LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

BIBLE IN SCHGOLS LEAGUE.

Sir,—Please allow ine to say on behalf of tho " Council of tho Churches' l that the Council has absolutely no connection with tho Biblo in Schools League, whose recent action has been so adversely discussed. None of our Ministers, so far as I am awaro, have any connection with the League; and I am quite sure that tho. Council would bo, no party to any attompt to secure the introduction of the Bible into the schools by any surreptitious means.—l am, eto.,' ARTHUR DEAA'DNEY, Hon. See., " Council of the Evangelical Churches." \ April 29.

THE CiTV COUNCIL, MIRAMAR, AND THE TOWN BELT.

Sir, —During this, as well as previous city Mayoral elections, a very great deal has been said and written for election purposes about the failure of the Council to securo Miramar when it was offering to whoever would buy for £75,0001 I have read pretty nearly all that has b&en written on tho subject for tho last twelve years, and it has all been on one side only. I am strongly of tho opinion, and I have had a good deal of practical experience in land matters, that tho City Council's failure was thq very bestthing that could have happened for Miramar and the city. If '.the City Council had secured the land it would have been for tho ratepayers one of the whitest of' "white elephants," and of as little real value to them as the 1100 acres' of Town Belt, which tho Council has held as their own from time immemorial, and which to-day remains the biggest and most useless of eyesores to be found in any city south of tho line. For one thing, since Miramar has been secured by private enterprise and cut. up into streets and sections, it has increased enormously inrateable value, and gives a constantly-in-' creasing revenue of some thousands of pounds per annum to tho • local borough. AVho can calculate tho enormous amount of rates and taxes it will return in, say, twenty-five years hence, or the vast population it will support in wealth and comfort and give constant employment', to in the near "future? It is utter nonsense to say that' it would have done' tho same under tho City Council. Let anyone look at tho Town Belt,. which is exactly of the same area as Miramar, and far better situated, surrounding, as it does tho very hqart of tho empire city.' Let anyone qualified to do so\publish a return of tho vast amount of rates for ever lost to tho citizens by tho Council's possession of theso, 1100 acres, together with compound interest thereon, and I guarantee that wo will hear no more about tho "loss of Miramar/' ' To speak plainly, Miramar has narrowly escaped the fate that I predict will ultimately overtake tho Town Bolt. Under tho rule of the low-class democracy so rampant to-day-r-that is a common dumping-ground for pauper dwellings, discharged prisoners' homes, houses for the poor and indigent, and all 'those recipients of charitable aid generally, etc., together with homes for all who are too lazy or too 1 prodigal to make homes for themselves. —I am, Ct °" COMMON SENSE. . April 25, 1908.

THE EFFECTS OF PROHIBITION.

• Sir,r-in.Monday's issue, "Traveller" gave a doleful account of hotel experiences, ill a prohibition district (Ashburton). I am not a. teetotaller by any means, but my experience was quite the reverse of "Traveller's" in another prohibition district.. I got into Clinton one nighty some four or 'five years ago, tolerably late at night, and went to ono of the hotels that had previously been licensed. The' table was spread, a snowwhite tablccloth being in evidence, and'had an excellent supper, a comfortable bed, clean room and'towels, arid a good breakfast , for the moderate charge" of 6s.'| I had' heard that whisky was easily procurable, and I 'l appealed te a Duncdm civil engineer,, who iknew "the run of the ..'ropes," for assistance' in getting some. He merely shook his head, and told mo it wn.s no use trying. Still not satisfied, I sallied forth by myself, but nary a nobbier did I succeed in getting. "Traveller's"' experiences were, therefore, altogether different to' mine. I should like to hear tho opinions of other visitors to Ashburton. "Traveller" may have struck a badly-con-ducted private hotel, just as many of-us do' badly-conducted' licensed houses all through tho Dominion!—l am, etc.,, NOT A, PROHIBI. ' April 29..' ..' ■ ■ . , ;

ART UNIONS.

> Sir, —Some time ago a lady in a rising township in tho Hawkc's Bay district, being .desirous of assisting the local band, offered to work a fancy quilt to' be raffled in aid of. the band's funds. After working at it for twp years it was completed, and was: considered by all. who saw it a very beautiful piece of work. On applying to thp Colonial Secretary for permission to; hold tho raffle, all concerned were considerably surprised that, as it did not come within some Act's definition of "a work of art," permission could'not be granted. Feariiig, no doubt, that to carry on the raffle would encourageunduly the spirit'of gaming.in tho township .in question, the police there received'instructions to prevent such an immoral proceeding taking place. You can' imagine the astonishment of some residents of that <: country township ■ on visiting tho Wellington Town Hall recently to find tickets in raffles being .sold openly, the prizes being a piano, gold watch, a case of jam, etc. They .are now sorely puzzled to know whether it is that, tho citizens of Wellington are. less likely to-be led astray by raffles than the-residents of Tlawke's Bay, or whether' it is that while a piece of fancywork in Hawke's Bay is not "a work-'of art," a case of jam in .Wellington is. Perhaps you may bo able to solve the question for one who is also : i

PUZZLED. - April 29. 1

LOANS TO SETTLERS AND WORKERS.

Sir,—Tho Government Loans to- Settlors and Workers Acts are measures of a useful and democratic nature. They have been tho means of saving thousands of small property owners from tho. grip of the. private moneylender. They have reduced interest and set the springs of industry in motion. But tho institution has one serious drawback, and that is the time it takes to get a loan after making application. Two or threo months is quite tho usual thing, while others' have been kept considerably longer. I know that the loans are granted to applicants quite independent of .their political colour. I have had somo experience with the money-lending departments, and I am convinced that tho time it takes to get a loan renders the whole thing practically useless .to those who require the funds to pay'for a building, and unless the applicant can pay for his improvements out of his own account, and then borrow the money for other purposes. Another way'out of the difficulty is to raise a temporary loan from a private money-lender until the Government money has como to hand. But this is rather expensive, as it necessitates two mortgago deeds instead of one. But serious as this drawback is, the Government moncv has kept down tho rate of interost 011 private loans, and while tho State will advance money at 5 per cent., oven with all tho delay, it is not ' likely that privato money will fexceed, say, 6 per cent, except in a few rare ca-ses where tho security is dangerous. If matters could bo expedited'so as an applicant could get his loan within ten or twelve days after 'applying, tho benefits of the system would be doubled. As it is, tho poor man; who has his section and no more cannot very well build on the advances' to workers. This is at least tho experience of people living any distanco fr'pm headquarters —I am, otc.,

„ , E. STEVENSON. Hastings, April 28, 1908.

There is real virtue in preaching for small salary to people who have little money to pay, but no virtue at all iu preaching cheaply for a ohuroh that oould pay a. worthy rccoiujpeam.—" Interior," Chicago.