LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 254, 20 July 1908, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. ". i.youj; "or, . explain- the Financial Statement;. and, :it3 cxtraordinjiry I surplus) whicli, gets,; b'iggor overy year? I 'hVvo not got tho figures by nie, but it seems to .me; that .instoad. of ..f GO odd thousands be-:'ing:.-tho.';sufpius,'br balanco in;hand of this I'-pist yeai:,,;niost of it is brought forward, rand : biily 'ibinis £'50,000 is tho between the'receipts aiid expenditure. -'".'Now; what is'th'is surplus of, say, £760,000 that is to be carried forwardp -Is it cash, bank credit;, or only'book-keeping jugglery? For,if it iiot"tho last, why not spend it in- ' stead " of borrowing so much every year?-' Itirather-sefithsias though the greater itlio surplus 1 «'of''.the: past year tho 'greator the -ilecd to borrow in tho succeeding year—l .am/etc,; .".5 .V.'..:; . vw/jZmk "July-13.- - - i. .[Tho..nctual revenueJor. tlio past year (excluding tho sum of £717,825 brought forward) was £9,063,959, - and tlio expenditure £5,2i3,905; tho oxcess' of. receipts over oxpendituro being.£B,CO,o24. If tho previous y(sa'r?S"bSlanc3 '<5f 'i£7,17,820 is' added tlio - total surplus, would havo; bt&n .£1,5G7,849. 'But £BO.Oj3OO'AV!tS transferred to Public Works Fund, leaving tho n6t surplus pf £767,849.] ; THE PREMIER PERTURBED. . Sir,—ln ' your able leading , article of today; entitled "A Grave Charge," you be--gin. by. J will probably be wondering what tiip Prime Minister meant, etc. I will, noj; continuo to quote from your lender. The legion ?of your readers perusing it'. havo doubtless formed the same opinion ps I havo. Air bluff. ? If your valued-space will permit, I should like to express my opinion' of the cause,' or causes, that aro so seriously agitating 1 the 1 . Premier's mind at the present 'tiine.,;{ -Roman history records 'gathering of 'spectators 'fit-'th'is t '(!!6liJs^mfwitness the'noble: sight efiW^l^sj?fe!^dsU oo se into the'arena, .to.-maiiglo"a lot 'of. innocent.Christians, the Roman Emperor Nero " was ;in ' his place, mounted-high-on-his-throne, ready to give tjie Word,. i ' i tjjpt.,tl!ejn loose," when a wbito over the Emperor's: head;'.ln'those' days,_ that jbird wa-s considered .a" harbingeutof.,evil tidings; and noticed to become jt abroad that 110 was Tho immense gathoring dispersed, and tl]e keeper of the lions' den, addressing tho Christian slaves, said, "Away, strangers,: thou'art fiee." Tlio'white owl to the present Premier first soared over the .largo congregation at ■the- ADglican,-,Church ia£'- Palmerston, North... As, fi -fft gr(Qfttegathorii)g it was my .privllpgb. to . that - now famous sermoffj'by andioloquont preacher. And .to that'.cause", may ibo iaplied the Premier's e\ 'dent -irritability." Of 'course, your editor(i?.l pommojjt?,.-pn Bishop Julius's timely warn-. 'i^jfave''.ag^aTO'Eeii-ihe circumstances ten-' lioiaTih-'the ."eyes ''Sohe Premiejc... Astute politician that ho is, ho percoives the sha-dows-nthalrPWCFde; coming events, and real-; Mai>a iis- on the wane'." 1 :" ** '•■■■ >- _ ( Your\sp#ce;.';J:';fqel.'siiro!;' will' not permit of elaborating the situation at the present juncture'. , But With your permission later -dri""I~GlrouM"~iiko~""to-Tcfrr to the lato Premier's .prophecy aspect now evidently.being -rßalised';- and to also refer to tho laws, anent approntic^D-rind^omeni;past■ their" prime, .touched' upon. ; by. Mr.. Ma's'sey,. .in ' his able address ':'at- ; 'Greyt-ownr--recently,; and. , other matters too V; of. 'imporfenco" at -the ,-prosent alili.. etc;, ; " : JUNIUS. Grejtq^y c 'Ji4y u l3t"";''" •(:{ _ . ' ' . v'V■ "<"£>■ ■ -r'' ' 4 THfZ GOHM'JHIOM GUP. > isWo much talk nowadays; of. Rearms, j tlio. health officer ; has ,d9no i §6 c 'mMi J od' :, 'worli in . routing them out of i their strongholds, i'tljat : I would ba glad ifiyou would:'draw-his attentjion to,'.ono very great danger "which exists in our midst. " jjefer{to the Communion Cup. Sunday after Sunday -very' many ; people , drink irora, tho same cupi"nnd-.i- , 'thinb-I ; . can safely, say. that, half ofi the'm--aro ,sulferihg : from coughs , and: colds, i«dj.ilb;'' I t3^ibt7-^ther ; complaints.-'Be-; stdos, nbtoribdV.'thai. ortr 'clergy 1 aro, i (}elicatc l '"anil many suffer with, .theii- throats.. In "some,churches tho clip is; wiped (ifter cach, .but not in'the one I quite suro.that .infection'' ' Who' 'amongst: us woulcl;3?'iH!> 'from;'a4i';,'ono else's glass-ior; cup,. and;'dearest',' : ahd why should, .do' c 2 so after ' dozens .'.of strariger3.'?> ■" SlhViat:.- least !;ono ■;, dissenting church' hero' thpy.-.have; separate :cups,-.;"ancl J say that it should be eo'nipulsory. in every church; I am not ; alonp in my views, and I know at-']enst;;ono; .lady".who. cannot .partakeof tlio !&iß6»^ton"^^','as'she;says..such.,a; reeling!o| ,n^S^^dqi(^..9v6t:hcr'wheii such' V nun is' Passed* round,-i.-Ju-conclusion,'.: let me : . say. I- .wiii- : gladlyTconj;ributo £1-.-towards. biiying separate;.cups'for, the church I attend.— I am, 'etc., ■' - - COMMON &ENSE. .. .Ju'y! 10.'.,.;■ • v- y: : .1 : TriE BALLOT. ! :Sir',Tf-Th"6"" Government proposes to' intro-f iduco order' to remody :^the:; defects of our present method of electing I'arlip.mphtary representatives. Tho proposal wull,'7howover;.'-.in vTomo -cases accentuate 'ftlio ovil's" it' 'seeks : to'-. remedy. •' ",'lt will not tprpVenti'ininorities . being .represented at the '.exp'enso*;i>f linreprosented; majorities. _ It will :be costly and i;cumbersome) and: will not ■ jguarantb.o thp r.ejjrpsentation of majorities'. ; jTo: seo] the defpfcts;; of "t|ie Second Ballot you : .have oriiy to . : ;supposo u four "candidates " in ,iheiificld>' the voting on'the . first pount be-:-iTig: Coripervativo 1400, Socialist 1300, LiberaFA! 12j)0, and .LiboM .B 1100. Tho total iLiberal ;;yoto 15'..:1ipre„2300 strong, but, ; on ;'accbuni;'j'bf ;.tho;;sjjli{i:,\pte;;:no .Liberal'• canididate; qualifie^-ifp.iv|he : Second : Ballot. -, Tho jpopulat fparty ito ■ suffor : most trom"tplurality*-ofccandidates,- and -the.-ap-parent security' against the -effects of-'vote splitting,", which ut-hbf Soqoiid 1 Ballot seems- to bffer, may, f-in; fitselfyi encourage a ■ greator number - of candidates >to' stand in; tho - donii■'nant party's. intdrpsti-'&iid'the Sccond Ballot •imay 'thus bo' tho '-itidlFect- cause; of' tho defeat" of tlio majority. --; • • . ; -;.-,.Evcn .only three .candidates. jn*tho -noid 4heSecond Ballot would not securo' majority' rppresbntation, and, of ,'courso,: for a loss number; its provisions are , '{nolvxctjijircd. Suppose, for instance, aCbn- ' a Liberal, and a Socialistic Liberal vpoiitest -an'eloctiony--and the numbers are, . 'respectively, -14t)0^- and :1350,; thon only c lthßliTO)^e3^rdmlSte*^)'' : 't6 ;tho second poll, electors' arp _.donied achoice .as ' : ibetweon«tho Conservativo. and tho Liberal, and bctiyeen'th.o* Liberal and "the Socialistic Tho' , ''ellanccs aro - that, had tho Liboral hiet in simple; dual contest either of hisj opponents ..ho; : w;ould havo defeated them; i thb' :: Consoi'vatives voting for him against ',tho Socialistic' Liberal, and tho Socialistic liberals:,vpting; for him against the - "A candidate who could - thus defeat'eithor-of-his -oppononts, in a simplo . contest, by. >a- e .-majority of two to one, is surely 1 tho most representative man.: And it i may fairly; bjia.claimcd for him that he is] tho; majority 'roprpspntatiye. That this man's !namo/*wbuld""iiot go to tho Second Ballot 5 is sufficientAcbridomnation • of the systom 1 , ' S '"-'r."'-''* v ; ._. . ..; 4 'Mr. : M'Nab's- majority system '• would-savo "tho situation in "the first ease ! 'illustrated, liiit tfoirld'fail in the second ono, ,bepaus6 it, too,' 'strikes ■ out -tho third man, .'A; slight alteration;'''-liowover, 'in tho' abso- : -, : liite majority mftlio'd; Would provido for ; ,pv!erv possible' coritinjtbncy; while; no'altera-'"-/itiljn; save humberablo ballots', could possibly, remedy tho inherent defects of Sii Joseph' SVartl's scheme. - -Tho alteration I" stiggest in the absolutr I majority method is that tho candidates ):c pitted-against each other, two at a timo and no, one *Hr,uck v .Q"ut_ unless defeated bj an absolute;', '.'majority in n. dual contest. There is no ( r -now'-principle involved in this ■ -.method; it IS tho one!by which Parliamcni •itsnlf and other deliberative bodies sift mo t tions and amendments in order to'arriv< : at tho; ivi?h;;of. tho; majority.' - To say ,-tli'at-' aro not capablt of indicating their prcfercnco3 -at a singli ballot by tlfo simple method of marking 1 i 2, 3, etc., after tho names of candidates, ii

■tho ordor of preference, is an unwarrantable insult to tlio intelligenco of "Now Zealand voters, who .have already grappled with tho complex problem of our licenso .ballot' paper. I am. etc., J. M'COMBS. [Wo havo had to abbreviate our correspondent's letter for space reasons.] .- > , GAMING. ACT RESTRICTIONS. Sir, —Now that tho general election is coming 011; I think that it is about time that the sporting people of Now Zealand put their heads together-and' discussed tho advisability of questioning intending M.P's., with the object in view of having the late Gaming Act repealed, as, in my opinion, it is a vory largo blot on the liberty of this (so-called) democratic country. It appears to be coming to a very; fine point when persons who honostly earn; their-daily .wage-need to.havo Par-, linment assembled to command what, ; they must or must not do with, the same. Hoping that there is j.ust enough between these few lines to warrant ".the taking up of an abler pen in the interests of those concerned, —1 .am, etc., - , . ' . " -1 , . . ! '] 1 ... "-TATT'S." ■ ■ July 14. ..... THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. Sir,—Having .noticed, pleasing references in your columns to tho high-class, shown by H. J. Mynott this season, I am' compelled to oxpress tho great and. universal, dissatisfaction prevailing- - hero V atthat* playor's' exclusion from the team.' His" inclusion. was looked upon hero as certain, and also'by many good judges in your city,' who havoseoh him play this season. Hoping that the selectors will yet soriously consider H. J. Mynott's claim. —I am, etc., ' . ', ENTHUSIAST., Now Plymouth, ,July 14. , ' .' •"Sir—Tho Now Zealand team for the third. ; Test has just boon published, and, to say that the - public are. greatly surprised at the uon-inclusion of ' Mynott, •' of Taranaki, is'only-• expressing very'.-'mildly tho. general feeling of indignation throughout the Dominion. On what lines tho selectors pick tho . team it is , hard to understand, for, if 0110, player more than any other has'"earned his iplace that player is Mynott. His play throughout the season has, without excep- / tion, been of tho highest standard, and there is iiio doubt in tho minds of the great' majority of those who follow the game, and understand it, that Mynott is to-day the , best five-eighths in New Zealand.. His play' in club matches this'year'has, in 'the opinion I j of 'the Taranaki, public,-' been- better.: than •;' ever, tho only person "to oxpress a contrary opinion being a roporter on ono of tho Taranaki papers, i whoso knowledgo of football is .a, minus quantity, and whose reports oii: matches' have - mado him tho laughingstock of tho province. New Zealand will require its best team against tho Englishmen, and it' is' to be . hoped-that, _ it- not too late," tho' selectors will see their way to-remedy tho glaring and- incomprehensible mistake that has been made—l am;,, etc., : . TEN-THIRTY. -.' Juno 14,'1903/ ' - -- AT EVANS BAY., there have been several 1 references to the rapacity of holders of property at Miramar, which tho Y> T cllington Harbour, : Boardiwishos,t-o.acquire,.-there can bo 110 objection to .the'other * sido being- heard. In the. first placo, it is quite clear that tho Har- -, bour Board .is ablp.to fight its,own .battles! without the 'aid. of; editorial anU/carttion. If:. "it:vis thoiight hob to* bb : "able, thero"is tho . Compensation Court. Tho late owners of Orainger Street property. have - still,. strong feelings over the way thoy were treated, and it .is' scarcely fair that owners in this case should' bo prejudiced by- tho.. Press. Tho' position is this. Tho land iii'question is 011 -a' lbvel-toptied ridge with three easy approaches, triple panoramic viow; of township, harbour, and ocean, and yet--practically m ■ thojnidst : <sl!aJ';comi'ng closely populated area. is unequalled; cpnsequejitly,, , owners havei. paid'Jcobd-iprices with tho >view! • ofi.imaking ';hoiiies • there. , Tho Board '• elected to, approach owners direct, and tho resultant bargaining is,.,still proceeding.. .Refer-' enc'o. was; .made iik'Parhament vt'o- tho. fact'. ' that fivo valuers were employed. They were, iti'may be';'stated, paid by tho Board, and were expert city- valuers,- whoso practical experience'of dealing with tho properties in question was about nil. Tho result was that the' Board-mado offers of .less, amounts .thansome ,of .the.sections cost-, their"owners. Now, what ' tho ;Board ..primarily requires is spoil for It..is bolieveu. that most of -the: dwners '-would'giye'.this if-tho Board-paid .thp-j interest; .oil capital -locked;; up during; the ■progress of tho work—a nominal sum.' This should be cheap.enough. What the Board■isfreally. seeking:to .obtain ;for-£400;- taking: an', avoragd'case, is some' 60,000 cubic yards of.', spoil and a site, when cleared,' worth £1500, according to certain figures. The spoil at. sixpence per cubic yard-! would: be worth £1500. Total, £3000. _ Most' of tho owners are' asking only ;.a' fair advance on what they .. themselves paid, and thero is not' a great deal of difference in tho amounts' offered and: asked. < Tho'Mothers . are - special; cases. But from-,"tli'6- f6regoirig-''it cert.-iinly" appears that'the Board Wishes to'drive a bargain eminently satisfactory to itself.~*-I "am",' etc.,' . ' AN OWNER. ■ July 11. . AN EXTRAORDINARY APPEAL.,. - Sir—ln it-hesb' days of. .oxtrayagantV and extravagant to.; bo too extravagant!' for alist'o Attho,; present of;the | children to for subscriptibris"'t6wards purchasing/" as an Imperial lark,. tho Plains : of'.Abranamj ' in Canada. 1 Tho'ippeal is-boing-mado'by tho Inspector-General* of Schools, under direction from .tho Minister 'for.Bducation. ."It. mijr b'e.very,"nice, from 'a' historical point' of vio.w," to preserve VlCanadiari'battle field.'; "Now.' ■ Zealand jparents should be dolighted-'t-o assist' in any such worthy object ! Tho pity J is that' tho appeal is' confined to parents • of' children; attending the'Stato' schools. tion of a penny per head for each olivc^branch : is neither hero nor* thero 1 Tho parent with; a large family can so well afford to pay for Imperialistic,, and , jingoistic bunkum , : t .But why should.pennies : bo; - contributed' alono for the Plains of Abraham? . What' reason is thero that pennies should'hot be found -for Alma, antl Flodden - Field, and Bannockburn, and Dargai, and Parihaka? A -peniiy is only ft penny, after all; but,'to-tho father of six, it represents sixpenco. That, however, is 11'ot . the point I wish to make.; Tho'Secretary for Education has made'tho' appeal, "direct" to tho schools, without cfth- : sulting'tho Educatioh Boards-'other thafi "as-', suming that" they -will '-'■ seo 1 110 '•' objection tothe movoment."- Now, I, as a member of anj Education Board,-see a decided'objection to; tho movement, because I regard it as an ap- ; peal to. the lowest instincts of human, kind—' the instinct of slaughter. .But thSt;is,an-, other' story.:; The; schools--of- tho.-. Pbinihion are under tho control-' of tho :' Education 1 Boards and Committees. The Education De-' partmont ignores these bodies, by making a direct appeal to tho parents' of children,' through tho teachors. If. this Itintj of, thing is, to -bo .tolerated; •vwhorp; will,it- end?.;:/' Thoro may bo'humorous parentsj < who, on principle,; object'to contributing to field parks." Indeed, I know not a few who do object. If the. children of these parents do npt - produce thoir pennies, they .-are sub-' jcctcd.to banter from their fellpwischolars, n,nd aro placcd' in an insidious position. The wholo system, apart from militarism, of making; appeals to parents through t-lip schools, is wrong, and the soonor it is stamped out the . better will it bo for the causo'oreducation. The Boards and School Committees of theDominion havo thankless duties to perform., . They do their very best for .tho, cnu'se of 1 education. Slowly, but Purely, howovorj. thoy aro being shorn of their responsibilities, 1 which aro being usurped by Departmental i officers, lt'.is only a question of timo when , tho roost will bo ruled entirely-from tho big 1 buildings.' In the -meantime, I protest most emphatically against tho appeal; for pennies, 1 mid against the manner in'which-that appeali has been am, etc.,: , 7;' , r , ' ■ ARTHUR il. VILE. ; 1 July 15. ; ■ ' -VWV "ii