LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 273, 11 August 1908, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

MEMORIAL TO CAPTAIN COOK. Sir, —In one of your recent issues appears 'a letter from Dr. Hocken suggesting that instead of Queen Charlotte's Sound, one of the large centres would bo more suitable for the erection of a ' memorial to remind us New Zealaudors of the invaluable services rendered to our country by Captain James Cook, the greatest navigator Britain has ever produced.

It would be well to see sucli commemoration made in either of tho citics mentioned by Dr. Hocken, or for the matter of that in all, to keep green in our memory tho services rendered ;by that great and able man; but were New Zealand searched through no irioro suitable spot could be found than Ship Cove, which proved a haven of refuge to him on each of his three voyages. In "that very snug cove" (I am using tho great navigator's own descriptive words) he stayed just one hundred days, refitting and setting up his storm-tossed sailormen. Our Government have reserved about 2600 acres in tho _ vicinity _ iiy memory of Cook. It- is to-day in its primitivo state beautiful nativo bush to tho water's edge; long may it so continue. I maintain that no better spot could have boon selected for tho orcctron of a memorial.

Again, tho money subscribed cannot be diverted. When erected, as I trust it will bo shortly, it will givo increased interest to one of tho most charming and historic spots in our land. By all means lot tho large centres erect their memorials; they should have been in cvidenco years ago had wo colonials been only decently appreciative. Our purpose is to place_ for all time a reminder of the great navigator in his " very snug cove."—l am, etc.,

JOHN MOORE. Parekawa, Blenheim. August 8, 190 S. CAPTAIN COOK'S PROPOSED MONUMENT AT SHIP'S COVE. Sir, —My mistake in stating that the sito of tho proposed Cook.. monument is on Motuara instead of on tho' adjoining mainland at Sltip Cove, is corrected by Mr. A. H> Turnbull, who adds that this locality is visited during tho summer months by nundrodsof excursionists. But the force of imy previous contention that a preferable site would be in some central position in 0110 of our four large cities remains undisturbed. It is true that Cook spent 100 restful days_ in Ship Cove during his- three visits to New Zealand, but tho entire coasts of New Zealand abound with his memory, and his memorial should, therefore, surely be placed in the most conspicuous available and Suitable spot, rather than in one so retired. ! Mr. Turnbull understands that tho proposed monument is to be a plain and unpretentious stone obelisk with sido inscriptions t9 cost far loss money than would bo requisite for ono of moro distinguished appearance. But of this I am not so sure, and believe that tho sum dovotcd to the Ship Covo scheme would form a larger proportion of that requisite for ono more elaborate. Besides, I think that-tho public generosity would be liberal and sympathetic to a more comprehensive scheme—l am, etc., ■ T. M. HOCKEN. Dunedin, August 7, 1908.

FARM LABOUR AND OTHER MATTERS. Sir,—Thoro has been a lot said and written by the different papers throughout the Dominion lately about tho unemployed; and after all it's only a myth, but ono tho Government must seo to ,on tho eve of a- general election. This unemployed bogey,.;is more or less in every part of the world,' and will be more so in New Zealand unlos's our Legislature pass laws to deal with such. Our present so-called liberal laws are mado to encourage the indolont and inferior workman and put a brako on tho capablo pushing man. There must, according to our laws and Unions, bo a standard wage for all who .work or pretend to work, whilo tho fact remains that somo 'men are worth a first-class' wage whilo others aro not worth their salt. Thoro is no allowance for paying according to ability, and thoso-who have had Aiuelv to do with labour well know that New Zealand has a largo number of tho. salt .cjass." At tho present timo in tho country .'districts, especially among farmers, men capablo of doing farm work aro not to bo got, and of what thoro is knocking around and. pretending to be able to do farm work-nine out of every ten of them arc of 110 uso at all. There is nothing moro wanted in this Dominion at the present timo than tho importation of capablo farming men, for thoy aro not to bo got. Men that enn bo trusted with and can handle horses as thoy should bo, and do farm work in a workmanlike manner. - They aro lint to bo got.. Farmers' havo to' leavo agricultural work alone in many instances. • 1 Tho idea of tho present arid lato so-called Liberal Government, of planting every man 011 tho land through the ballot box, is a rotten system, and ruining tho country lands, besides encouraging gambling in land" and swindling. The practical man that knows what tho value of the lnnd is to him gets 110 chance, unless ho buys second-hand from the one that- tried his luck and succeeded, but did not want it further than the making of abig dividend. This is what prevents the right class coming to this country. Everything is against him instead of, as it should be, in his favour. Therefore, he makes for other parts where thero is more chance of his getting what ho wants, and being paid for his labour according to its value, and bo ablo to chooso for himself a picco of freehold to make a homo when he wants it. Our lato Premier always mado it his boast there were no unemployed nor strikes in " God's Own Country," but what is tho expcrionco lately? The laws are as false as the namo, and play into, the hands of those that agitate and mako strife; and a. largo number of those aro always to bo found in our towns, and will be, unless thoy are cleared out into the back-blocks to make roads and to open up the Crown lands and pay them according to what they can earn. It's tho only way to get rid of loafers and agitators, but it's a long time since we had a Government with enough backbone to deal with such. Grey's ono man 0110 vote is greatly taken into consideration with our prosent legislators.—l am, etc., FARMER. August 8.