LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1197, 4 August 1911, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

RAILWAY METHODS.

Sir,—l notice the columns of your paper are open to correspondents for anything for the benefit of the public, ?o I would like them to knar, the injustice I have suffered at the hands of the .New /calami Hailwny Department. Some little tvmo ago I had occasion to travel from Jlarton to Waipukurau by railway, second-class return. I was charged £2 7s. 2(1. for my ticket. I told the ticket clerk at the time that I thought, it was a stiff price. I had not. time to argue the point about it with him, as the train was just about to leave tho station. The correct fare for this journey is 16s. 6d. On my return to Martoa, the ticket clerk admitted charsing me too much for ray ticket and w.as sorry he made the mistake. He stated he would take the necessary steps to have the overcharge refunded to me m tjie course of a day or two. After waiting some considerable time tor this refund, and . Retting no. satisfaction from the Department, I wrote to tlie General Manager of the New Zealand Railways calling his attention to the matter, but he only treated the letter with contempt, and never acknowledged the receipt of it. I do not consider ttiat I should lose the amount which I was ■overcharged through the mistakes of tne Department's officers. . , It seems to be the business of the Railway Department to close on anything and everything they can lay their hands on.-I am, mTCHELL . 'Marfan, July 29.

MUSICAL COMPETITIONS, ETC.

Sir.-I "notice that the Wellington .Society of Proiessional Musicians strongly ueprecates the noiuing ot musical oonipetiuous in WellingtoE. In its annual report the. society says: "It is tele by them (tbo proiessional musicians) tttat.coinr.etitions are bound to have a harmful cilect on music, conducing as they do to a spirit of commercialism, to undue cramming,' and to a craving for public adulation and appearance before the lootlights." I take exception, emphatic ; exception, to eaqh of the reasons given against competitions being held, liverything in life is dominated by the spirit of competition, and where there is no competition there is stagnation, winch surely applies just as forcibly to music as to anything else. But I will take the reasons seriatim. First, the society states that it conduces to a spirit of commercialism. Is that not commercialism the cement which induced the society to object to competitions? Assuming that there was a very competent yet struggling teacher of music in Wellington whose pupils happened to come out of the. competitions with flying colours, the other teachers— possibly members of tho society—tmgiit suffer thereby, which is-perhaps the rea6on (the commercial reason) of their tre-pidation.-And, assuming-it does-.conduce, to commercialism, what of-it?"'Do-not the members of the society make commerce of their art? Ask them to play at a concert and see. Jlusio has induced commercialism in their case, 'why not in others? Do they wish to make the society a close corporation? Surely not. Art, even when it is p'.ofessional art, should be as free »s tho wind that screeches over the snow-capped lluahines. Secondly, "cramming : this charge is absolutely unjust and without any kind of foundation. The syllabus for the competitions has.been issued iour months before tho. event. Can learning a song or how to play n pianoforte pieco in four months ha called cramming? Again, no! Thirdly, the craving for public adulation.. Is not that intensely .humanj , . Is it not a. spur to dp well at any thing,, the. prospect of earning praise frohvohe s.fellows? Be sure that .if a person does not do well that public adulation, so dear to many members of the society, would not be his. It is the greatest spur to endeavour, and out of honest endeavour good must come. I hope I have answered the somewhat vapid "objections" to musical competitions, which have, I may add, already conduced to a spirit of commercialism in the case .of more than one member of the society, of the professional musicians.—l am, etd, .... p JAMES DYKES, • Secretary.