LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 154, 24 March 1908, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

QUESTIONS OF FINANCE—A SUCCESTION. Sir,—Will you allow m0.,t0 correct a typographical error that appears in my letter in your columns ,on tho 18th inst? Tho word •' mild " is there printed as " mid," so reversing tho. meaning. ■ . •A correspondent complains in your columns that 1 was unfair in so far that in my letter I omitted to mention that part of tho.public debt was incurred for advances to settlers and for loans ■to local bodies. Ho might with moro foroo have added, and for tho construction of rovenuo - earning . railways; but the resources 'of the Dominion or, its balance-sheet was not what I was then discussing. I will illustrate the position by tho case of, say, ,a ; money-lending society, which, trading upon a certain capital and borrowing ■further on tlio,credit oi its/position, lends money on long terms. Such a Company has at times to tako' stock of its position and to see how it is ablo to meet its maturing shorter-dated liabilities, and to so protect the credit on whioh its. further capital,and tho necessary renewals'.of its own debt depends. My letter sought to apply this, and to examine on those lines tho caso of tho Dominion's indebtedness and its position to carry on, and, with all respect, tho worthy " Honest Injun's " comments.do not apply t-o tho problem. Your' correspondent further draws attention to the Government liability for tho Post Office Savings Bank funds. . As 1 said, I have not undertaken to review the position of the whole colonial finance, but for tho information of our friend, tho main share of this fund, - being invested in Government securities, is already included ill tho public debt.

Might Inhere suggest that in this democratic, self-governing, country, whore every adult has a vote which ought to bo exorcised with knowledge and-discretion, overy youth in our ought to bo'taught his arithmotic on the figures of; the public accounts ? In the various departments all manner of calculations'arise, and-they would assist to introduce the student to tho practical applications of these otherwise uninteresting arithmetical, rules, and would also give him an introduc-. tion to important underlying features deeply affecting the public w-olfaro, and which many in after lifo would follow up. To me, to use the Hon. Premier's' last choice adiectivo in denouncing financial inquiry, it is "abominable" to find that not one elector in a thousand has any close grasp of tho position and bearings of his country's finance. Of old it neod not havo been so. Sbmo' thirty ' odd years back on-sending a pertinent question to tho then Major Atkinson, ho promptly and fully replied,' offering mo also a supply of all Departmental papers, adding that if I wished on my next visit to Wellington tho Departmental officers would be instructed to afford me the fullest information on- any feature of finance. Such inquiry was then welcomed and,information gladly afforded, but, alas! as Byron'says, " Tho sky is changed! and such a change!" —I am, etc., ■ „ r JNO. DUTHIE. ' March 23. '■•'■

THE GERMANISATION OF WELLINGTON ■ trams. : •

Sir,—l quite agree with Mr. Schaufßer that in many respects our tramway service is behind that of Germany, especially in one particular not 1 mentioned in your leading article—viz., tho almost universal practice in Germany of the passengers, when purchasing their tickets, tipping the tram conductors.' I trust tho new Mayor will signalise his election by a'prompt Gernianisation of. our tram servico.—l am, etc., : CONDUCTOR. •'

SWIMMING RECORDS^

Sir,—Your Napier correspondent is in error in his report of tho swimming championships at Napier on Saturday, when, ho stated that' the 100 yards record for New Zealand was held by Creagh, his time being 65s'ec. The record' for that • distance recognised as' the fastest tiipc put up by a "New Zealandor is held by It. C. Murphy, who in the West Coast Provincial Championship at Wailganui,. in 1904, completed tho courscf iir G4 l-ssec. The New Zealand records till 1904 wore lost by the Now Zealand Council,'"'but in 1901. ail Now Zealand records woro broken by tho Australians. The Now Zealand record,.is really held by I ( '. C. V. Lane, who' covered the 100 yards in 60 l-ssec.—l am, etc., , , VERITAS. v March 23.

ASSISTING OR PAUPERISING.

_ Sir—Tho paragraph in. your Wednesday issue in reference to the Tawalia settlers gives food for serious reflection. I am beginning, to wonder when our Socialistic. Administration will cease dispensing charitablo aid to every pauper who comes .hat in hand. ' Tho other, day. it'wasTfreo carriage of fodder for presumably wealthy stock-owner's. Now. we liavo this grass seed and rent-remitting scheme. Will theso people offer, to reimburse tho Stato when they have' a few. goocT sea-, sons? I.presume not, judging by past history. ; . ...... If these settlers; after getting a gift by drawing a :' prize; in'tho State lottery—i;e.V the land ballot-rcaiinot make a success of it without seeking further-aid from those who drew the blanks,; it is about tinio they pulled out and mado. room' for better, men; . As one of those, who havo unwillingly -to pay for this experimenting,. I would advise these peoploi to , become wage-earners until tlioy acquire the Accessary capital and capability to conduct their business without the aid of tho State. !. There is plenty of work at good wanes,' wo,are told. And I would also suggest _ that any. application for bo dealt with through tho Benevolent Institution. It would save expense..' If something is not done,, wo will have, the wholo: community demoralised and pauperised under this iniquitous,system.' The pity is that the Press, almost .without exception; applaud theso' doings 'of our Socialistic Ministry. Hoping to hear your voico raised in lio uncertain sound on this question.—l am, etc., INDIVIDUALIST. ' Wellington, March 20. - " 'V '

"MAY" OR "MUST. 1

Sir, —It is quite evident that affairs in cono

nectioh with tho Civil Service Superannuation Fund are in a holy tangle. If this, is the result of hasty legislation at the end of tljc session, when half tho'members are half asleop half the time, or just official ignorance and arrogance, is an open question. Tho Act (Section 10) clearly states, members of tho Service " may-".-become contributors up to June 30 next. •' A circular issued by the Board (December 14, 1007). confirms this. There was no necessity to rush matters, and Civil Servants did iiot. On February 19, tho Board begins to N threaten. It orders heads of Departments to inform their officers that they "must immediately " become contributors, or take out a lifo insurance policy (Insurance Act, 1893). What has. the Board to do with the Government Lifo Department? Was that Department asleep? But even that did _not produce-the expected rush. Some genius, then'discovered a fresh instrument of torture. Oil March 11 a ; further circular is sent to heads of Departments,' ordering thom, "without delay," to instruct all officers that unless they join the superannuation scheme, tlioy " must become ''forthwith" insured under the Act of 1893. If not eligible under 'that Act, then deductions " miist" at-once bo-made from their salaries under the Civil Service Reform Act of 18S6. This last threat > is issued from the Department .of Internal Affairs.- What has this Department,to do,with it? The heads, humbly and dutifully, threaten their officers that deduction's will be made as from March 1, on tho April abstract. Was there ever such a mess? The proverbial Philadelphia lawyer could not discover on what authority all this " must " and " forthwith " and " without delay " is based. If the Act of 1886 applies at all, why \woro deductions not mado from tho timo of the passing of tho Classification Act in November last? K tho matter' is taken into a court of law, as it will be, if necessary, there can be no doubt that some of those high-handed threateners will execute a hasty strategic movement to tho roar, forthwith and without delay. ; When tho Classification Act and Superannuation Act wore passod, not a word was said about the Insuranco Act of 1893 or the Re-form-Act of. 1886. Nobody seemed to-be aware of their existence, but they came in

handy afterwards to bolster up a false position. The scheme was understood to bo optional, or it. would have been opposed. Tho Superannuation Board is killing its own fund by driving members away to. insure or pay o per cent, under tho Reform Act. . One feature has never yet been pointed out. Tho Board is supposed to consist of ten members. So far it consists of a Minister and four heads of Departments,, nominated by the Government. It ought to' consist of ten members, five to be elected by tho contributors, in July next. True, the Act says five are a quorum, and they may act in the meantime. But if the " squatters'" party did such a thing, the wholo " Liberal" party would shout: " What about taxation without representation?" What confidence could contributors have in the Board as at present constituted? Does the Government want to still further increase its surplus beforo March 31 ? Many Civil Servants are already insured in private offices; or have made other investments. Somo aro paying for houses. Is that not making. provision for the future? In a free and enlightened community tho Goyernmont interferes as little as possible with individual liberty. To dictate to its subordinates how to invest money would bo intolerable tyranny. Unfortunately, most Civil Servants cannot (juarrcl with their bread and butter, the service being, as Dooley says, without " ospi'ite do corpse." They cannot all bo.M'Culloughs.' None of tho Acts provide penalties, for non-compliance.—l am, etc., . ' W.G. March 20, 1908. [We would refer our correspondent to an articlo on tho subject ho deals with appearing in i another column.] , ' •

OVER-PRICED CROWN LANDS.

Sir,—Now is tHe timo for the Hon. Mr. M'Nab to show his confidence in. the new land regulations. He states''that the most acute demand for laiid has: shifted from: tho North to tho South Island, and instances the fact that one-half of tlio Raumati settlement, near Dannevirko, remains undisposed of, but ho keeps back tho fact that a number of applicants : backed out when they found that , they would have to .pay cjoven months' rent in'. advance. The exorbitant rents and values placed' on this bush land, messed up and its value greatly. decreased by the timber being milled, were quite sufficient to deter men who had any experience of bush settlement from taking up the Raumati land, and the final , demand for. eleven months', rent in: advance put the climax on them. .... •.

At- one time the Government were simply throwing the best land away to gamblers in tho shapo of balloters, more especially through that robbery of the people the 'lease : in-porpotuity. Now they are rushing to the other extreme and endeavouring to wring, the last. penny out of many would-be good'settlors as .'well', as out of speculators and novices, who nover have any idea of becoming settlers. I repeat that the values and rents, now being plaoed on such lands a're far above their true, value, and more than many of tho successful applicants-will bo able to pay, and that if the sections were put up to auction instead of gambling by ballot, such prices and rents would never, bo realised: Mr. M'Nab can show his faith' by giving up his comfortable freehold'for closer settlement, and himself taking up the balance of the Raumati block. The rents ,of 'these' spoiled bush blocks vary from about 7s. to 12s. per aero, as against as many pence formerly for far superior virgin bush, in open country am, etc., . ■ J - ' DANNEVIRKE OBSERVER.' Dannevirlce, March 20. ■