LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 221, 11 June 1908, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

'CAR 87. Sir, —The car above-mentioned has been oil the road for some three months now, but it lias not yet been fitted with straps for the benefit of strap-hangers. Perhaps the tramway authorities intond the bars to which the straps should bo hung to bo used for gymnastic exercises, but,'if not, it would be far more convenient for passengers riding in this particular car who are unablo to obtain seats if tho necessary straps wore fitted without delav. —I am, etc. Juno 7. . NEWTOWN. [This letter was brought under the notice of tho tramway authorities yesterday, and a reporter was informed that the car had probably been hurried out to copo with tho traffic. Tho matter is being attended to.] TE ARO BATHS. Sir, —Tho other morning residents of the hills might have seen with tlioir eyeglasses a shark 16 feet over all gambolling and in-; dulging ill sprints with the early morning bathers at To Aro. Thero are two largo. • holes about fourteen feet square left by the I Council in tho baths, for tho cutry of sharks ■ and other non-paying visitors. Now, sir, 1' ■ must protest against tho Council favouring ■ outsiders in this manner, as I do think it i unfair that they should evade paying the ■ usua' entrance' feo any moro than other - folk. At 'any rate, I for one, will not isi sociato with these intruders, and if the Coun--3 cil will.persist in entertaining them I will i swim in the open sea.—l am, etc., DENIZEN OF THE-DEEP. J June 10. - THE SECOND TEST FOOTBALL MATCH. ■ Sir,—ln view of, tho result of the first "test 1 r football match, I think it would bo a good plan to choose a team of New Zealanders for the second test game, altogether different to that which played at Dunediu. Tho element of 1 doubt thus introduced'would renew iii 7 I terest in the match to bo played in Wellington, and would show that Now Zealand can 5 produce a first-class team independent of the ? '"All Blacks." It would also relievo tho . members of _ tho latter combination of; tho 1 tax necessarily imposed on them if required to play in:all three tests, and would encourago tno less ■ experienced players. Incidentally, too, the change would favourable affect the financial side of the question; and, having secured tho advantage in tho opening test, tho Now Zealand Rugby Union might show that it/is not averse to taking those risks on which the life of sport depends.— J, am, etc:, ' NEMO. Jferimaru, June 9. • NORTHERN HUTT SCHOOL. ' Sir,—Allow me the opportunity of correctin your correspondent "Queen's Road,": who says in a letter headed " Northern Hutt School" in to-day's issue of The Dominion, that aii' effort is being made to have tlie proposed new school a side, not a main, school. This is .misleading, for " Queen's Road;"-with his knowledge of facts about tho matter, well knows that the Education Department is responsiblo for tbs idea of a school for infants and Standard 1. He might inform thoso interested by whom this'-under-current ho. speaks of has been set in motion. . Perhaps the statement that nothing "short of two fully-staffed schools will satisfy parents is equally accurate, for although T live ill the neighbourhood I have heard no" expression on''the subject-from others.' Then why tho very pointed allusion to teachers? Their grievancoj if it were represented, which is most improbable; would have little influence on tho Education Department. At tho same time, when overy Education Board; in tho Dominion is crying, out about tho difficulty of- get-tine; a-.sufficiciit supply-of good teachers—men-in particular—perhaps - the 'considqrntiSMaoMlier-riifeesliS ot'teachers is really in the- best ,"interest of education.—l .am, etc.,' . '!•' '■. ... ,J " SWTTITE. ■ | June; 9'' '' ''~ A PUZZUNC PURCHASE, • Sir,—-Tho disclosures-by the Lower, Hu'.t action to'recover £2290 of disputed profits provides an interesting- sido light on this class of transactions. ■ In its course. mention was incidentally made of tho Nai Nai, speculation, which was "a further; sale made on account of tho plaintiff, '.of a section whicli had cost him when completed, ho'tells us,-£IO,OOO, but which Mr. T. Kennody M'Donald sold on his. behalf to tlio Government for £21,000, so earning a commission thereon amounting to £536 16s. Nov., it' is perhaps impossible to conceive a more unsuitable choice than this-Nai INai \ land was. as a sito for workmen's homos. The land is -situated in a bight at. tho base of. tho SVainui hills; its soil is of the poorest, being the sour washings of these barren, clay mountains ; a largo proportion of i 1 has .been ; water-logged and apparently grow: ing little but raupo, perhaps since the Creation Then this "Garden of Hope" is 11| miles from. Wellington, three of which art its distance by road from -the Hutt Station Just think, for a moment, of a jaded work-

man travelling this distance morning and night, year in and year out! Poor fellow, ho would be apt to sigh for a jerry tenement ill any slum! What indeed could liava tempted the Minister to buy this, piece of' land so utterly unfitted for his purpose from distance, poverty of soil, and general unhealthiness, is past comprehension. Apparently, and let me presume, on discovering that ho had bought or fallen into the Nai Na' swamp, much money was spent by the Minister to extricate himself by deepening the Wniwetu stream by several fpet and for three-quarters, of a mile to givo tbo front drainage a fall, and deep ditches were next cut across the swamp; But after this, hugo expenditure, which must have run into four figures, the Government seemingly at last recognised their blunder, and a few cows now in occupation manage to exist by indußtrious wanderings.. , ■ It'would bo very interesting indeed to learn the acreage of this selection aud the cost both of tho land and of its drainage, as also its present real market value. But those are points which tho public will never, learn. Still, I venture to hold the opinion that the Government loss would in its ratio . bo found- to far exceed even the profits dis- ' closed under the late but-famous LeighStrand speculative combiue.—l am, ctc;, i'IIEEDOM.. June 10. _. .■ ..- : I MAORI MISSIONS. Sir, —Will you allow me a few lines in rfr; feronce to the report- of yesterdayV sermons. re Maori Mission? I should bo very sorry if.anything said by mo should convey a false impression that other parishes than tlioss visited yesterday avo ' not supporting our Diocesan Maori Mission. For'years past St. Paul's has been our chief maiiistayj aud gives largely by subscriptions, in addition to tho annual offertory. Palmerston North and Feilding are also largo contributors, though I cannot flatter myself that .it is owing to appeals made by .me. ' My ono thought yes-, tcrday, though evideutly badly expressed, was of a> wonderful response made by St. Peter's parish, a few years'ago, .and'by St. Mark's two years ago, when the usual offertory was more than doubled—l-am, etc., , ALFRED 0. WILLIAMS. .. Juno S. < STREET WIDENING NEEDED. . Sir,—l think'you will agree with me that it is high time that the City'' Council and tho citizens generally made a . determined attempt to have Manners and ..Willis .Streets widened. I cannot understand tlib. reason for delay, in' \vliat .js : certainly tho. 1 moßt important piece, of work to. be undertaken in this growing city ; so why. not,;get to business while mere are praetically'/no. buildings going up in. : these..' thoroughfares.;,■> Cuba Street ::is fast being built' upoii; and "cannot now .be widened, except .at a. considerable expense. is", 'sir, . nothing, lessl'tlian a calamity, 'in allowing , the latter ,fo 'go unwidened. ' Property, owners in tho thoroughfares referred, to, through their own shortsightedness, will in a few' years be brought face to face with the fact that it is absolutely necessary, to remove the . tram from their street to; a new and widened thoroughfare (perhaps Taranaki Street), thus' making Cuba Street of secondary importance. There is .no denying what I haver'stated. A city growing as Wellington is, increasing at tho'rato of over three thousand pfcr year, will have to turn the flow of population through other channels. Had' Cuba Street been widened to a reasonable width, it would have been a check to any firo which','may '. break out at any time in this denselypopulated.district. The Mayor, if I ani'riot ; mistaken, said the widening; of- ' Adelaide lload only, cost the city, some : forty ; thousand pounds. If so, then the' widening ' of Willis and Manners Streets should ' littlo' catet to", so wealthy a city as Weljingtori. ' ■ ' v ' . ■" ' , . " It. has .also been pointed out'by. 1 other ' correspondents that, at the same'time,'. Vio- ' toria. with. v v'ery little.-cxperis'e, ■ be Manners.SWfeet;,owing : !to.' it boirig "in '-a .line ;witli Stl; Hill-.Street; ■ -Mis" is a matter of cbnsiderablei'impprti'uce,and;,should npt. bo Jost sjght of by_',our;,city . :'fat.liers.' : ' The , v carrying.'.of : ' Victoria" Street, -into' Manners Street would considerably .'.' reV lieve; the, congestion at;the junction of- WiU > lis; avid Manners. Streets: I, think, Mr.^Edi- ■ tor,',you will' agree, with me that in.tlie'riear 1 future/ there;will..be serious trouble'.. i|. ma.tr ' ters are to be allowed 1 to remain as they ■ are. We have only a narrow neek of laria 2 lying between To Aro and Thorndori, con- - tainmg only two streets of importance, which i will in a few years bo carrying exceptional • traffic. I liopo our progressive council will 5 gi\;o this very. urgent matter their serious ■ consideration.. The purchase of tho .gas works could be postponed in the meantime, - so as to allow our city fathers to deal; with ' this more, important subject. I feel quite • sure our worthy > Mayor and councillors 3 'would, at the completion of this great work, - earn tho thanks of 1 the citizens generally.— I am, etc.,. ■ : t , ADVANCE WELLINGTON.. ; June G. -' -■ V-,7 .