LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 248, 13 July 1908, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE POOR MASTER BAKER. Sir,—Can the master bakers pay the increased demand mado by the men without raising, tho price of.bread?. They, say they cannot, but there aro always two sides to every question. Lot the 'following sum speak for itself.' If the masters'can tack any more expenses on to it we would be glad to hear of : them:— • Flour at £10 10s. 'costs 1 Jd. lb.: Allow ' 21(i.s: of floiir to loaf to make up for yeast and potatoes, 2000 loaves at 2Jd., £18 155.- ■ Multiply-'by 7—total,'£l3l os. Wages for six baliers at award rates; £16 IGs 1 . ;• six drivers, £13 10s'.; horse feed, light and firing, and depreciation,' £12 10s —£174 Is. Profit,'£3o 2s. -Id.- Total, £204'35. 4d. Receipts of week of seven days, £204 35..4 d.; expenses for week, £174 Is.; profit, £30 2s. 4d. • Extra wages wanted would cost this man about £2 10s., reducing his profit to £27 12s. 4d. —I am, etc... . W. JORDAN. ' July 6. • THE BAKERS AND THE M.P.'S.

' Sir,—l remember Mr. Millar, the present Minister for Labour, when, as a labour agi-. tator,'lie conducted the great maritime strike of 1890,' and when,, owing . to numerous threats against my life by the strikers, I was forced to carry' a • revolver on my way home'at nightand I remember the ; Hon. Rigg, the moral instructor, .and adviser of the workers,who, in a memorable speech, said: "It is the duty of every working man, to' got' the highest' price for his labour, and to give as little value as possible-for it.". These two men have worked the ..labour ticket to some purpose, for'they have both climbed on the backs of the workmen into' very comfortable billets; and' now ; the -Minister, with, his £1000 a year, has'-become a, Mr: Facinc-both-Ways •in very despair as to what attitude will suit ■ him best ■ in ' the bakers' strike. Strikes'would soon * become a thing of- the past if the employers would be as loyalyto. 'each other, 'as the men are -to. themselves, and if they would but combine to close tlioir. businesses until the men got tired of . striking or agitating* it would' bring the'unions to their senses. Tn'the" present\caSo there are 'already several,•" t>lackleg" % employers, whothin}* to. increase, their. trade\.by.; desertihg their fellow-employers and • siding with/ the men. ■ These' strikers, who are -- receiving fair wages, • have-considered- .nothing but tlioir oVvn selfish ends," and'have,done their best,- without, notice, .io put the . screw ' on ; their ' employers. Their -answer should . hothat every-consumer of bread should,.refuse, to deal with those master bakery who. again employ the'- strikers.., This. is.(; the wav to prevent-strikes, and to waru ?uch advisers as' Messrs.* Millar and his friend, the Hon. •Jack- Rigg," that'the time is jcoming 1 when the people will rebel against, the continual increase in the cost of living bjj the uutiring demand for more .wages by. th<y. workmen who are employed to'produce the or life. —I am, etc., : •; k NEMESIS. ■ July; o.

WORDS OF WISDOM. Sir,—The word of..a son of the Prophet, Ali Ben Hassiri, the son''of Ezra, a Sheik of Kordofan, to thee, a'illustrious Lord ot Pen' and Parchment',; and shillings. Beacon, of Wisdom t« % people of New Zealand. May the sun of Allah ever shine kindly upon thee;. syid in the evening of.'thy days mayst thou rest from thy labours by the well that thou didst dig and beneath tho shade of. thine own fig .tree 1 ; '' , - '.- 1 Tho bitter cry 1 of thy people bath coma even unto-me: that the cradles are empty, the hand-maidoris few, and the homfes_ that tliev love given oyer to the hand of the spoiler! . Will the swallow rear'her young when the spoiler is nigli ? Will she-iibt rather, forsake her' nest; and ready .for flight? So wilt thou learn that children come not where there is 110 ysiiro horno. Let thy rulers and thy. foolish schemers-beware ; for they whose eyes aro diriimed by' trying to ijrasp the'sun have their;md in,the pit of miro and darkness 1 \ : , ' v So too, hist thou not heard that. Mahomed, the Prophet of Mecca', the beloved of .Allah, whoSo liamo be for over praised,;did decree -that* a 1; man'' should, have .many, wives; -and' thy"own. prophet,. Jesus the Nazarene, whose name bo blessed, did riot forbid the same? -Wliy then did 'ye ;■ riot hearken and obey? Is the .wisdom, of''your.-.wise men greater thari that.of Allah?. Or hath Allah,in bisi anger, blinded you even unto der struction? Who knoweth? For hath he not' heard the bitter wail of tho rtother with'- her' child, and is' it his will that her burden be too heavy for her to bear? Is.it meet to'.'put all tho load'on the back of the catnel that; is. willing; arid let the ■ others go .'free? 'Lift.thine leyes'.overi now and sea how -thy men arid women wastfe ; the day. and tho night ,in tossing the painted cards, knocking .little balls over the grass, iarid drinking the 'iforbidden. waters; a.t. which, tho wise maii-Uaughs and' Allah frowns.' - Had. yo not -set your, hearts 'against the wisdom 'of your Prophets, would riot • your rich 'men have themselves' many wives, who would have brought forth strong'-children to fill the- of your larid ? : Thus would .ye'have riot, gone-iri fear of the children of the Eo ; bt! 'Thus Would the burden.of your womo'n be lightened ; and, think, ye, is not the. service 'df-, wives l arid mothers and children'/who serve for love, bettor, than that of a thousand hand-maidons? : .

Turn ,yo! Turn ye, while there is x.yet time; for 'hath not one of your own .wise mon j'? ;v keep .riotyour cradles full, your, nation niust did 1". Obey the voice of the Prophet .ere it is too late! Let each man take'wives?according to his riches, and fill the land with 1 the. singing voices of children! So shall ye live and hot dio! •Ye. are infidels and 1 may, have no part with you', but I love and wish you well.- -Be ye'not deaf to my words! May Allah, the All-merciful, bless arid .pardon I 'you and me, Jiind bring, it .'about that'..y& shall do His' will! So may yo'be'',, saved>-ffbm "tlie ■;pit of. destruction and tho ha.nd of'Sh'eitan, even at the. last 1 " . : ' I* ' , That thou mayst live, in the light of tho blossing of Allah, and of His- Prophet, whose .names be for -ever pr,aised,v is ; the fervent wish, of-thy. servant: of servants, ALI BEN HASSIN. Kordofan. ' .. RUGBY.FOOTBALL. Sir, —Your annoymous correspondent' '.'All Blood", has called attention to a .feature that bids fa-ir ,to ruin our winter game, unless stringent measures are taken. Old..players, referees, players, spectators, reporters, all admit, that the foul play—particularly, the illegal use of the boot—is' rampaoit, ,and yet our governing bodies make no attempt ■to deal with , the evil!. •-' -V-

I have spent a good many Saturdays '.this winter at. Miramar, and it has been quite the .exception to see - a ".clean'' game. All the teams aire more or less guilty, and.in,some cases almost justifiably because if. your opponents ■ start kicking' wildly "in the > close'/: —whether the ball is,there or not—the only method of protection is to kick back, and players confess that they have to'resort to this expedient to protect-themselves. ■ I have seen a : man's face punched on the lino-out, a back's nose broken by a forward's boot—andithese forwards call elbow! elbow! to-indicate,' I presume, the method (?) of accident (?). _.. It would.be.interesting to see this year's:list of claims on the insurance fund of the local'union. Oiir referees practically admit that , it is impossible to, watch both, ball and player. Let us follow the Americans then; not as your correspondent sarcastically suggests, ill the purchase of armour, but in tho appointment of .a special: ..official 'to watch, tho conduct of players, while: on • tho field. Allow tho present official to give his wliolo attention to matters of play. —I am, etc., , T. A." HUNTER. July 7. '' ■ Sir,—Two lotters have appeared , in your correspondence columns during the past few. days bearing on tho question of rough plav: in tho Bugby game. The first by "AH Blood" appeared in Tuesday's isfiue, hut taken all through' it-is , so paltry that it scarcely deserves mention.. If "All Blood" bad not been so anxious' to'bo facotious his letter might possibly have-had some claims to serious consideration, .but suggestions about "hefty : blacksmiths," "highly' trained colliers/' etc., are Btupid to; the laet dogree.

His assertions about Jhe hacking indulged-in by tho "All Blacks" in tlio last Test match, and about the condition of sbveral members of tho British team after the match, avo equally unworthy of attention.; With "Spectator," however,-whoso letter appeayod yesterday, things are somowhat different. He. at any rate, suggests something, oven though ; his suggestion- does strike a heavy blow at our national game. . \ "Spectator" would seem to bo an advocate ; of tho Northern Union game. Whether that gamo would bo'an improvement on the present one, howovor, is a likely to ■proyoko heated arid endless-controversy. Pos-, sibly tho elimination .■ of .line-outs and other prominent features of the present gamo would greatly minimise rough play; similarly it might not for the elimination of tho line-out and- tho abolition of allrules tending to ■make the game close wonld have-the effect of making play for the greater part consist; of passing or 1 loose forward rushes. In'tho -latter stylo of play even at present'accidents occur with far more frequency than in any other department, of the game, .so it is . somewhat difficult to perceive how the Northern Union game can lay claim to any. great advantage in respect of rough play when this ugly fact obtrudes itself so. prominently. _ But space, will not permit a discussion : of tho morits and demerits of tho professional game. It will suffice' to' say. that tho game of Rugby as at'present played in New Zealand would,, with a'few additional rules and alterations, prove, quite as at-, tractive and interesting to spectators . and players as the, Northern Union game. A few .improvements along the-lines of some of the .suggestions recently received by the Now! Zealand Union w;ould go,a long way towards making tho game open. and fast, and there is" little doubt that Mf a . decided and unyielding stand was taken Iti regard to rough play, a year or so would, see its comiplete eradication.. Rough play has of .late increased .alarmingly., arid, on,', the; faco of it this- .necessarily implies great; laxity in tlie,motho.ds of referees'.. If a mail .is discovered resorting to "dirty" tactics lie should bo 'remorselessly ordered off, and ,relegated, to; 'the crowd on .the bank - for a. . lengthy period. Touch-line judges should .have-, their powersextended, arid should be instructed, to reportto ,the referee all cases of,foul play which coino under their . notice. . Ili\,this connec-'

tion no distinction whatever should' be made. :Tho crack-; player,, if' he-'offends, .'should be treated in. precisely the ; same , way: as ; the mediocrity, and the' severity .of all' penalties should: .be ; made commensurable r with the ; gravitj'"of',tho offence. . ;In this ,wayj : and this -way..only; -can th.p-, ; sport.be. purifie'd.and 'cleansed of- its unwhqlesorii.e.:.atkibutos; arid as 'it gradually bedonies cleaner arid, better, so "will public opinion .gradually; veer around and extend its*support—l am., .etc'.,, ;■ ' July 10. PROGRESSIVE. , LIFE IN OTHER WORLDS. Sir,—l always.enjoy reading.your leaders when you deal with the facts' and theories regarding. ,tbo Stellar" Universe.; The theory, of. tho existence of. life on other. planets in tho Solar and other systems is regarded by :soiiie as ridiculous, while , other's say ; that other bodies are quite as- likely to be inhabited as' this, and they point to the fact that the land, the water, and the air of the earth' all contain; life,' varying" in'degree- almost as. much as can .be imagined. 'It is quite correct to speculate'about-the kind of life that : may exist' on other -planets.' For instance, any living thing ori-.a- planet; like Jupiter'would require.to be .on the crab or beetle principle to-stand the,,tbrriffic gravity of such a. large; world, arid such 'life' would be less likely' to civilise on . account -of the small scope;'of their' visibii'.of;Surrounding's.' While a planet, like iMars;' which is; similar to the earth,' but which .has been throw-n off from the-sun a few .million years earlier,' has had time, to produce, a ;very'.high state of civilisation, no matter how.slow progress may have been. Anyone who cares':to go. arid look at Mars through the big'telescope which the enterprising people .of- Wangariui have erected in their town can see not only snow on both the poles of Mars, hut markings.strongly in-' dicating the work of some'beaver-like beings. Whether such life'has passed.the ; pointwhdre it produces and' stores .'its'requirements - for future' needs'-.on': a'. systerri - pf division - of labour as we do is pure'speculation. But it is, a hard fact that, this is the point where the science -iff-political ecoiiomy.-begins; arid hence the point where civilisation* as we call ,it begins, arid-to my mind'to march' l along from that epoch as we'are doirig : is-to. coriie 1 to'a system where the irih'abitante. of ' the earth will not buy or lease-the ; surface of the earth one from the other for''all- time, but 'will occupy their portion■' only, by. returning _ an annual'tribute back tp the real owners, i.e.; the whole of the people. Tdo riot think anyorio would suggest that- we have arrived at anything- like perfection or/finality in economic or-any other am; etc., . • e. ; Stevenson. .. Hastings, July.2. }r. v'