A TRUE NATIONAL SPIRIT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 302, 15 September 1908, Page 4

A TRUE NATIONAL SPIRIT.

Sir, —Dr. Borghetti's lettpr, in your issue of yesterday, is of deep interest and worthy of serious thought. His feeling regarding the Amorican-Japanoso position is shared by many, and the outlined possible action of the Japanese seems practicable, but would depend largely on the strength and management of the respective fleets. His desire that a self-reliant national.spirit shall bo formed in the individuals of our Australasian Dominions will find an echo in.tho heart of every true, maji and noble woman, but there must bo with it tho true fear of God—and the "righteousness, which exaltijth a- nation." Fear of God, and faith in God, we lack— hence our weakness as a young nation. It is indicated by our falling birth rate. Courage wo lack when wo find strong young men and womon afraid of tho responsibilities of parentage. Patriotism wo lack when wo allow curtailment of pleasures to act as a bar to the natural increase of our population. In this connection, and for soveral years, I have thought children should bo adequately represented under a l'ranehiso scheme. It is certain that no franchise system can properly be classcd as universal which does not provide for them. I sympathise with Dr. Dorghetti, but do not endorse his suggestion that the father should control tho votes for all his children, it would bo better if ho voted For the daughters, and tho mother for her boys. Why should childless tramps, vagrants, and unlit persons generally, have equal political power with tho father or

nother of n largo and respectable family, ivhero tho children aro under age? J)r. Worghetti's views oil the settlement of lands are creditablo to liis heart, except ivhere lie approves an oppressive graduated land tax. His scliemo would involvo the borrowing of further sums of money and is impracticable, 011 any large scalc, at this present time. A modification of the Lands For Settlement Act would bo better, wero it provided that all insufficiently utilised and iv.aste land, whether belonging to Natives or Europeans, could be surveyed, roaded, subdivided, and sold at the expense and for the bonelit of tho owners. The idea of nationalising the theatres is interesting, but most people will think the teaching of truth, honour, and patriotism had better be left to our under-paid teaching staff and tho home-training of God-fearing, self-reliant parents.—l am, etc., A. BUCHANAN. Jersey Holme, I'almerston North, September 9.