. they haye over 15,1)00: Figures like these arm never, given by Dpvlin or,his ■ fellows >:h'en theyrcoirie,;out. here.- If .they did they-| woiild iiot'itakd.away such hauls..

, ;■The"entire trade is greater ,thaii tlia£^f ; Kii^and;'at;;.tliisV^yMn;'pro^rtion'ta ■thi>','population/,,%Vnother illustration" of .'the tyniigni influence,of Homc/Hulcrs ;, Gladstone sajjl'Their .'footsteps -. are ■ .'clogged with crime!!'; : \.'.',They 'arc wading; through; rapine and <BipodshpdVto dismemberment.; of the, Em-. piro.'^~: , mail .cannot .open; ni s; shoulders'."on;'the Horne Rule' question in tho;.coliimns' of a ■ newspaperbut' tho 'winter is coming on when 'this' debating.'societies will he. in. session.' If "Irish Journalist" and "Irtteglio" wish, they will have ,an'; opportunity, to debate the . question, with, the distinct ■ and .written ■ agreement that if the -friends on. their sido or mine, make any'disturbance the vordict: will be against their champion: Till either of thoso gentlemen point out any errors/in iny statement,-1, have done'.—l 'am/ etc, DICK January 31.. : . . . ■ THE HUTT RIVER.

~ Sir;—As : rogards Mr. -Angus 'J/M'.Curdy's statomcnt that the Hiitt River was never lower-than when; ho submitted it to calculations' a';few "days baclc, I have -little to' say; but'whoiv that authoritydirccts to tho- possible shortage of water should ever the Government 1 put. into operation tho late Mr. Seddon's jiropasal to utilise the' Same for tho purposes of generating. electric traction for.our railways, he outlines what may never happen.' If- he remembers the .report sub-: irii.tted, the scheme loses'none ;of. its practicability as a result''of his persbnal analysis and strictures , upon tho same. ' Had Mr. Jl'Curdy attempted to moasure the volume of tKo.waters, combined Hutt, Mutigaroa, aitd 'jAkatarawa. rivers, where it. is proposal to utilise their': immense' forces—where tho bridge spans its rocky , bed near the first bridge on: the road. : to ' Akatarawa, near Clark',sMie had not possibly lived to tell tho tale of the effects, of a shortage thero, and this*'is".in'the Vifcinity whero it was'.suggested •fiie"•'■'.waters sliouid be held in abeyance by means of concrete, wall 180 ft. high, which 'tlie engineering authorities anticipated—sum/nier 'and winter, normal, or. phenomenal— woruld;store" sufficient energy to serre all pur-' poses Vrailwav traction; two and suburban

lighting and power for machinery necessary to. all manner of -'industries) - for a distanco covering all Wairarapa and Manawatu, even" to Napier and Wanganui if required, lii view ot" tho deviations of tho Manawatii-Main Trunk lino ami -tho ' Napior-Wairarapa railway via Waikanae-and'.Woodvillo to a point verging upon 1 the powerful .storehouse of waters rushing ,in between the '■ rocky channel mentioned, it is absurd; to gauge that supply miles down where the river bed is porous and nets as a filter which drinks in. inor,o. than its.fair proportion before, distributing its products over the waste portions : of a bed winch, extends Vat sweot will in 50. given directions in as many years. The mighty force and depth of tho allied rivers near. Clark's tarawa)' is sufficient testimony, at. an. unusually .dry. season, that .the. 180ft-. .wall', would soon prove a;small obstacloif no other outlet proved handy after nbout.24 hours'.opposi-' tion. ;As >1 am-not looking for a billet, as aii authority; .however, .1. will. pass oii, for.; thp, present to others the right of further reply.--I am, otc.j , v„ HUTT RESIDENT. February.^. THE N/.fIVE LAND COURT. '

Sir.—l am glad to see that you'have;put ,iu -aV word showing the disabilities . under which, wo Natives'suffer in connection, with our 'Native--Land;Court!" I notice that Mr. Wilford, attempts to show,;what ho calls ." The. other, side of the picture." Mr. Wilford "say's,--that Judge Johnson speaks Maori well arid' rfluently.v We Maoris who understand our .'own language have assured your representative;to the contrary;.that is true. .Mr. Wilford -goes., on - to show; that' what Judge Johnson'.did in the, case; in which Mr.' Wilford was appearing was perfectly proper: Now wd were personally interested in a similar case immediately following. Mr. Wilford-very .carefully overlooks theJ'aet that wc had no. opportunity of placing'our endonce" before' 'tho. Court-. Why, then, should we' bo compelled to go to , the Appellate Court when we'had a right to a.hearing before Judge -Johnson? When Mr. "VVilford refers'to .tho . of ( cases" dealt with' by Judge Johnson,' hp ' apparently ignorant of tho fact that' those thousands of' eases- have failed to establish'the confidence of the. Natives.: V Ask " tho; Natives ;ofjOtaki, tho .Natives', of, Wanganui,' and the. Natives of-V what s they have -done in tlic matter. .1 speak' from personal .-knowledge. Will Tame'write to you on points of Supreme i Court proceduro, which I know ho does understand ?—1 am, .etc.; - ....., '■ A MAORI ATTENDANT February 6. . "THE.'AUSTRALASIAN. CHAMPIONSHIP . '. MEETING. Sir, —It is with surprise and. much regret.l have, noticed that so little has been said as to; thp; committee!s choice of the team"-' to represent Ndw! Zealand •at ''the • coining athletic carnival at. HobartV . That' the, committee have dqno their. host to' send ■ a thoroughly representative; team, none, will, dcubt-, . -but at the ; .samo time is; such selection tlio best that could - bo. obtained ?) To some; of 'Us it appoars specially hard that- those w,ho have trained- hard and achieved -the distinction of championship- honours ■:that t-hcy -should • bo passed ; oyer and iquietly ignored.- iS T ow. this treatment; is anything but .iportsmanliko or fair.- The, iiiost glaring instance of (such im justice' to my mind is tJie case- of -E.-.Fisher, For ' the ;last .-two .years ho has .held the championship for -tho 220 yds.-, distance, and Inst year: jnst -.missed scouring the 440 yds; championship by, a few inches, tinio 521-ssce. This year in; the Relay Race ho did the -1-iO .distance- in a second less than;.-Trembath--1 (whoso : performance we ail .admired). • • 'N0w,:,1.'. cpntciKl. ; ,if -' the :.committee .really have,,the interest- of. New Zealand athletics at heart they 'will' rcconsider their sclcctiou nnd include. Fisher.' That he is a strong ruftner,'. and has proved his ability, and will boa' toTver: of .strength; to tho' team if chosqn cannot be ' doubted: ; ' '(Many -Way contend t-hat/oyer .tho' Tre'mbath proved himself .tho;,b.ot r t-er .man; but tho fact.must not bo lostVsjsht. of. that.'h.is ;iimc;for that;.'distancd .is' abput. a sccond. lower, than; Fishor.'s. .I'::undorstand'' from; .Fislidr's • ;friends -.that Fisher'l'suggdsted''.'to ' tlio;..'- committee' that Tronib'ath, and; hd have a" friendly, test over 'the;'44oyard.s,',' so', that the 1 committee might seoiwhich--was tho. bstt^.;'maii,'....v-Now• that 'Kerr ,lias r .beoh' ;included, : - the ' inclusiqn' of; Stubbcrfield. is' superfluous., -it :is . namitted on. all' sides :that;Fisher. should; take .Stubberfield's place. .. . VV . , If'l-might-suggest'it,-it is.not-,-tflo'late for the,' committeo to^make the; alteration'' suggestcd; At the same time, if the committee aro unable to seo -their -way to do this,. now is tho time; for; Fisher's supporters to" comp forward and see, that' ho", is 'seiit ;6yer as 'Kerr is' tp 'h'e. : I think that it : only requires nt,tehtion called,to the :aboro natter,- or to have it taken np by.,those interested.-. Thanking you in anticipation for the sjiaee,-and hoping that. Fisher may,' be . sen). • with "> the .team,-r; I am, etc., • • ATHLETE, .