LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 680, 3 December 1909, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

: UNIVERSITY.REFORM. Sir,—Now that there are proposals to make the 'choico ■of subjects •for'; matriculation less arbitrary than before, .as witness the suggestion that Latin shall bo compulsory only for those intending to tako certain 'degrees, 'it might bo opportune, to suggest through your columns! the 'ndvisability of ''giving somewhat more Jatitudo.in" regard to those case's.whero a candidate has already, passed tho 'matriculation and then afterwards wishes, to pass the medical preliminary. • -~'-.' ," ' At present such a candidate has'to take not only the extra subjects for"the medical prelim-' ■ina'ryy .but .also take again, a .fiilh range of six matriculation'(Subjects/ : To. make a candidate pass again in subjects in!'which ho has already satisfied the university requirements is surely unnecessary, as n proof,of educational 'ability, while it puts the candidate to much extra '• trouble in working over again the examination in six subjects, and necessarily involves those who have not. tho good fortune to. live in.or near an examination centre in expenses for travelling and lodging; . .Would .riot"'all requirements be amply sati6;fied if merely requiring a candidate who has already passed matriculation to pass for medical preliminary in the reuired additional'subjects only? Tho present apparent'concession of allowing such a candidate lo take only the' extra subjects on the junior scholarship examination papers, .is really requiring a higher degreo of attainment from that; candidate than from the one who passes: his- medical preliminary- ordinarily.—l am,-etc., . ' i .■'. . . '• ■ ■■;■■■". ;•■.".■ i ■'.■■. ' .REFORM.. .;.'

T. E. TAYLOR ETCIE'SDEFINITiONS. Sir,—ln the debate on the' Financial Statement in.thevHousc, Mr. T. E;> Taylor, (Hansard, page 137) ears:—". . . , "We contend that the people of New Zealand own the land, and as owners should be'consulted in, connection with the radical change in the land-policy of the Budget,'! etc. Thus Mr. Taylor and other tinkling cymbale of.. verbiose pobtical charlatanry. But WE," oh.the land,-and liorn on it, want to "Who are the people-it is proposed to consult?" ; If he 'means''those, born in New Zealand, those who first expanded'their lungs at that; birth on Aotea-rpa, Me. to ■ Waipounamu, and their dependenpiee, shall be the 'people" to be consulted whether tbej will own their fatherland under. a leasehold/ where the PfirUahdlord^. is -the - wastrel; ;i o| ■■'' the' - gutter, or.be able to recite: "Is there-a"man with soul so dead, who never to: himself has said, 'This' is my own; , my native''land p',"-,-If, so. we unanimously cry:' "Put it to the,vote!" and loyally support him. Butif he means importations j if' .he' meansi immigrants'i'who' , get ; no, further than town slumsr--if-lie'nieans- political clianticleers, of the Hogg.'et"Cie'type; if 'ho means ! those, with whose culttire, ; * politics,'or aspirations, 'we, born t on Ike •■.land,* have not one aim in oommon; 'if'h'e nieans.thosd;who treasure town life and its'atfra'otionij heirlooms too precious- to be parted' from;', arid who; if given the fee simple.of a farm'out'here in the' . wilderness, would not come bnt : to'-till- it; if he means • those who, : if they went ; upon , the land, would starve there;, if-he means, those ~put upon these , central wildernesses,, would die 'of.isolation and ignorance to comhat wilderness ■life amenities; in short, ; all':the riff-raff- with a vote, WE,'on the land and'bom'-on it; , who aek for the'freehold , our: fathers left.a hold hell to-obtain, refuse'your' Taylors andLanrensons and Hoggs.et sui generis-the-iiriv). lege to put it to the vote. 'They, and-- their clientele have'-nobright to' dominate the descendants of- the premier Empirevbuilders, , and .who bore the heavy burdens.'of:their' day, edifice such- as no world' had? seen before! 'And; the sooner: the'terhv "people"-'is defined'concatenant with these'principles, the sooner will' our passionately beloved birthland' , be. rid'-'of millennial faddists and their -stupid .vagaries!' ■■~'•' <; :"'-': '.''';,. '"■ :; ' '.'■.-' . ; !;: Bring: along, your town 'pets and'put them down.-.-say;;:'in'' the.'Rangitototuhua,'Block, and see: how' many; "affer ;a'- sir 'months' exile, you .will; I :find': aljye! '. t .A 150,,, ; snch'Vwill widen the . horizon 'of your- phatasmal ' obsession. ;1 V 'And,' .finally, pray,!'get.:to '.work 7 and : ' 'earn > 'yolir .wages.—l am; etc.,' ' . •"-.'"■' ':•'-"-.'•'■■:•■'•■■;.•; ."■•-. '■',- °: • ■;..'-.•: ■'■ W. B.TE-KTJITI. : , Rohe Potae, ';;' ■ ■.": ■' ~; ' ..' , --■' ■'^•r'.'-.." .' ■; A CHALLENGE. 1 ■•:;'■ -'.. Sir,—For. twenty' years possibly the New. Zea-. land been xecognised by' the ; fjNewiiKealKadrasiitho of "the ■ now; knows that to call, it^a-teniperaiice.:movement-'is r a l ?-pur : 'Alliance , arranges some 'definite method'of pro-, cedure we havo'. No-lioense people all-, over Sdenyingithat-'the , AUia'nce-repre-sents the- ; party at all.i 'Truly,-in-- deception. , and. trickery .the liquor party in this Domino ion are not in it-' It is known now' to almost. 'everyone . that: No-Liconse'■• is, a;.' farce.'. , ' ■'• The' leaders of well as-I dothatit is a farce. They know you, cannot,fool; : all'the'' public' , 'all' the time, , arid that something'; 'else must be-.tried.'.- '■■:• ' .■-. --•:''■' ■- , '.

Npwj sir,T am willing; to deposit with'yp'U; the'.sum,of .£lO. 'I want!somß,'Nq-Licensoad ; : ivocate.t'o: make "the same "offer.' If rho' can prove ■ by. official records, any;'two' of the 'following to the satisfaction of a judge to \bo mutually appointed, I'll forfeit by .£lO. to the Alliance.. If he cannot he forfeits bis ,£lO to. the Wellington Hospital.' This is* what 1 1 warit'to prove:-r" ' '-■■ ■ "'■ .-,, ~..' . \ :,--.' •'..••'"■ \'. (1) That, the official records of : 'duties paid'on liquor "show-' that decreased liqiipr consumption.by one pint on the whole.;! ■: ■ (2) That the -official -records• of convictions show that i No-License has .decreased', crime.!. ; ■ ,(3) That under; No-License a cannot buy legally-,' and freely' at least two or three timesas much- liquor, for the, same money as he was accustomed 'tol get .at. an \ hotel under license., , ■.'',->'. ■' ' ; -.'':•■.■'■".;■■.'>• ~-'" '-.'■.'

(4) .That bankruptcy returns, the returns of ■ amounts'.sued for in Magistrate's Conrts, and the record!of fires show that No-License has increased prosperity. , : .•■/•■■■-■;;• '- •■■:''■:'■■■■■;": ' 'The truth, is this.'; Ko-License' is.directly,responsible for a : largely-increased- 'liquor■ consumption.' Under No-License 1 crime has in-'-creas'ed, although -,li': dou't" know-'Vthaf - No--License ,'is -responsible. .' Prosperity:-,-has - decreased.' ■It stands to reason , .!' Moro drinking and,heaps of-money produced'in a No-Liconse town- going to surrounding- towns 'for .liquor and pushing-on. their prosperity. It is-to'be trusted theiPrime Minister, for the good and the '■ credit of this Dominion;; will. refuse to allow this farce to'coritinue ; and that he will! put the Act .through' providing for prohibition in spite of any opposition. -.-■■•- ■ ;.-■: .. :■.,;. ' I am not connected with the liquor trade, and no'person 'even re'motely'cdnnected 'with'it kno'ws of this.--1 ivrite ; I detest bigots and; hypocrisy... Let those 'lyhoni tho cap fits pur it on.—l am/etc.,'. , '■'■■■• ~ ■ '.'• '.'.■'•■•■ .■• •■■■•' : ""'■'•■'■'• . ' } . "teetotaller; '■ November 25, 1909. ~ ■;'.'■.. "■■;.', - •

: ' NOISES- OFTHE NIGHT. V: ; .', Sir,r-The ,'City ; Council has lately added ; 'to-, these. It comes, frbm tho lighting -station, and its, persistency and : monotony is enough to interfere with -the. sleep of everi , -.tho hardiest. ' The: ohimes from tho :Pbst Office, clock are. bad enough, but with them therejs the respite of a quarter of; an • hour. Surely the-authorities should:not be disturbers of,the, peace; I hope his Worship'the Mayor to have' the latest nuisance stopped ,at once. : As , for the Post Office .olopk, I should like.to. have, it. silenced from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.—l am, etc.; ,'. ■'"■: : A ■::,- ; -PEACE ; . AND- , ,:November !S'. ■ '."■.. '■-.-.' •; /;'••.•:■ •■ !/ ;■■,■■'■■ ' -..With : regard'to: the Post Office' olocki- those, who, dp sleep don't! want 1 its phimea",, and' those who can't sleep because of them—well, they don't 'want thcni.iNWho does, want them?—."P. and-'Q." ■ '.•.■,'■ :..-■- .'.'■.'!.•"' \/i-'!'"■■;".!. ■'>■:'■;'■■■ ." ■::.;————7-r-7: v: \,.' • : ■ ; PEOPLE V/iLUE OF LAND. • Sir,—-Iri his' article- No. 3jonthe "East Coast Railway Routei'.' Mr.; Malcolm Ross, after describing the hardships of bapkblock settlers, says'.' that ; they aro\entitled .to the :imearned increment, an- increment which ; the Socialist, the> editorial, theorist, and the street-corner demagogue • would like to see taken! by the State. Let me enlighten'. Mr. Malcolm- Ross. In.-the bnckblocks thero is.no. unearned incroraont,. because' tWe is, population worth speaking of, and it is poyulatian; which gives value to land; It will'be seen, therefore, that ' the: great .land values. lie'/ in■';■■ our ■■ populous I centres,, and it theio, values, which the, Single TaXer, the. editorial theorist, and the streetcorner demagogue demand shall..be gradually appropriated. by tha State for, the benefit of the whole people, because they, are communitycreated values, and.therefore belong to thd community, and not to thejaiid-holders. Hence it is to the interest of the. working 'farmers'(not the .bip landholders who ■ fa,rm'!the! farmers) ..to., support! this!; proposal,'; for, the.' yery ; .good and substnntial !reßson' that' State' appropriation of the. unearned increment or peoplo value of the land would..enable: the.! Customs '.duties nnd other taxes, to .be , abpHshedi'sd that .tho farraore and 'the-whole -working nation lyonldobe paying considerably less in taxation v'thnii they are now.:. ,In fact,; the backblbpk' farmer,. whose iiig. frepof, , taxation!: / 'Therefore,-1-.odvise.tho farmers and the' wage-oarnersVto etudy the Single Tax "for; themselves, and not' to .''-'bctllevo (Ihe ;lykg: mJaepwcfiiitalibnß : mada.-aboat : it: : bs

Tory...politicians, ( and i their.' i! paid linngersron.T Bead-"Progress and; Poverty," -. by. that, vcconomist, .Henry' ' GeorgeQt;aav:e(;o., ; , !.,;; ; FRANK .;;> ',', ;'-Kaiwnrrai ,; ,-.:.'■■;•:•■■ ..'./■.' , •": :'!':■■■■ ';■■':i; ;/" .\V.;'?- V, '■■ Sir,—With^regard., to'.the',.un£orttoate.;yonng . -.'- •; ■': man Robetts, ivho is' condemned to death for ''; • a deed which; to-spine minds, he- was quite i . justified in committing, how many nVen could;: stand by calinly'and seo another making love, to / the woman whom-ho'considered-his;ownP'And ithat were the jnry.-thjnld.ng , about.in'omitting"! to-'reepghiso the provocation?; To;many,;ininde,'"'■'' ■ the deed was, done under' the strongest proyo-" : ; T cation.; .When'•'•women , are,' bad, men '.have ''to : - : '■:■> -..- suffer.' If aU'women were p'uro -and true,'thcse ■'■' ■.. .■ cases would'.be'few".':"AU ; natures'are 'not alike! : ' • ' Bomo could stand, it, and- perhaps laugh, while' ■ others woiild be mad! for the time being. Youths at' 22 do notrealise what- crime they-are'com- '. ; mitting, until/it is too late. : They drift info < wrong knowing it. Give the. man hie'.' , life, that he .may-livo to repeflt; do. not eeqd " ' him into eternity with hie sin unrepenfced, for : .-' what availeth-a deathbed repentanceP—l tun, J. etc.; , • .-, ~;,.,.. ...-.:. ' JUSTICIp ; . [Roberts, has been reprieved on the ground .that he was a degenerate, not fully responsibld ' .; for hie actions.],' ... : "■' ■■'■■ -..." ;,,, -' "■.''";.