LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 329, 16 October 1908, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LABOUR DAY AND MINISTERS. Sir,—Seeing an article in'a local paper relating to tho action of the Labour Day Demonstration' Committee overlooking the names ;'of tho Prime Minister and his colleagues as ; invited guests to the picnic, I worild jiko to state in the first instance that the' Trades Council oxercises no control over tho committee as sot up, hut apparently from the' secretary of tho council's (Mr. Westbrooke)' standpoint they have been labouring under that dolusion. Tho said committee was set 'up', a recommendation from the council to the unions of this city-to appoint delegates to form that committee. Unions affiliated, or otherwise, were permitted to take part, tho said unions also to bear the exponse by way of subscriptions. This fact alone goes to prove that those unions which wore not willing to affiliate to the council worild hot at any time put up with any dictation from the council, and, therefore,. much less the dictation of its very officious officials. The very fact alone of the council delegating two of its number to represent them on tho committee is ajnplc-proof that tho responsibility does not resit with the council. This appears very much to mo to be the sole troublo of tho secretary and other officials, who, by tho way, are not receiving tho amount of publicity they would like, but who seem determined to get that publicity oven bo it at the expense of friction within the ranks. Certain gentlemen on the council from what can be gathered are still doing their utmost to find favour with the Ministry for what can be got out of it, of the faith displayed in them by their difforcnt uuions. * As a member of that committee I had tho opportunity: of supporting that motion. Tho position taken up was, that the explanations given ,by the Ministers invited to the conference/smoke concert for their absence were not' sufficient, knowing full well they would bo called upon to give an account of themselves ind tho amount of opposition they would meet,with.' Now, sir, we hold that these gentlemen cinnofc be allowrfl to pick and chooso as . they think fit, even bo they Ministers of tho' Crown., Especially'is this so when tho outcome is to bo a cross-examination, so to speak,lin which perhaps they are likely to como o,iit second best, as has been the case in the past. , (For reference, Dunedin.) Moreover, tlioy want political notoriety, for which I have no hesitation in saying they would turn up in ' full strength, especially at the present, juncture. I also , hope that tho Labour party will, in future, adhere to the stand that has been taken by this committee, and use the privileges that Labour Day has granted them to imbue ,the crowd assembled with the aspirations of Labour, with no more pandering to political Jews. I would like to state that 1 would not have been the one to take up the position I have done, had it not boon for the'' meddlesome manner in which certain 'gentlemen have done their utmost to cause friction, between the council and the Labour Day Cbmmitteo.—l am, etc., V-:-.• A DELEGATE TO BOTH. October 12. . THE DECLININC BIRTHRATE. Sir,-=-Much alarm seoms to bo occasioned in some ..minds by the steady decline in the birthrate. Here in New Zealand, we find, accentuated; what is going on in ovory highly civilisedi country all over tho world. Even in 'Germany, which wo are accustomed to consider as least to bo condemned in this respect, tho birthrate has for years boen steadily doclining. I think wb may fairly consider' that the decline is due to checks deliberately'imposed by the people. For tho causes jtve must seek deeper. In this country they ' are mainly:— (a.) Internal disorders and troubles—about one" in every two of tho fomalo population of New Zealand (native born) between 20 and 45''suffering from them in one form or another. llonce wo find so many families whero there are one, or at most two, children. .Perhaps no affliction so drags women down as this, rendering their lives a constant misery, and the bearing of moro children a physical; impossibility.; ;(b.). Tho impossibility of obtaining suitable domestic help, what little is offering being lazy arid utterly inefficient, and the impossibility of the average woman being able to cope with the ceaseless drudgery of domestic life, arid at: the same time bear children. (c.) Tho fact that in New Zealand child life is in overy 'way discouraged, more especially by. the, Government of the country, through th.e,heavy and ever-increasing burden of taxation incurred by a ruinous and wasteful expenditure. (I seo tho Government has even just put-a tax of 30 per cent, on "water-wings," used by the _ youngsters when learning to swim.). No item escapes tho Government taxation. The moro children, then, the moro the . parents, are penalised. (d.). There are many other contributory causes, 1 , which spaco will scarcely permit me to .-touch on, such as the increase in luxurj and minimum demands of all classes, the competition of female labour in various trades and, professions—the impossibility in this country of obtaining land anywhere at a reasonable figure, all the accessible land in priyat&'.hands fetching exorbitant prices, and that which tho Government offers being inaccessible, • or, if riot, totally inadequate to tbq, demand, so that I have met men who have been vainly seeking for ten years to get, a piece of Government land.

The birthrate will still fall (in spite' of the child's, play indulged in.by the Government with the view to checking tho decline) to a point whero tho natural demand for decent conditions is satisfied, or acclimatisation removes iin course of time (as it will) the internal"; troubles I have mentioned. Meanwhile, nye can do'nothing. Any Acts of Parliament or diatribes from the pulpit are only so much beating of the air. But in chocking .the. shqcking.,waste of infant lifo that now goes on we can do very much indeed, and if half the energy and money that will be shortly, wasted in tub oratory could be diverted to-this channel, we should be doing humanity good service!—l am, etc., X. Ngaio, October 11, 1908.

Sir,—While one part of the community is crying- out' against the coloured immigration'to; New Zealand another section is busily occupied killing out the white race even before it, is born. Dr. Mason is right about a national awakening being required in New Zealand. At present a large number of men and women who would think it a disgrace to steal a loaf of brfead, do not scruple to employ others for illegal purposes in order to 'escape the responsibility of parentage— their paltry cxcuse being that they cannot 'afford Vto keep any more children. The ghouls . so employed are tho chief cause of the declining birth-rate, and if the Government would set apart a special fund for hunting them out, and a suitable penalty for their offence, it would do more service to tho country than with all the Bills it has passed this, session.

Does, Dr., Mason know nothing about this blighting curse which is rampant in Wellington? Do the ministers of religion know nothing of it that it has not been denounced? [What are tho hospital authorities thinking of when they take in tho victims suffering from blood-poisoning and say nothing?, They are not policemen 1 Perhaps not, but ha,ve they not a duty to their country ? 'Truly Dr. Mason says rightly, the national conscience requires wakening or tho nation ! will disappear, for a people who aro lazy aijid selfish enough to permit the destruction of their own offspring will nevor prosper.—l am, etc., . •AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER. October 10, 1908. ( , MARINE INQUIRIES. Sir, sailing ships, when anyono wishes to know tho position of the vessel, or any other matters connected with her, they aro generally told to " ask the cook," but, needless to say, his answer is not taken seriously. In tho recent Gnrtio-Penguin inquiry, tho opinion of the chief steward was asked, but, contrary to the custom in sail, his opinion ivas taken 'very seriously, in fact, the caso seemed to havo been decided by it. . Tho ;Court held that the evidence of tho passengers was unreliable; yet the chief stoward was evidently considered most trustworthy, Has the.chief steward such a.knowledge of the rule of the road and matters pertaining.to navigation, that his statement

that tho Penguin was an overtaking vessel should have been accepted as a correct definition of the position of that vessel? Why should his evidence bo accepted when an ablo seaman's is rejected? At the commencement of the inquiry, the captain of the Gertie acknowledged that his ship was a "crossing," and not an "overtaking vessel. Tho second mate of tho Penguin held that the Gertie was a "crossing vessel." Yet, in face of this, the Court find that tho Penguin was an " overtaking vessel," thereby disregarding all evidence except the chief steward's. Again, the Court found that the Penguin improperly " starboarded," and yet, during .the hearing of the case, no mention—by either side—was made of her having " starboarded " at all. Tho Gertie was said to have " ported," and sufficient evidence was given to make it quite clear that she did. The Court came to the conclusion that this was only done to keep her steady. It was clear by the evidence that the collision was caused, or accelerated, by one of the two vessels making improper use of the 'helm. There was evidence that tho Gertie did, i\nd none against the Penguin. Nevertheless the Penguin was found guilty of doing so. The Gertie was exonerated from all blame. The second mate of the Penguin's certificate was suspended. His means of earning a living are taken away from him for three months. In case he should have something put by, ho is told he must pay £6 6s. costs. This is considered justice. The learned magistrate and his assessors must indeed have carefully weighed the pros and cons. Marine inquiries are funny tilings.—l am, etc., „ , SLUSHY. October 13.