LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 4 September 1909, Page 10

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

— $ _ <!-. ' ■•■.'■ ■'• 'SPIRITUALISM. Sir,—l.should bo glad'if 3'ou would allow mo to,register-in your : paper-my gratitude as an enthusiastic Spiritualist to Mr W. C. Nation for,his capital letter in this morning's isauo of liiE Dominion, September 1. Ho has spoken jip.iso manfully, on behalf of Spiritualism, and sq. wisely .and well, thai to non-Spiritualists and sceptics who havo read his letter Spiritualism must appear to bo worth a little serious thought after all, while to Spiritualists it must act. ,as..a,.tomo. I myself havo studied Spiritualism for some fifteen years, during which time I'"havo "attended something liko £r Ve » I W dred sittings in . Palmerston North tfith a private medium,'whose , gifts are undeniable, ond whose.honesty is impeccable. I may therefore bo said to know something of tho subject, and agree cordially with Mr. Nation when lid likens tho ignorant sceptics and mock invesiigators to children quarrelling on tho sea shore oblivious of the approach of a big wave that will either carry them 011 its surface to higher ground, or overwhelm them in its onward rush. ,Por Spiritualism has como to stay! Already has,the minuto seed sown Sixty years ago develbped into.a'wide-spreading tree that gives shelter to many a life-weary soul. Anything . containing-half tho vitality and .truth of Spiritualism is,bound to flourish and _increase, and no army of ill-disposed critics, however large,- powerful, and talented, can pheck its growth.—l am, etc.,

'■ V . '■'•' H. E. GUNTEB. Palmerston North. ' .. ' . r BOXING CONTESTS. ': Sir,—ln reference to.the contest that is just over between Unholz and Traccy, it was a poor exhibition, which wo all knew you could not blame Traecy for. It was the referee's fault in not making tho men como'together. If it was only an exhibition spar, why did not the association advertise it as such, and not gull the public in a so-called boxing contest.. Another thing is that the association should put on a decent preliminary—two ten round bouts of throe minutes' duration, not the farcical things that go on now, and limit the big event to 20 rounds. A nice profit the association' has made out of tho boxers named, allbwing £180 for contest and .expenses. Thero was supposed to be three thousand fivo hundred '■■ people present, . which I do not doubt. An average■ of .three shillings each person would: amount to '.£525. : Take .£lßo' from the above amount, which.would leave tho association a 1 profit of i>345.. Compare this purso to tho one given at Sydney, when- George Johns and Ted Nelson got .£l5O purse out of a £i2b, house,' and there was tho preliminary money to , como out of that, too. This does not includo expenses outside of the contest. Allowing £40 outside .of the purse fdr expenses, 'that would,swell to £200, leaving .the Gaiety Club only .£125 profit, -which they were perfectly, satisfied with.—l am, etc., - ■ . , .;".- .-.'"':•■. ■:■ . •'■ .: w. n. shokt. SeptombDr 1. '■.','.' ' .' .

\-THE SPEILEnS ACT.. ' Sir,—At tho Chrjstchurch- sittings -' of . tho Supreme Court,' recently held, tho - working of tho above- Act.i» the encouragement of swindlers by way of finding them employment was. fully exemplified.. Two men were indicted for.cheating by means of the.three-card,trick. Detective Cassells said tho men in question came ■from Australia, and the'detectivo who searched thorn found, in addition to a'.'Tap" used for playing tho gamo known as "two-np," 'a pack of cards and two betting licenses,-theso licenses , , of course,,being issued under the provisions of-.the Act-.whicli the Hon. Dr. Findlay is roported to havo said- would bo enforced .in its application-to tho racing clubs■ if the latter bodies,attempted,to evade its provisions. Comment is needless, but it is. to be hoped' ,6Uch,'cases as these ~will be noted by thoso members of the Legislature who pay,some heed to tho morals of, the community, and ■ lead thom .to consider tho. absolute necessity for tho repeal of this nefarious statute.—l -am, etc.,"--- "- '•'■•■' ■- ■■ ■ ■-.■-. ', v :'■". ' ;. ■■■- .■-,■" ■"■■■';■; ■;-■:. '■'• '■•■■■ hopeful; August 31.: 7 ;'■ ■;'•■ 7 ' '-■■' ;'" -.- •.