LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 157, 27 March 1908, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

, OUR FINANCES. Sir, —The Hon. Premier appears to have made a valuablo statement last night over rccont financial operations, and you aro to bo congratulated on having, by your criticisms, drawn it from him. Surely it iV better that the public should be told that of the large amounts falling due during the next two year's, four millions had been arranged for, than, in reply to Press allusions to tho position, tho only answer vouchsafed should be to accuse those making the allusions of calling " stinking fish," and similar choice suggestions. Such an attitude by the Premier could only have a most prejudicial ,ofFect. In respect to m.v own letters, with which he also dealt: while, as I have said, it is satisfactory that the renewal of four millions has been arranged, still it is only a temporary relief. The scheme under which such largo amounts arc ever falling duo, is one containing all tho danger I suggested, and the fact that under it wo are paying a much' higher rate of interest than we ought to also remains indisputable.—l am, etc., JNO. DUTHIE. March 26, 1908. FEVER CASES. Sir, —Referring to the discussion by the Hospital Trustees re above, I wish to state that the child in question did not in any \?ay. suffer a relapse, as suggested by some of the members, but was suffering from a discharge of the nostrils, which, I am informed, is as much infectious, as scaling. ■■ Had I known of the danger from this source, I could easily have isolated her,' thereby saving a great deal of. expense, to say nothing of annoyance and isolation. The consequence, of her home-coming was that the diseaso \wns communicated to another of the children, also my wife, who has been very seriously ill. If tho authorities oxerciso so little care in the dischargo of fover patients, no wonder tho accommodation of the fover ward was insufficient.—l am, etc., G. A.' CHAPMAN. Lower Hutt, March 25. GAS. COMPANY PROPOSITION. Sir,—Tho candidates.for the Mayoral Chair apparently arc in unison in their opinion as to tho duty of Wellington ' Corporation to purchase tho property of tho "Wellington Gas Company. But in view of the fact that this monopoly supplies its clients with such an unsatisfactory quality of gas, it is a question of vital importance to consider whether tho erection of a totally new plant and reticulation pipes by tho city would not. be : much proferablo to buying a plant that is,..incapable or at least does not supply, the wants of tho city. Whilst through your columns tho Company puts forward a statement that it is only a certain street or streets whero there is trouble, tho truth is that complaints aro univeraal. ' Another point to consider is that the Company by its "charter" has to supply a,gas that, with an ordinary burner (without aid of a mantle, then lion-existent), shall equal a light of a certain candle-power of, say, 16 candle-power. Now, oven with the aid of the mantle, light at present seems a ing quantity, equal to about "one" candlepower (more or less). Query: Therefore, is it not the' duty of the Mayor to place before his Council the_ question, whether immediate notice of intention to apply for cancellation of charter, on account of failure to fulfil terms; of contract under which it was granted, should be served on the Company? If a further reason is'required, orio is that Wellington, between bad light and newspapers issued with a minimum application v of ink (printer's), is suffering from a serious opidemic.of bad or strong language, a daily recurrence, and it behoves our city fathersto secure an amelioration-of this distressing diseaso by action as suggested.—l am, etc., March 26." " NEWTQN; . THE BLACKBALL STRIKE. ' Sir,—l was sorry and surprised to find that Mr. Knight had so completely lost his temper over my letter ro Blackball strike, and thisalone amply justifies tho use of a "nom de plume, .in newspaper controversy with Socialist partisans. lam not a candidate for Parliamentary election or political distinction, seeking notoriety and self-advertiso-ment on the-cheap. For the same reasons that I have found it best to use :i "nom do plume," Parliament has found -it necessary to make secret voting by ballot tho law of they land. Tho more that he writes on tho subject, tho more I am convinced ho knows nothing of coal mining, its methods arid customs. - ' 110 says that coal-miners work eight or ten hours per day, and have no time for selfimprovement, recreation, etc. Tho general custom among the 7000 miners in the district I am most acquainted with was as follows:— The men' worked in pa;irs, two in a placo. One started work at. 5 or 6 in tho morning, and finished for the day at 11 or 12 noon. His mate started between 8 and 9 a.m. and worked up to 4'or '5 p.m. Very often they did not work as long even as this. They were paid by tho ton of coal and not by the hour.' Pay Friday camo every fortnight, and tho following Saturday, and, of course, Sunday, tho mon never went to the mine at all, but spent the time, as I said before, just as they chose. To talk as your correspondent does of that . senseles3 catch-cry, "Equality of opportunity," as tho guiding star and final aim of Socialism in a country like this, where, amongst other things) the highest position in the Government has been held for tho last 15 years by a minor from the West Coast, a shop boy from Invercargill, and where; a sailor from before the mast, also a carpenter from the bonch, hold somo of the principal portfolios in the Cabinet, is unspeakablo nonsense. . I give placo to no man in my regard for genuine working-men,. especially of the old stamp, but I liavo no time for tho loaders, ;vho are constantly and for ever stirring up strife and mischief among tho men, in order to make it well worth while for tho managers, who cannot dismiss them, to-give them i good easy billet in order to keep them juiet.—l am, etc., March 26, 1908. "TRUTH." \ — : —; ; —■ —■ — ■ ARBITRATION ACT JUSTICE. Sir,—A few days ago I saw in a report of the Arbitration Court in connection with the Tailors' Award, that a draper was fined £5 and costs because, as the Judge said: "The salesman did not make it sufficiently plain to the customer that tho suit was not •' tailor made.' ". The question was not whether tho suit was "tailor made," viz., made by a tailor, but whether it was mado on the premises of the employer in whose' shop the order' was taken. According to the Arbitration Court: If a man asks for a "tailor mado" suit to measure, oven if it is going to be made by a tailor, the assistant must tell a deliberate lie, and say . that it is not " tailor made." I am a draper piyself," and tako orders for suits, .viz., first and sccondquality. The former are all " tailor made," but not on my own premises". No fitting-on is done, so that question cannot be brought up. But am I to give my assistants instructions that if a man asks for a " tailor made" suit to be made to his measure, lie is to tell a deliberate lie, and say that it is .not "tailor made,"when it is really to bo mado by tailors? Making no remarks as to whether the suit is going to be "tailor made" or not is equivalent to leading the customer to believe that it is " tailor made," and means a fino of £5 and costs, which means over £6 10s As thoro is no appeal from the decision of tho Arbitration Court Judge, there is no remedy for this fino.

Perhaps it might be worth while just to draw attention to tlio different treatment meted out to omployees who mako a mistako of this sort (viz., " Say nothing at all about the mako of the suit"), and the butchers and miners wlio deliberately break tho law and continue.to break it (lay by day, and the crawling action of those in power, who ought to bo asserting the law somewhat fairly. Suppose those employers who have been' fined, so heavily lately for breaking the law through ignorance or misinterpreting the law were, to refuse to pay the fine? We would see how Messrs. Tregear and Co. would act re enforcing payment. Would Mr. Justice Sim give definite instructions how he is coing to deal in future I

ivitli the following firm if summoned? Tho assistant is deaf and dujnb, and cannot say whether tho. suit is " tailormadeor . , not, so it is impossible for him to say wlietlier it is " tailor made" or riot. Apparently the fact of him not speaking means that tho employer is to bo fined because tho.,customer js not told that tho suit is not "tailor mado," although it is " tailor made", all tho samo. Of courso'a boy'has to bo; kept to tell tho but the dummy does all the showing .the materials and measuring; There aro a lot more conundrums which I can inquire about if you think it worth while giving space to, it.—4 am, etc., FLEECED. March 26, 1908,. THE CATHOLIC CLUB. Sir, —I noticed, a letter signed " Catholic " (not Roman), ;ivhich appeared in your columns last week. Tho writer has ;a' decided objection to 'tho word "Catholic" being used by tho most ancient form of Christianity, although it is the only Church which can claim the distinction of being truly universal in its establishment. This,is not tho first time that the writer has questioned the title, nor is the present age the only one which ■ differed from tho only Catholic Churoh Christianity could claim, and to. try and calm your correspondent's feverish scruples and objections, ,1 will,' with your kind permission, quote him a few authorities on this very important issue, and thereby prove, 1 , from the earliest periods to the present one, that there is'only one church justly..- called Catholic, and understood as such. ..St. Ignatius, who was-Bis-hop of Antioch from 70 to 107 A.D., stated: Where tho Bishop is, there let the multitude of believers, be, even as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." St. Cyril, of Jerusalem, who died.A.D. 386, is very emphatic, l for, ho says:—"lf ever thou art sojourning in any city, inquire not simply where jho. Lord's house is (for the sects of the jirofano also attempt t-o call their own dens houses of the "Lord), nor merely whero is jthe Church, but where is tho Catholic, Church ? for this is the peculiar name of this.holy Church." St. Augustine,354—130 Al.D.y; was also very, explicit ,on this point;. " Tho. name itself of the Catholic' Church keeps mi?—a name which in tho midst- of *so many heresies, this,.- Church alono has, not. without; cause, so held .possession ofj as-'that, though-heretics would fain 1 have- themselves called .Catholics, yet to , the inquiry of any stranger " where is the assembly, of the Catholic, Church held?' no heretic w;ould dare to point out his', own basilica." >. How truly St. Augustine spoke is unquestionably' evidenced to-day, for if a stranger to the City of Wellington inquired of a 'resident,'-'where-is the' Catholic Church or Churches ? surely he would riot' be directed to. St. Paul's" pro-cathedral,' or St. John's, Cbundi-in Willis Street? Trusting that this, will serve to enlighten your correspondent to the, fact that the Catholic Club is not _ only justified in using its proper title, .viz., ." Catholic," but that your correspondent's'co"hteritiori is quite" unsound. —I am, etc., " A ; GENUINE CATHOLIC.", March 19, 1903. '